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Record Number of UK Podcast Listeners! - Official 2024 Data
Episode 427th June 2024 • Your Business Needs A Branded Podcast: podcasting for lead generation, brand growth and sales • Podknows Podcasting
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As the UK's top podcast consultant, it's my job to keep ahead of trends in podcasting in the country.

Along with that, the latest Edison Research data has been released, revealing a significant growth in podcast listenership in the UK.

This episode addresses both aspiring and existing podcasters, highlighting the key demographics and their engagement levels.

Next steps:

Fancy working with me on launching your new podcast?

Find out all you need to know at http://podknowspodcasting.co.uk/

Transcripts

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Do you want to double your branding reach with a podcast?

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Now's the perfect time.

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Hi there, podcaster or would be podcaster.

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Neal Veglio here, the UK's number one podcast consultant.

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It's official.

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Just check Google and sometimes check GPT, depending on what mood it's in.

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This episode is really gonna make you rethink Your podcast strategy overall.

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Whether you're a seasoned podcast already, or you're a brand that's kinda

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dabbling with the idea of starting one, and you've been doing your research,

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you'll find this really useful.

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This episode is for you.

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Once again, some juicy data has emerged from Edison Research.

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Gabrielle Soto has released the data that us Brits are really going

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to want to sink our teeth into.

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It's very insightful.

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Let's start off with a headline grabber, shall we?

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Podcasts are officially taking over the UK.

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More adults here than ever are listening in, with over two thirds

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of the UK population aged 18 plus having said they've listened

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to a podcast at some point.

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That's a massive 42 percent listening in monthly and 30 percent listening weekly.

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Think of the opportunity there.

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These numbers are at an all time high.

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So if you've not been podcasting yet, you're missing out on a huge

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opportunity to reach a captive audience.

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They're there.

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And for my fellow existing podcasters who might be listening to this episode

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via the podmaster, this is fabulous news.

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It means our audiences are growing.

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There's more potential than ever.

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To expand reach and influence

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Now let's break down what these numbers actually mean.

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Shall we?

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So weekly podcast listeners aged 15 and above are spending an average of

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five hours and 27 minutes each week.

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With their favorite podcasts, that's nearly an entire work day dedicated

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to just consuming podcast content.

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Think the radio in the nineties and two thousands.

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That's where we are.

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That's a lot of ears and a lot of time for your brand to make an impression early on.

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Today's teenagers are tomorrow's consumers.

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Now, for existing podcasters, this means more opportunities to keep your

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audience engaged and loyal even earlier.

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Obviously, you're going to have to think about the content and how

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you engage those younger audiences.

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But we're no longer at that point where we have to write off Gen Z with our content.

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Consider how you can approach younger ears with your content to

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make it more attractive to them.

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It could pay dividends in the long run.

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Your podcast is going to be your golden ticket to engaging with a

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tech savvy, trend setting ground.

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You want your brand front and center of these TikTok dwelling social jedis.

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I had to get a Star Wars reference in.

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It's pop culture, man.

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So, yeah, I hope I've made a compelling argument now to think more about

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how you're approaching those younger audiences between the ages of 15 and 34.

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But it doesn't stop there.

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There's still great opportunity.

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Prime Targets, 35 to 54 age group, is another sweet spot.

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About half of them are monthly listeners.

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And 34 percent weekly.

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Now this age group is in their prime spending years, making them a really

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lucrative audience for brands looking to boost sales and brand loyalty.

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Now they're usually quite affluent.

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They're from the generation that actually managed to get on the housing ladder.

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So they do have disposable income.

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Existing podcasters, consider creating content that resonates with this

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demographics, interests, and needs.

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What are we all talking about in this age group at the moment?

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But it's not just the young whippersnappers who

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are hooked on podcasts.

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The 55 the saga crowd, they're catching up fast.

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The Edison Research Report shows that 28 percent of those 55 and older

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are monthly listeners, up from 20%.

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Just last year!

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An 8 percent increase in a year!

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That's massive!

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Weekly listeners in this age group have also increased to 18%.

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So don't overlook those silver surfers, as we used to call them

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during the dot com bubble era.

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They're increasingly turning to podcasts for entertainment and entertainment.

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And information And they've got the time and resources to be valuable

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customers for existing podcasters.

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This means there's a growing market of mature listeners,

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hungry for quality content.

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Now, let's talk about diversity.

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The report highlights that 48 percent of black UK adults and 39

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percent of UK Asian adults listeners.

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These figures are higher than the overall UK population's 42%.

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This means podcasts are a powerful way to reach a diverse audience that's

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often overlooked in traditional media.

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Why do we not have more creators focusing towards these groups?

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They've been shouting about it long enough.

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In fact, that's always the complaint around podcast

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conferences and podcast award shows.

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Not enough recognition for diversity.

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And the data is screaming at you.

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Include us in your content.

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As existing podcasters.

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It's absolutely crucial to create inclusive content

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that reflects this diversity.

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Here's another interesting tidbit for you.

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Gen Z, or as my American compatriots would call it, Gen Z, they're making

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waves in podcasting as well in audiences.

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New weekly listeners are more likely to be from Gen Z, with 38 percent of them

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starting to listen in the past year.

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Now, this is a generation that's grown up with the internet and streaming,

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so it's not massively surprising they're flocking to podcasts.

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If your brand or podcast is looking to connect with the younger generation,

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this is going to be where you need to be.

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And let's not forget the ladies.

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Reach among UK women is up significantly.

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In 2023, 31 percent of UK based women were monthly podcast listeners.

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That number's jumped to 39 percent this year, with 26 percent listening in weekly.

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Now, the top three podcasts for UK women are Shagged, Married,

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Annoyed, Saving Grace, and oh my god, I'm reluctantly going to have

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to share this, Diary of a CEO.

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These shows are apparently entertaining, certainly two of them are.

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They're resonating deeply with female listeners.

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Now, podcasters, take note and consider what your female audience

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might be looking for in your content.

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Now, I personally don't feel that Diary of a CEO is a great barometer of that,

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but clearly somebody out there likes it, and they're described as women,

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although I do feel that bit needs a bit of a deeper dive by Edison.

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Here's another fun fact to chew on for you.

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The top ten podcasts in the UK.

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Reach 31 percent of all weekly listeners aged 15 plus the top 25.

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They reach 44 percent of weekly listeners.

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This means nearly half of all weekly listeners are listening to just 25 shows.

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If you're thinking about doing advertising or collaborating with podcasts as a brand,

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these top shows are where you'll get the most bang for your buck, literally.

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And for existing podcasters, it's a reminder of the importance of aiming

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high and possibly collaborating with these top tier shows.

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If you're going purely organic or investing in your market growth, if

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you're willing to put the cash in.

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And if you are have a chat with me, I can make it happen for you, baby.

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Okay, so it's lovely to have all this data, but let's ask the burning question.

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Why does all this matter for brands and podcasters?

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Gabriel Soto, the Senior Director of Research at Edison, who did this report,

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summed it up, in my view, perfectly.

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This report arms UK based creators with the ammo they need to

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secure support for their content.

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For brands, it means podcasts are no longer a niche market.

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They're a mainstream platform with a diverse, engaged audience

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that's ripe for the picking.

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For existing podcasters, this data is a goldmine for refining your

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strategy and expanding your audience.

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So there it is, the UK podcast consumer 2024 report, a treasure trove of insights

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that show just how powerful and widespread podcasting has become in the UK.

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Now, whether you're a brand looking to connect with future customers or

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a creator wanting to make your mark in the space, there's never been a

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better time to dive into podcasting.

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If you enjoyed this episode, make sure that you hit follow in your favorite

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podcast app, also leave a review.

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If you would, I'll truly appreciate it.

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And if you are an existing podcaster, ready to take your podcasting game

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to the next level, get yourself over to pod mastery dot co for more

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tips, tricks, and expert advice.

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If you're a brand thinking about getting started in this game.

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I can help you to pod knows, podcasting.

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co.

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uk

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Oh, one more thing before I click stop on this episode, podcasting,

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isn't just about talking into a mic and hoping for an audience to listen.

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It's about connecting with them, engaging with them, Empathizing with them, telling

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your story and listening to theirs coming back at you, building a community So

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get on your mic and start forming yours.

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