Libsyn.com Podcasting Stats from 1.9 Billion to 2.6 Billion downloads
1.9 Billion in 2013
2.5 Billion in 2014
8 Million daily audience requests for podcast during the fourth quarter of 2014
Unique monthly audience members continued to grow to 41 million individuals in 2014 versus 25 million at the beginning of 2013, marking another milestone achievement
That represents a 37% increase in annual download requests.
The accelerated growth for podcast audience engagement continues with more podcasts being distributed to Mobile devices. Of the 2.6 billion downloads, over 1.6 billion (63%) were requested from Mobile devices, with a 5.4 to 1 ratio for iOS versus Android. At the end of 2014 the WTF with Marc Maron app for iOS, Android and Windows Phone 8 had been downloaded by over 225,000 unique user accounts.
New Podcasters
Over 22,000 podcast shows use the Libsyn Network for distribution and monetization services for over 2.1 million unique, active episodes. New account sign-ups are also at an all-time high with the addition of over 2,300 new shows already in 2015.
Edison Podcasting Stats
35% of Cell Phone Users have connected it to their car to listen
33% of people (approximately 89 Million) have listened to a podcast
55% of people consume podcasts on their smart phone
17% of the US listen to podcasts on a monthly basis (46 million Americans)
10% of people 12+ have listened to podcast in a last week. (27 million Americans)
Of the 10% who listen to podcasts, 23% listen to three, 22% listen to 2, 17% listen to four or five, and 15% listen to eleven or more (averaged 6 per week)
45% percent of podcast listeners have a college degree (compared to 33% of the total population)
52% of podcast listeners make more than $10o,000 a year
NBC won their evening with a 3% rating. The serial podcast was listened to by #5 of the population.
71% (192 million) of Americans have a smart phone
81% of people 25-54 own a smart phone
AM/FM Radio being used in the car dropped 5% from 2014 to 2015
Podcast Awards Website Stats
32.8% of nominees had no email address or form to contact them (twitter, facebook, Google+ do not count)
26.3% had no iTunes icon on their website.
and yet what do people want most? Comments and interaction from their audience, and more subscribers/downloads……
25.3% had no way to download the file
23.5% of podcasters nominted for a podcast award did NOT have an RSS icon/link on their website (on the front page)
there is more to podcasting than itunes. Give people and RSS so they can subscribe on whatever they want to use.
22.8% of the nominees had an RSS feed that was invalid
it doesn’t do any good to have a feed if it doesn’t work (case in point soundcloud)
17.2% had no visible player to click play when you land on their website (many you had to dig to find one)
14.4% Had no social media to share you content
One other things that were interesting. Some of the top podcasts of 2014 (Serial, Startup, and Reply All) have no iTunes buttons on their website. Yet they dominate.
When People Find Your Podcast They Will Binge Listen
Today I play a clip from Elsie Escobar who (along with Jessice Kupferman) produce the She Podcasts podcast (she is also the co-host of The Feed). The clip is Elsie talking about how she discovered the “What I Wore When” Glamore podcast through word of mouth (the co-host of the Feed Rob Walch's wife liked the show), and when she found it – she downloaded all the episodes.
Because of My Podcast
Michael from the Recovered Podcast talks about how his podcast is helping people get off drugs. For more information go to www.recoveredcast.com
OK, so I was listening to your show and was excited to hear I was one of the 2,000 odd people with brand new podcasts on Libsyn this winter. I was also thinking if I’m in the room with two other people, it’s a 100% likelihood at least one of us will have listened to a podcast since I heard those stats on a podcast. 😀
But, now for the reason I’m commenting. You pointed out that about a quarter of the podcast websites you looked at for the awards didn’t have an RSS feed available for people to subscribe directly to. I’ve tried every key word that popped in my head to find what I should do to correct this negligence on my part and can’t find any info on it.
I also took a minute to check out android apps where I can download podcasts rather than streaming since my six year old iPod is dying. The first one I checked out didn’t know about my podcast (which is up on iTunes and Stitcher) and wanted me to give them the link to my RSS feed to subscribe.
It would be great to make this info easily available to my audience, but I can’t find out how.
My guess is these questions are related. Any advice you can give would be awesome.
BTW, although I’m paying $7 a month for basic Libsyn (it’s all I need at the moment), and using a $50 microphone I saved up for last summer, I’m planning to listen to your show on podcasting for free. It sounds like it will be a great help. Thanks!
Your RSs is http://feeds.feedburner.com/CreationScience4KidsPodcast (yuk). You can make a post, and find and image and link to that. Then instead of posting it, go to the text/html view and copy and paste that text into a text widget. I can show you how to do this in about 5 minutes. Sign up for a quick 15 minute session. http://www.schoolofpodcasting.com/schedule – Dave
Ok Dave, I have to tell you – I was just blown away with this episode. I am embarrassed to tell you how many times I’ve been rewinding segments to just digest all of these tips, information, and data.
– The engagement story and points you made with Elsie from Libsyn (it drove home Simon Sinek’s book Start With Why in just a few minutes)
– The Libsyn growth stats (btw, the unique monthly audience grew by 64%!, not 37% – I’m a numbers guy, sorry)
– The basic things to do for your website – I have a phone number but not a contact form – duh!
– Plus more.
I’m a lone voice in a huge but narrow industry niche trying to make a difference with podcasting and social media in general. So I try to uncover any edge I can find – and you delivered big for me with this episode – so I say THANK YOU!
You know, that there are actually people making decisions managing all of those mutual funds – billions of dollars – people are using to save for their retirement. I just think that it’s almost crazy to think that in this day and age you don’t personally know anything about those people making those decisions! They all are behind a brand that that keep you at a distance.
Well out of my hobby for stock investing and years working in finance – and some might say irrational optimism – I thought ok enough is enough – “The Line Must Be Drawn Here! This Far – No Further! … ” (chuckle, yeah, I’m a Trekkie). After much toil, I wrote some pretty impressive software, then I got my licenses, I got some clients AND I setup my PODCAST to (1) educate people about how to look at stock investment opportunities, (2) show them how I think, and (3) show them the opportunities my software uncovers, and (4) show them that I am the real deal in an industry that is basically faceless.
After almost 18 months, it is clear that podcasting has given me the greatest engagement of all the social media channels. While I have don’t have crazy numbers – I recognize I am in a niche – using both my Stitcher and Libsyn reports, I likely have a little over 600 podcast subscribers. So I’m constantly trying to find the best ways to grow.
Yes, I still have an uphill climb ahead of me, but I’m sincerely enjoying it. The more I listen to shows like yours (I discovered you through The Podcasters’ Roundtable), the more I realize its time to double down on the podcasting.
Much Thanks.
Mathis.
Matthis, YOU HAVE TO RECORD THIS so I can play it on the show. Thanks so much for sharing, I really appreciate it. Just go to http://www.speakpipe.com/podcastcoach
Dave