U.S. Podcast Statistics
Podcast statistics for 2026.
Current figures on U.S. podcast reach, listening habits, video, platforms, the car and advertising. Every statistic below links to its original source.
167 million Americans consumed a podcast in the last month.
57% have both listened to and watched a podcast.
$2.4 billion in U.S. podcast advertising revenue was reported for 2024.
Audience Reach
Podcast consumption has reached new highs in the United States.
58%
of Americans age 12+ consumed a podcast in the last month
That represents an estimated 167 million people, the highest figure Edison has recorded.
Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 202645%
of Americans age 12+ consumed a podcast in the last week
Weekly reach is estimated at 130 million people.
Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 202680%
of Americans age 12+ have ever listened to or watched a podcast
The estimated audience is 230 million people.
Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 202686%
of Americans age 12+ are familiar with podcasting
Edison estimates that awareness at 248 million people.
Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2026How People Consume
Podcasting is increasingly a cross-format habit, with video, platforms and the car shaping where people spend time.
57%
of Americans age 12+ have both listened to and watched a podcast
Podcasting now reaches audiences across both audio and video formats.
Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 202632%
of daily podcast consumption time is spent with YouTube
Spotify accounts for 25%, Apple Podcasts 23%, and other services 20% among Americans age 13+.
Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 202668%
of Americans age 35-54 consumed a podcast in the last month
Monthly consumption was 64% among people 12-34 and 44% among people 55+.
Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 202637%
of Americans age 18+ who rode in a car last month use podcasts in their primary vehicle
Use rises to 54% among people 18-34 and 47% among people 35-54.
Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2026Business Context
The wider audio market and advertising investment show why a clear, well-produced podcast can be a serious communications channel.
$2.4B
in U.S. podcast advertising revenue in 2024
Podcast advertising revenue grew 26.4% year over year, according to IAB and PwC.
IAB and PwC, Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 202481%
of Americans age 12+ listened to online audio in the last month
That is an estimated 233 million people, giving podcasts a large wider audio environment to reach.
Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 202634%
of Americans age 18+ who rode in a car last month use Apple CarPlay or Android Auto
Another 7% have one of those systems in their primary vehicle but do not use it.
Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2026Methodology and Sources
How to read these figures.
The audience, format and in-car figures come from Edison Research and SSRS's The Infinite Dial 2026 . The nationally representative survey of 2,050 Americans age 12+ was conducted in January 2026 in English and Spanish.
The advertising figure comes from the IAB and PwC Internet Advertising Revenue Report: Full Year 2024 . Advertising revenue and audience measures describe different things, so they should not be compared as if they measure the same outcome.
This page was last updated August 4, 2026. Source links are included with every statistic so writers, researchers and producers can check the original research.
Cite This Page
Mark McDonald, “Podcast Statistics: U.S. Audience, Video and Listening in 2026,” MarkMcDonald.US, updated August 4, 2026.
Make the statistics useful.
Mark helps organizations and hosts turn a clear point of view into a podcast people can follow.