The audience for podcasts is way up, according to the latest research by Arbitron/Edison Media Research.

Their study, The Podcast Consumer Revealed, found that:

• The audience for audio podcasts grew 38% in the last year;
• The audience for video podcasts grew 45% in the last year;
• About 30% of regular Internet users have downloaded a podcast;
• Awareness of podcasting has leveled off at about 37;
• People listen to or watch podcasts primarily on their computers (about 75%).

Podcasts Offer Marketers New Opportunity To Reach Listeners

Edison also found that podcasting was creating new opportunities for marketers to reach listeners:

• Podcast listeners spend nearly 25% more time listening to Internet audio than average;
• Podcast listeners spend an average of 7 hours and 50 minutes per week listening to Internet audio, compared to the overall overage of 6 hours and 20 minutes.

“Users continue to prove that they want to consume radio on their terms,” said Tom Webster, vice president, Edison Media Research. “On-demand media and a wealth of portable devices are creating listening occasions that were previously either unavailable or under-utilized, which is increasing the overall demand for audio content.”

Portable Media Player Ownership Continues To Rise

In related research, Edison reports dramatic growth in portable media player ownership:

• iPod/Portable MP3 player ownership continues dramatic growth. Nearly four in ten (37 percent) own an iPod or other brand of portable MP3 player;
• This is up from 30 percent in 2007 and more than two and a half times the number in 2005 (14 percent).
• Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of those age 12-17 own a digital audio player.

As a result, Internet audio is gaining on radio as the medium to learn about new music:

• In 2002, radio was mentioned by nearly two-thirds of consumers (63 percent) for this perception, while only nine percent mentioned Internet;
• In 2008, radio is mentioned as the medium “you turn to first to learn about new music” by about
  half of consumers (49 percent), with Internet at 25 percent

“Advertisers who want to go where the trends are pointing need to be more involved with the new forms of audio media as they continue to expand,” said Pierre Bouvard, president, sales and marketing, Arbitron Inc.

Sources: Edison Slide Presentation; Edison site

Image: Kiki Follettosa