Podcast and Audiobook Consumption Trends

Are we on the verge of a long-form content resurgency? We know we're living in a short-form video world. We know short-form video is the #1 content format for people—and brands. We know platforms are prioritizing short-form video. We know it’s the engine that drives social in 2025. Yet, I can sense a tipping point. I can sense a return to substantive, long-form content. Think about the recent signals in just the past 7 days. TikTok and iHeart Media announced a new partnership launching TikTok’s Podcast Network. Beehiiv recently announced a host of new features and tools, including podcast capabilities, for creators and brands. Charli xcx launched a Substack last week to thunderous applause from some of social media’s biggest thought leaders (including the ubiquitous Zaria Parvez). And in Lia Haberman’s trend report post last week, when she asked marketers what online content platforms they are looking at exploring in 2026, almost all of them said, newsletters, podcasts and blogs (in that order—see above). All this is not even mentioning the impact the algos and these short-form videos are having on us, as people. The science is out there—and it’s not good (tldr: as one recent Vox headline says, "short-form videos are cooking our brains"). Many of us (surprisingly, led by young people) are starting to realize this and are scaling back on social media usage. There are apps you can use to stop you from using social media apps during the day. I’m reading enough about this to know it’s far more than a short-term trend. All this, I believe, will lead to a resurgence in thoughtful, long-form content—either in text or audio format. And, as a long-time creator and consumer of this kind of content, I am 1,000% here for it as it’s been a sorely missing piece of the content mix since the beginning of the pandemic.

76% of Gen Z prefer audio-only podcasts. Only 18% of executives choose YouTube for podcasts. And yet podcasters flock to video. Here's how I'm thinking about it Everyone's pivoting to video because YouTube claims to dominate podcast consumption at 31%. Spotify trails at 27%. Seems compelling. But it's not the full picture. Annalise Nielsen wrote a great piece on this on the Pacific Content blog. For C-suite executives - those high-value decision makers most B2B brands target - only 18% prefer YouTube. The vast majority consume podcasts whilst commuting (68%) or exercising (51%). (Thanks Signal Hill Insights!) Hard to watch video during your workout. Even more surprising is what we've learned about Gen Z from Justin Jackson at Transistor.fm last week. Despite assumptions they're video obsessed, 76% primarily listen to audio-only podcasts. And 56% prefer Spotify over YouTube's 21%. Anecdotally, very few of our clients are seeing huge gains on YouTube yet. Is there room for brands to do better with video on their shows? Yes. We'll soon be announcing new ways we're going to help them do that. Watch this space. But, it's possible the YouTube opportunity for many podcasters is overblown based on the data we see today. After nine years making podcasts for brands, I've watched the most successful shows focus on format-audience fit rather than industry trends. Video absolutely has its place in podcast strategy - particularly for discovery. But building your entire strategy around video when your audience primarily listens is like designing a sports car for people who catch the train. I want to see more evidence of brands winning there before we go all-in. We're working on a few projects right now that I hope will give us some answers. I want to be challenged on this though - tell me why I'm wrong!? Follow me Harry Morton for more daily posts on podcasting.

An interesting mapping of the podcast ecosystem – from three University of Michigan researchers who have created the "SPoRC" (Structured Podcast Research Corpus), with 1.1m transcripts from May and June 2020. The image itself is "a sample of 25K episodes, colored by category, and projected using t-SNE on episodes’ topic distributions to visualize topical distance, with select topic clusters annotated using the top words in the corresponding topic." Citing Pew Research Center data, the paper also suggests: "in 2023, 42% of Americans aged 12 and older reported having listened to a podcast in the past month, with many listening multiple times per week... listeners report shifting their media diet (60%), changing their lifestyle (36%), buying a product (28%), or contributing to a political cause (13%), as a result of their consumption". The paper, "Mapping the Podcast Ecosystem with the Structured Podcast Research Corpus" (link in the comments) is by Ben Litterer, David Jurgens, and Dallas Card.

100+ crore Indians are listening to something you're probably ignoring and it's worth ₹40,000 crore. Podcasts🎙️ A few years ago they felt like background noise. Now in every cab I hear Ranveer or Raj Shamani, and at the gym someone is listening to Nikhil Kamath talk about capital allocation. When everyday life starts sounding like this, it usually means a shift is underway. India now has 105 crore audio listeners and is the 3rd largest podcast market in the world. Revenue was ₹8,700 crore in 2024 and is expected to cross ₹40,000 crore by 2030. More than 4x growth in 6 years. It actually reminds me of how UPI spread.  First a handful used it, then suddenly paan shops and fruit stalls had QR codes. Podcasts seem to be following that same silent pattern. Nikhil Kamath’s episodes cross a million views without loud thumbnails. And if a format can pull in guests like Elon Musk and even the Prime Minister, it is no longer “niche”. What makes podcasts powerful is how easily they fit into life. You can cook, drive, gym, work or clean while listening. You don’t stop your day for the content. The content adapts to you. And that’s the real lesson. The creators and brands who adapt early win the most, and those who wait for the trend to become obvious are usually too late. The next big podcaster may not come from a fancy studio. It might be someone sitting in their bedroom with a simple mic. Because once a medium becomes part of everyday routine, it stops being a trend. It becomes culture. And culture has a way of creating giants from unexpected places. A mic in the right hands can change everything :)

Remember when the radio was the OG of entertainment? Growing up, the All India Radio (AIR) was a quintessential part of our life. Or should I say, the soundtrack track of our lives? I have a bunch of fond memories of belting out off-tune songs with my family. They added to the cacophony of our household. :) AIR has been a dear friend to millions of Indians – by sharing news, music, and entertainment; from jawans at the border to local chai tapris and everyone in between. It’s fascinating to think about – how we eagerly gathered around the radio to listen to our favourite shows, and oh, the cricket match commentaries were the most exciting times! That little box transported us to different worlds through audio alone. Quite well! For a few decades - our romance with the audio slowed as we welcomed televisions. But audio's magic was never really forgotten. I guess, it just went through a reinvention period. Today, we are witnessing an incredible resurgence of audio entertainment that suits our busy, modern lives. On-demand audio like podcasts and audiobooks has become the preferred choice - as it caters to one’s taste and schedules. It won’t be a shocker if you spot a cab driver listening to a podcast, than the regular radio songs. PocketFM has grown over the years with over 50 million downloads with an extensive library of content. A recent survey found that 65% of users spend more than an hour daily on Pocket FM, highlighting its immersive appeal. It has become a daily ritual for transforming mundane commutes and household chores into moments of entertainment and learning. Overall podcast listenership has surged by a massive 75% in just the last 5 years. A 2023 study shows that the number of podcasts recorded was 3.2 million, and the published episodes were over 178 million. Not to forget — the audiobook market is booming and is expected to hit $15 billion by 2027. Revenue is projected to reach $7.93 billion in 2024 with an annual growth rate of 10.44%, with a projected $13.03 billion market by 2029. So what's your stance? Do you prefer the nostalgic charm of the old-school radio days? the convenience of podcasts and audiobooks? Or the addictive short form videos. Image source: market.us #audio #technology #podcasts #culture #radio

Podcasts are EATING the media industry right now. Just a few years ago, no one would believe podcasting would become a $100B+ industry. Today, it's a whole different story. Swedish podcast company PodX just dropped $30M to acquire Lemonada Media. The landscape has completely shifted: When I was launching Inverse, podcasts were still this niche thing. Now they're mainstream media, with major acquisitions happening regularly and traditional media companies building out their audio divisions. Why are podcasts winning? They deliver what other formats can't. • 60% of Americans listen monthly • Industry headed to $131B by 2030 • Half of top shows are celebrity-hosted • YouTube now a podcast discovery engine • Netflix creating audio content Podcasts create genuine connection through long conversations, build trust through consistency, and form communities around shared interests. We live in a world of endless scrolling and quick dopamine hits, yet people happily spend hours listening to their favorite creators. Studies show podcast listeners stick around for over 80% of an episode. This was something I witnessed building both Bleacher Report and Inverse. When you create content that forms real connections with your audience, they don't just visit – they stay, engage, and come back. The industry is now going global. The PodX-Lemonada deal signals what's coming next: international podcast networks buying up key players across borders. Whether you're an entrepreneur, creator, or media exec, ignoring podcasts in 2025 is like ignoring social media in 2010. More about this: https://lnkd.in/es4Hc5HT