Second only to comedy in its reach, nearly one in three monthly podcast listeners consume a news podcast. But who are they, and what are they listening to or watching besides news podcasts? And what role does video play in their podcast habit? Sounds Profitable analyzed data collected last year for its annual Podcast Landscape study for some answers. Here are six takeaways.
News Listeners Are Younger Than On TV
The new analysis shows that this audience is nearly identical to the U.S. population and that is working in podcasting’s favor, since unlike cable news networks the average age of the news podcast listener is 47. That is well below the 69 average for Fox News or 67 for CNN. Webster says as more middle-aged consumers turn away from TV sources, that will become even more pronounced. For now, six in ten news podcast listeners are male. News podcast consumers also have an average salary of $73,000 per year, which is higher than the $69,250 average among Americans overall. That could be due to monthly news consumers being much more likely to have attained a four-year degree or higher.
“This audience represents a significant opportunity for advertisers. Whether they’re business professionals, decision-makers or cultural trendsetters, news podcast listeners are deeply invested in the content they consume, and that investment extends to the brands that align with their values and interests,” said National Public Media VP Lamar Johnson. “They’re also highly educated, influential in their communities and actively engaged in current events, making them a prime audience for brands looking to connect with informed and discerning consumers.”
Looking For The Headlines
News podcast listeners spend an average of seven hours a week listening to podcasts, which is an hour more than podcast listeners overall. Three-quarters say they listened to a show in the past week, with the other quarter listening in the past month. With podcasts their pick to get the headlines, Webster says many are listening daily. “It’s a habitual part of their life,” he said. “By dint of that extra weekly and perhaps even daily habitual listening, they are fitting a lot more content in.” When asked why they are listening to podcasts, the biggest number said it was to get news or political analysis as well as business news and information. “They’re making it a point to choose the medium specifically for news, which means that podcasting is a real driver for them,” Webster said.
In addition to news, this group of listeners also spends a lot of time consuming political talk, comedy, sports, history and true crime shows. And 85% listen to a regularly published podcast, while two-thirds say they listen to a podcast that releases occasionally, but not on a fixed schedule. And they’re also more likely to consume limited-run series.
News listeners say several factors might make them stop listening to shows, including too many ads, repetitive or stale content, or they found a better podcast on the same topic. When it comes to ad loads, Webster thinks compared to alternatives, podcasters have less to worry about. “It is possible for us to ruin podcasting with advertising. I don’t believe we’re there yet. And I think the fact that we have these consumers is a testament to that they are flocking to news podcasts because there’s a more-sane take on ad-supported content,” he said.
What Media Are They Consuming?
The information-hungry news podcast listeners are greater consumers of media than other monthly podcast listeners. The data shows 76% listen to AM/FM radio vs. 64% of non-news podcast listeners. And 53% listen to streaming AM/FM vs. 32% for non-news podcast listeners. News podcast listeners are also more likely to listen to streaming music.
“They are certainly very active media consumers in general, compared to all of the other consumers of podcasting,” Webster said. He noted that 93% say that they have consumed YouTube in the last month, something that could prove pivotal for podcasters as more listening is done on the app.
When asked which media they are spending more time with during the past year, half of news podcast listeners say they are spending more time listening to podcasts. Even more, 59%, say YouTube is getting more of their time. That is 12 points higher than for non-news podcast listeners. “They’re spending less time with AM/FM broadcast radio, as they continue to go to things like podcasts as a source of news,” Webster said, adding that more than three-quarters (76%) still use it monthly. They are also spending less time with X/Twitter, which Webster sees as a “tremendous opportunity” for podcasters.
Video’s New Role
All podcast genres are seeing an uptick in video podcast consumption, and news is no different. Sounds Profitable’s data shows 87% of news podcast consumers say they do consume video podcasts, although nearly two-thirds (63%) say they just listened to the audio rather than watched the video, despite that 44% of the news podcast consumers say they use YouTube most often. “Even with all of the noise that video is making in podcasting, the dominant modality for podcast consumption remains audio,” Webster said.
YouTube does serve as an important discovery tool, however. Two-thirds (65%) say they use it to find new shows, compared to half (49%) of podcast listeners overall. “There’s no question that YouTube is important to the news podcast consumer. It is not exclusive, it is not the majority, but it is certainly extraordinarily important,” Webster said.
Listening With Others
Most podcast listening is done alone, but the report finds that news podcast listeners are more likely to listen to an episode with other people. The data shows 44% of news podcast listeners always or occasionally listen to podcasts with other people, which is ten points higher than non-news podcast listeners. Webster believes that has to do with many people listening to news podcasts while commuting in a car. “That means every carpool is an opportunity to spread the word both about the podcast but also about the brands that bring you and support that podcast,” he said.
Open To Branded Shows
News podcast listeners may be after the facts, but they are also more open to shows about a favorite brand or product. Six in ten say they’d listen to such a show, compared to four in ten for podcast listeners overall.
“This is an audience that’s very receptive to content sponsored by the brands and the products that they consume every day. And in fact, the involvement of a company with a podcast makes them more likely to try it,” says Webster. He says 46% of news consumers say they’re more likely to try a podcast if they know that there’s a brand or a product involved with it, and that’s significantly higher than non-news podcast consumers at 34%.
“We’ve long known that news consumers are among the most engaged, informed and valuable audiences in the audio space,” said Lamar Johnson. “These listeners are not just tuning in. They are leaning in and engaging deeply with the need that shapes their understanding of the world. This level of engagement creates a unique environment where messaging resonates more deeply, leading to higher recall and responsiveness.”
Download the News Podcast Consumer report HERE.