We have covered the recently released Podcasting Today report in two pieces, HERE and HERE. We recommend the report for its many fascinating metrics and visuals which define podcasting audience and behavior. Today, Nielsen sent us a new piece of information, by way of promoting the study again.
Looking at four podcast listener age groups, Nielsen has determined that each group has grown in size from 2020 to 2021. Here it is:
Nielsen says that “light podcast listeners” are leading this growth, representing 49% of the audience. And although the table above does not represent this finding, Nielsen says that the 40-55 group accounts to 47% of listeners in aggregate.
All this to say that marketers should take podcasting seriously — that is Nielsen’s point. “The increasing appeal of podcasts to general audiences is exactly why brands and agencies need to be tracking engagement with them and leveraging the opportunities in their marketing strategies and campaigns.”
Nielsen notes that although the Covid pandemic flattened growth temporarily, it resumed later in 2020 and into 2021. That phenomenon contributes to a rise in at-home listening, which is at 50% for podcasts, 10 percentage points higher than three years ago, according to Nielsen.
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