The podcast industry has experienced remarkable growth in 2024, building upon its steady expansion in previous years. Globally, the number of podcast listeners is projected to reach 504.9 million by the end of 2024, up from 464.7 million at the close of 2023.
In the United States, podcast listenership continues to rise, with 47% of the population aged 12 and over tuning in to podcasts at least once a month in 2024.
This surge in audience size has been accompanied by significant financial growth. The global podcasting market is expected to be valued at $30.03 billion in 2024, with projections indicating a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27.6% between 2023 and 2030. Advertising revenue within the industry reflects this upward trend, with worldwide podcast ad spending estimated to hit $4.02 billion in 2024.
A notable trend in 2024 is the increasing popularity of video podcasts. Some platforms have reported a 39% year-over-year increase in average daily streams of video podcasts globally in the first quarter of 2024. This shift indicates a blending of traditional audio content with visual elements, appealing to a broader audience and enhancing engagement.
The demographic landscape of podcast listeners is also evolving. Millennials constitute the largest generation of U.S. podcast listeners, accounting for 32.7% and reaching 44.3 million people. However, Gen Z listeners are experiencing the most rapid growth and are expected to overtake millennials by 2027. This demographic shift underscores the medium’s expanding appeal across different age groups.
6,366,128 New Episodes
in the Blubrry Directory in 2024
Historical Podcast Episode Growth:
-
Podcast episode growth 2024 (through November): 6.4 million episodes
- 2023: 5.8 million episodes
- 2022: 4.2 million episodes
- 2021: 3.5 million episodes
- 2020: 2.9 million episodes
- 2019: 2.1 million episodes
Although at record high, episode publishing per month lagged considerably in the summer months. We get it! There’s so much other stuff to be doing. Fortunately, it came back with a big bang as the weather cooled and the kids were back in school. Here’s a graph of each month. Why is April blank? Our Blubrry family said it made more sense to title each monthly report for the month the stats were logged, as opposed to the month the report could be compiled and released.
Top Categories in 2024
The top podcast categories of 2024 reflect both ongoing trends and significant shifts in listener interests. News took the lead at 22.26%, driven by major global events including the U.S. presidential election, international conflicts, and economic developments. Religion and Spirituality followed closely at 21.37%, maintaining its traditionally strong position due to consistent audience engagement and diverse content offerings.
Sports (8.18%), Business (7.96%), and Society & Culture (7.61%) rounded out the top five, demonstrating the broad appeal of these genres. The relatively even distribution among these categories suggests that podcast listeners are increasingly diverse in their content preferences, while the significant share of “Other” categories (10.19%) indicates the medium’s ability to serve niche interests effectively.
BLUBRRY HOSTING
Top 5 by Category
AVERAGE EPISODE LISTENS
By Show Size
Ranges are determined during the reporting period when a show meets the threshold once, aka 10,001 listens/downloads, etc.. When a show meets the threshold, we include all episodes for the past 30 days that were published a minimum of 10 days.
TOP CLIENTS
How Podcasts Were Consumed in 2024
by Platform
Apple has long been the dominant platform for podcast consumption, starting 2024 with a commanding 58% share. However, this lead steadily declined throughout the year, reaching a low of 47% in September, signaling a shift in audience behavior. By November, Apple’s share had begun to recover, climbing back to 53%.
BLUBRRY GLOBAL LISTENER RETENTION
There you have the first 11 months of 2024 in a nutshell! We have checked and double-checked our numbers. But is this scientifically precise? Nope! We’re learning and evolving our reports as we go. Still, it gives an interesting overview of the podcast space in the past year, and we are looking forward to doing this again in 2025!
2024 Monthly Reports
January February March May May (b) June July August September October November