The US Latino population already spends almost an hour extra per day listening to audio compared to other demographics. Now that audience is increasingly turning to podcasts as a favored format, according to a new report from Edison Research’s Share of Ear.
Latinos are now spending 35% more time with podcasts than the broader US population. A decade ago, podcasts accounted for just 1% of Latino audio consumption. Today, that figure has surged to 14%, surpassing the 9% share of podcast listening seen among non-Latino audiences.
This rise in podcast consumption has occurred without a reduction in overall time spent on audio, suggesting that podcasts are taking over time previously spent on other audio formats.
At Radio Ink‘s Hispanic Radio Conference 2024, the Latino podcast boom was dissected even further. Cecilia Jato Bitz, VP/Sales Director at Nielsen National Audio Services, highlighted that 27.3% of Hispanics regularly listen to podcasts, with the largest age groups being 25-44.
Hispanic podcast listeners tend to be younger than the overall podcast audience, and language preferences are split, with 60% listening in English and 40% in Spanish.
Social media, particularly Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp, plays a major role in podcast discovery and 43.1% of Hispanic podcast listeners are also heavy radio listeners, showing a strong connection between radio and podcasts. They also prefer podcasts produced by radio stations or hosted by radio personalities, and they over-index in all podcast genres except comedy.
Advertising to this demographic requires understanding their preferences, with top categories including job seekers, working parents, and vacation enthusiasts.
With their strong connection to both traditional radio and social media platforms, Latino listeners offer a unique landscape where brands can connect authentically and meaningfully, ensuring long-term success in this expanding audio space.
