A record estimated 115 million Americans now consume podcasts on a weekly basis, according to this year’s Infinite Dial report from Edison Research.
That number has increased nearly ever year since the survey began tracking podcast consumption. Fifty-five percent of Americans said they consume podcasts monthly, which the report notes is also a new high.
The report uses the word “consume” as it is meant to account for both audio and video podcasts.
Overall podcast awareness is also at its highest: An estimated 245 million Americans, or 85% of the population, said they are familiar with podcasts and 73% said they have ever listened to an episode.
Among the services used to consume podcasts, YouTube ranked highest in the Infinite Dial, with 33% of U.S. weekly podcast listeners aged 13 and older. Spotify followed at 26%, with Apple Podcasts third at 14%.
Podcast consumption led by youth, males
The Infinite Dial also breaks down podcast consumption by both gender and age. It is clear where podcasts resonate most.
Nearly two-thirds of those age 12—34 said they had consumed a podcast in the past month, compared to 38% of those aged 55 and older.
Men led the way, with 57% of those surveyed saying they had consumed a podcast in the past month — a nine percentage point increase from 2024. Fifty-two percent of women said they had consumed a podcast in the same period.
Overall, podcast consumption was fairly evenly split by political affiliation. Republicans edged out Democrats, with 56% reporting podcast consumption compared to 53% of Democrats. Notably, Republican consumption has grown significantly since 2023, when it was just 37%, compared to 48% for Democrats that year.
Video and the podcast star
The survey also found that video podcasts have gained traction. Forty-eight percent of those surveyed said they both listened to and watched podcasts. For those who said they listen to podcasts monthly, 37% said they do so through video podcasts. Among weekly podcast listeners, 26% said they use video podcasts.
The Infinite Dial also indicated an estimated 104 million Americans listened to an audiobook in the last year. That’s slightly down in terms of percentage from last year.
Mass media implications
In a blog post, Pierre Bouvard, chief insights officer at Cumulus Media/Westwood One’s Audio Active Group, feels the report’s trends are evidence that podcasts are now a mass reach media vehicle and “no longer a niche platform lacking scale.”
He recommends that brands allocate 5% of their digital budgets to podcasts.
Edison Research has released the Infinite Dial annually since 1998. It surveys digital media consumption, which includes streaming audio, podcasts, radio, smart speakers and social media.
Infinite Dial is supported by Audacy, Cumulus and SiriusXM.
The survey was conducted in January, with a panel of approximately 5,020 individuals aged 12 and older. The data was weighted to national 12-and-older U.S. population figures.
This is the second in three stories Radio World will feature with trends revealed by this year’s Infinite Dial survey. We also analyzed in-car media trends and still to come, online audio and social media.
You can view the full results of the Infinite 2025 report Dial here.
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