Podcasts Lost the Commuter Audience, but 18% of Adults Say They're Listening More

Eighteen percent of U.S. adults said they are listening to podcasts more than they did before they started social distancing and self-isolating, per a March 24-26 poll conducted by Morning Consult, while 10 percent said they’re listening less, creating a net increase of 8 percentage points. 

Acast, a global podcast company that offers hosting, analytics and monetization services to creators, found similar growth figures. The weekend of March 21-22 was the biggest ever for its network of more than 10,000 shows, with listens up 7 percent globally compared to the weekend prior, and up 10 percent in the United States alone.

“People are looking at podcasts not only for news and information, but also for companionship and as a respite from what’s happening on the TV screen,” said Brian Danzis, Acast’s managing director for the Americas. 

According to the Morning Consult survey, 31 percent of Generation Z (ages 18-22), 26 percent of millennials (ages 23-38) and 16 percent of Generation X (ages 39-54) say they are listening to podcasts more. The survey was conducted among 2,200 U.S. adults with a margin of error of 2 percentage points.

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