Exclusive new Aussie data digs deep into our podcast habits

Some fascinating insights into the podcast listening habits of thousands of Australians have been revealed today.

Australian podcast production house Deadset Studios and leading market research agency Insightfully have released the exclusive findings of their new annual audience survey PodPoll 2023.

PodPoll 2023 offers and insight into who’s listening, what they’re listening to and why.

“PodPoll is the most in-depth podcast listener survey in Australia. It shows podcasts have become a habit for many – and are more popular than print newspapers, magazines and audiobooks,” says Insightfully Managing Director Leanne White.

The most popular genres are Crime (35%), Comedy (34%), and Health and Wellbeing (32%).

There’s hunger for even more content in the science and environment, food and beverage, fashion and beauty, and storytelling and fiction categories.

Gen Y and Gen Z are the heaviest consumers of podcasts, providing a great opportunity to target these hard-to-reach demographics with audio content tailored specifically to their needs and wants.

But there is also an unmet need for content: 33% of Gen Z and 26% of Millennials who listen infrequently say it’s because they can’t find content they’re interested in.

Deadset Studios Director Kellie Riordan says this is a huge opportunity for media houses, marketers and brands: “There’s a significant gap to fill with highly engaging content for these younger audiences, who told us they either can’t find content tailored to their needs or that they’d like to consume even more of it.”

Time spent listening to podcasts is significant, especially in the current fight for attention. PodPoll found most regular listeners (51%) tune in for up to 2 hours a week, and 21% listen for 2 to 3 hours.

Meanwhile, 77% of regular listeners are consuming between 2 and 9 episodes.

Riordan says “This proves the sticky nature of the medium and demonstrates a committed audience willing to spend a lot of time with you. Podcasting is now a very valuable medium for anyone wanting deep engagement with audiences and customers.”