Regular readers of this newsletter will not be shocked to hear that total podcast consumption time has grown considerably over the past ten years. But, just how much has total podcast consumption time grown? Share of Ear® from Edison Research at SSRS has that exact answer..
Share of Ear captures how many people listen to podcasts daily, as well as how much time they spend with the medium. These two metrics are combined to create our total podcast consumption time measurement. Back in 2016, the U.S. population 13+ spent 167 million total hours per week with podcasts. Hit shows like My Favorite Murder and Revisionist History were just starting and gaining traction in the ears and hearts of listeners. With the explosion of new podcasts and the development of video podcasts, weekly total podcast consumption time has ballooned to 812 million hours in 2026. Share of Ear captures a 386% increase in time spent with the medium since 2016, equating to roughly 645 million more hours now being spent with podcasts.
Not only has weekly podcast consumption grown over the past ten years, it has increased by 39 million hours since 2025. The 2026 total podcast consumption time measurement was first featured in James Cridland’s Podnews. Subscribe to Podnews and Weekly Insights to stay up to date on global podcast news.
2026 Infinite Dial Australia Captures Resilience of Radio
Edison Research at SSRS has just released the 2026 Infinite Dial Australia in partnership with Commercial Radio & Audio, LiSTNR, Tapt Media, ACE, Nova Entertainment, and ARN. Findings from this research illustrate the power of Commercial radio in Australia, with the medium reaching more Australians weekly than any other audio source. Commercial radio surpasses other audio platforms by significant margins, reaching four times more Australians weekly than ad-supported Spotify. Streaming radio also plays an important role in the Australian audio landscape, with 1 in 3 Australians 25-54 listening to streamed radio weekly.
The full report also details the growth of podcasts in Australia. The majority (55%) of Australians 10+ now consume podcasts monthly, up from 52% in 2025.
Find more information and download the full 2026 Infinite Dial Australia here.
