With more than half of US adults listening to podcasts monthly for the first time, a new study is showing the medium’s overlap with radio, though radio-centric apps are a long way away from being the primary destination for those seeking out on-demand audio.
According to The Podcast Landscape 2025 report from Sounds Profitable and Signal Hill Insights, 75% of Americans have now consumed a podcast, slightly up from 74% in 2024. Monthly listening reached 55% of adults, and weekly listening rose to 38%.
Weekly listeners spend an average of 6.3 hours with podcasts, with one in five spending more than 10 hours a week.
Demographics reveal a broadening audience. Adults 18–34 make up 35% of monthly listeners, 35–54 year olds account for 37%, and listeners 55+ represent 28%. Multicultural audiences continue to lead growth, with monthly listening reported by 66% of Asian Americans, 65% of Hispanics, and 62% of Black listeners, compared to 52% of White listeners.
Podcasts are steadily viewed as an extension of traditional radio, offering the convenience of on-demand access. In the list of podcast benefits, around four in ten value the ability to hear radio programs when it fits the listener’s schedule appears alongside entertainment, news, and companionship as motivators. This has remained steady for the past three years.
However, radio apps are not the popular choice to hear these programs on demand.
YouTube holds a commanding lead with 40% of respondents naming it their primary podcast platform, followed by Spotify at 18% and Apple Podcasts at 11%. iHeartRadio and NPR were the only terrestrial radio companies to register on the list at 4% and 2%, respectively, even with each company’s strong presence in the podcast space.
Comedy, political talk, and true crime were the leading genres consumed in the past month, with news and sports also among the most popular. The Joe Rogan Experience was again the most frequently named “favorite” podcast, though the report notes a gradual erosion of its dominance.
Other “favorited” podcasts with a connection to radio include The Ramsey Show, The Breakfast Club, and Sean Hannity.
The full The Podcast Landscape 2025 report is now available.
