The Diverse and Growing World of Podcasts
23-June-2023
The podcast industry, although relatively young compared to other media forms like television and books, has amassed a diverse collection of content covering various subjects, catering to both mainstream and niche interests. Among the popular podcasts, true crime holds the largest share, accounting for 24% of the top-ranked podcasts. Top-ranked podcasts about true crime often investigate murders, scandals, and other criminal acts. Some focus on a single crime across the series, while others cover several crimes.
Following true crime, politics and government podcasts constitute 10% of the top-ranked podcasts, while entertainment, pop culture, and the arts make up 9%, and self-help and relationships cover 8%. Interestingly, there is a category of podcasts (12%) that do not fit neatly into any of the defined topics.
One-in-five top-ranked podcasts focus on multiple topics. These podcasts can follow one of two formats: each episode can be about a different topic, or the host(s) can talk about a range of topics within the same episode.
Podcasts have traditionally been audio-only, but many top-ranked podcasts now release videos that accompany their episodes. These videos can take different forms, such as a video of the hosts recording the podcast itself, or static videos with the podcast audio played over an image.
YouTube is by far the most popular video-sharing platform for podcasts, with 97% of podcasts with a video component making their videos available on YouTube. Other popular platforms include Rumble and Vimeo.
In addition to being available on major listing sites and video sharing sites, many podcasts use other methods to connect with their audiences, such as having a website or an online discussion forum. These platforms allow listeners to connect with each other and with the creators of the podcast, and they can also be used to sell merchandise or provide other updates about the podcast.
Most top podcasts have a single host, while a smaller share have multiple hosts or no host at all. Single-host podcasts are most common for true crime and politics and government podcasts, while multiple-host podcasts are more common for sports podcasts. Deep reporting and interview podcasts are more likely to have a single host, while commentary and recap podcasts are more likely to have multiple hosts.
While most podcasts are not short in duration, only a small percentage are significantly longer than an hour per episode. In 2022, an overwhelming majority of top-ranked podcasts had an average episode length longer than 20 minutes. Around 6% of these highly ranked podcasts had episodes that averaged less than 20 minutes, while slightly over half (54%) fell between 20 and 50 minutes. Approximately 37% of the top podcasts had episodes that lasted an hour or more, including 18% that averaged over 70 minutes.
Furthermore, podcasts that released accompanying videos had longer episodes on average. Approximately 28% of podcasts that included video releases alongside their episodes had an average length of 70 minutes or more between April and September 2022, while only 8% of podcasts without videos reached that duration.
Most top-ranked podcasts are available on multiple platforms. The two most popular platforms for top-ranked podcasts are Spotify and Apple Podcasts. Nearly all top podcasts (99%) are available on Spotify, and roughly nine-in-ten top podcasts are available on Apple Podcasts.
Source: Pew Research Center
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