Australian podcast production house Deadset Studios and market research agency Insightfully have partnered on a new annual audience survey branded PodPoll 2023: Australia’s podcast insights survey.
The results confirm how podcasts have become a staple in the media diet of Australians.
“PodPoll is the most in-depth podcast listener survey in Australia. It shows podcasts have become a habit for many – and are more popular than print newspapers, magazines and audiobooks,” Insightfully managing director Leanne White said.
The most popular podcast genres are crime (35%), comedy (34%), and health and wellbeing (32%).
Gen Y and Gen Z are the heaviest consumers of podcasts with 22% of Gen Y and 26% of Gen Z segments who aren’t listening reporting it’s because they can’t find content they’re interested in.
Deadset Studios director Kellie Riordan said this is a huge opportunity for media houses, marketers and brands. “There’s a significant gap to fill with highly engaging content for these younger audiences, who told us they either can’t find content tailored to their needs or that they’d like to consume even more of it.”
Time spent listening to podcasts is significant, especially in the current fight for attention. PodPoll found most regular listeners (51%) tune in for up to 2 hours a week, and 21% listen for 2 to 3 hours.
Meanwhile, 77% of regular listeners are consuming between 2 and 9 episodes. Kellie Riordan added: “This proves the sticky nature of the medium and demonstrates a committed audience willing to spend a lot of time with you. Podcasting is now a very valuable medium for anyone wanting deep engagement with audiences and customers.”
PodPoll shock
Middle-aged men are most likely to listen daily, the survey found.
Co-listening is also a growing trend with a third of podcast listeners consuming them with others. Middle-aged men and parents in particular dominate the co-listening segment. It seems podcasts are shareable after all!
Brands pile on
Branded podcasts are revealed to be very effective for marketers. More than half (59%) of regular podcast listeners like listening to podcasts about brands they like, and 80% recall hearing a podcast ad or brand mention.
Even more significant is that 18% have bought something after hearing about it in a podcast. People turning to branded podcasts include those eager for new skills, those willing to take action to support a cause, and influencers.
People also choose podcasts because they can listen while doing something else, such as driving (more likely to be millennials and parents), relaxing (more likely to be young people), or doing chores (women). This multi-tasking behaviour emphasises the versatility and convenience of podcasts in fitting into daily routines.