27 Million American Podcast Listeners; Podcast Users Young and Rich

Arbitron: 27 Million American Podcast Listeners; Podcast Users Young and Rich

April 14, 2006

Arbitron, a research firm serving the radio industry, has released a report that paints a rosy picture for the future of radio. According to Arbitron, "The proliferation of digital broadcast platforms such as Internet radio, satellite radio, HD and podcasting is a testament to the popularity of radio programming. "

The report highlights user interest in new audio delivery platforms, such as satellite radio and podcasting, but suggests that the AM/FM audience remains strong. This contrasts with other recent reports that have suggested that podcasts and MP3 players are stealing radio's audience.

According to the report, "Seventy-seven percent of Americans say they expect to listen to AM/FM radio as much as they do now despite increasing advancements in technology." About a quarter of all Americans expect to listen to less radio, according to the report. For people that have listened to podcasts, 27% expect to listen to less radio, and among satellite radio users, 36% expect to listen to less radio.

Report Highlights:

• The weekly Internet radio audience has increased 50% over the last year.
• Nineteen percent of persons age 18-34 have listened to Internet radio in the last week.
• Satellite radio subscribers are twice as likely to live in 100K+ households
• Many people are still confused about what podcasts are.
• Podcasting attracts a relatively youthful audience. More than half of listeners are under 35.
• 11% of all Americans have listened to audio podcasts. That translates into approximately 27 million Americans that have tried podcasts.
• More than half of all teens own an iPod or other portable media player.

Podcast Highlights

According to Arbitron, 22% of Americans have heard of podcasting, and 11% have tried podcasts:

Podcasting is attracting an upper-income audience:

Arbitron recommends that advertisers start look at the new audio options that are available. People that are using podcasts, satellite and other new audio formats tend to be relatively young and affluent, a group of listeners appealing to advertisers.

“Consumers are quickly embracing radio’s digital platforms and this new research reveals that these advertising vehicles are becoming increasingly viable,” said Bill Rose, senior vice president, marketing, Arbitron.

Source: Arbitron (Acrobat file)