Women are Listening forFemale Perspectives in Podcasts Women’s Podcast Report from Edison Research and SXM Media now available
Somerville, NJ December 14, 2022 – According to the Women’s Podcast Report fromEdison Research and SXM Media, over half of women podcast listeners in the U.S. say they would listen to more podcasts if there were more that focused on female stories and perspectives or were hosted by women.
Findings from the first comprehensive survey research of women podcast listeners in the U.S. were shared in an online presentation by Megan Lazovick, Vice President at Edison Research, and Melissa Paris, VP Sales Research and Analytics at SXM Media, and are now available to download.
Women are closing the gender listening gap: 35% of U.S.women have listened to a podcast in the past month, and women make up 48% of all monthly podcast listeners in the U.S.
Women podcast listeners are more likely to be young, affluent, and highly educated compared to the overall female population in the U.S.: 61% have a college degree, 30% have a household income of $100K or more, and 43% are age 18-34.
Women are active podcast promoters and social engagers: 84%percent of women monthly podcast listeners have ever recommended a podcast to others, and 21% say they frequently recommend podcasts to friends or family members. Recommendations from friends and family is the top discovery source for women, with 73% saying they find out about new podcasts this way, outranking search, social media, and hearing about podcasts on other podcasts.
According to Lazovick, “This report shows that engagement goes way beyond just listening. So many podcast hosts have thriving communities online. Women follow podcasts and podcasts hosts on social media, connect with other listener and fans, and share their favorite podcasts with friends and family. They are powerful promoters.”
Three in four women podcast listens say they listen to stay entertained while doing mundane tasks. Sixty-nine percent listen to podcasts while doing household chores, 59% listen while baking, 57% listen while doing laundry, and 55% listen while getting ready for the day.
Ads on women-hosted podcasts deliver: 90% of women monthly podcast listeners listen to at least one podcast produced or hosted by a woman; 48% say they would feel more favorable about a brandif they knew it advertises on podcasts hosted or produced by women.
About the survey:1,567 people age 18+ in the U.S. who self-identify as women/female were interviewed in online surveys in August of 2022. The data was weighted to match age/sex/census region of U.S. women’s population and Infinite Dial 2022 podcast listening statistics.
About Edison Research Edison Research conducts survey research and provides strategic information to a broad array of clients, including AMC Theatres, Apple, Disney, Facebook, Google, Oracle, Pandora, Sony and Univision. Edison Research’s The Infinite Dial® research series has been the survey of record for digital audio, social media, podcasting, smart speakers, and other media-related technologies since 1998. The study is now also conducted Australia, Canada, South Africa, New Zealand and the United Kingdom. In 2014, the company introduced Share of Ear®, a quarterly survey that serves as the only single-source measure of all audio in the U.S. Edison Research is the leading podcast research company in the world and has conducted research for NPR, Slate, Spotify, SXM Media, ESPN, WNYC Studios, and many more companies in the space. Since 2004, Edison Research has been the sole provider of Election Day data to the National Election Pool, conducting exit polls, tabulated national vote across every county in the United States, and projections and analysis for every presidential primary and general election.
