In the evolving world of digital audio, Google Podcasts stands out as a premier platform for both creators and listeners. Key Google Podcasts Stats reveal its significant impact on the digital landscape.
Unlike its predecessors, Google Listen and Google Play Music, Google Podcasts simplifies the podcasting experience. Creators can seamlessly upload their audio files, making them instantly available to a global audience eager for content.
Whether you’re looking to dive into the latest news, explore educational topics, or indulge in entertainment, Google Podcasts delivers a diverse library directly to your fingertips.
With millions tuning in, understanding how to leverage this platform can significantly enhance your listening or broadcasting experience.
What Is Google Podcasts?
Google Podcasts is a podcast directory rather than a podcast host, meaning it does not store audio files. A Google search often brings up podcast results, and clicking on a link will lead to the Google Podcasts page.
The Google Podcasts Manager site states, “Google Podcasts is the best way to discover and listen to podcasts. It’s easy to find your favorites with personalized recommendations and popular episodes, browse categories like comedy or science fiction, and explore playlists for any mood or activity.”
You can also publish your podcast using Google Podcasts, but you’ll need to find a podcast hosting provider first. A podcast host is a service that stores audio files and serves them directly to your listeners.
ALSO SEE: How To Create A Google Podcast
Popular podcast hosts include Anchor, Buzzsprout, Podbean, Libsyn, and Transistor. Once you have chosen a host and created an account, you can upload your audio and set up an RSS feed.
You can then submit your podcast to Google Podcasts for review. Once it has been approved, you can manage it from the Google Podcasts Manager website.
We look at some of Google Podcasts stats to get an idea of what it’s about and where it stands in relation to its larger competitors, Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
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Google Podcast Users
Although there are many ways to listen to podcasts, people use three main platforms. The two largest are Spotify and Apple Podcasts.
As of early 2024, Apple Podcasts remains a significant player in the podcast market, securing the top spot with around 36% market share globally and 75% in the USA, drawing nearly 50 million podcast downloads.
Spotify holds the number two spot with around 35 million downloads and 28.2% of listeners. That leaves just under 36% of the remaining podcast listeners to be spread out over the other listening apps and podcasting platforms.
As of 2024, Google Podcasts is used by 3.6% of listeners and comes below the choice of a web browser. This may be because 30% of new podcast users search the internet for new shows.
How Many People Listen To Podcasts?
In 2022, 62% of Americans over the age of 12 had listened to a podcast, and more than 79% of people are familiar with podcasts.
A third of people in the US listen to podcasts regularly, and 38% of listeners over 12 listen to a podcast every month.
By 2021, Google Podcasts had reached the 100 million mark for installs since its launch in 2018, less than five months after it reached 50 million installs.
It is also in spite of the fact that Google Podcasts is a free and quite feature-limited podcast platform compared to rivals.
The increase in installs on Google Podcasts may be due to the overall growing popularity of podcasting. However, this is also due to the improvements and developments in the app, both on phones and within the web version.
Devices That Use Google Podcast
The devices that can use Google Podcasts are Android phones. Apple phones run iOS 12 or later, and any device connected to the web.
You can also use smart speakers such as Google Home, Amazon Alexa, or Echo. The web browser on your computer can also play Google Podcasts on a Mac or PC. ChromeOS, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay can also be used.
About 73% of podcast listeners in America use a smartphone to listen to their favorite podcast shows, while only 13% use their desktop or laptop computer to access podcast apps.
The number of people using smartphones to listen to podcasts has increased since the beginning of 2021.
Podcasts Available For Google Podcasts
Although Google Podcasts lags behind its competitors with just 2.9% share of downloads, it is pre-installed on many devices.
It is also integrated with Google Assistant and Google Home, so you can use voice commands to play, pause, discover podcasts, or change what you listen to.
There are many podcasts available to Google Podcasts similar to those on Spotify and Apple Podcasts, including This American Life and The Daily. It has a diverse library of its own, too, with over 500 sub-topics.
If there is a show you want to listen to that is not on Google Podcasts’ selection, you can access it by adding its RSS feed to the app.
Marketing Related Podcast Statistics
Marketers work to increase brand awareness, which in turn increases sales. About 69% of podcast listeners said they have been introduced to new products and services via podcast adverts.
An estimated 38% of listeners have reported purchasing items mentioned in podcasts. Although podcasts were once considered a niche type of media, they are now much more mainstream.
This has opened new marketing opportunities for many companies, businesses, and services.
Podcast revenues are expected to exceed $2 billion by 2023, and ad revenue alone has recently reached $842 million.
Health and wellness businesses are among the biggest spenders on podcast advertising alongside home and appliance advertisers.
Google Podcast VS Spotify
Google Podcasts has a simple interface and streamlined design to make it easier for users to access and operate. Unlike Spotify, however, it does not have any exclusive content but does have features like the ability to slow down playback speed.
Spotify, meanwhile, accounts for 25% of listeners and has 355 million monthly users, of whom almost half are signed up for its premium service.
In 2021, Spotify had 32% of the market share of online music, making it the number-one podcast platform.
Podcast Comparison: Google Vs Spotify Google Podcast VS Apple Podcast
Google Podcasts has now become compatible with Apple phones using iOS 12 or later, so both Apple Podcasts and Google Podcasts can be used on these devices.
Google Podcasts’ format is easy to understand. Shows are divided into three categories: New Episodes, In Progress, and Downloads, making it simple to navigate to what you want.
Apple Podcasts has the second-highest number of listeners, at 28.5 million, an increase from the previous year. However, its market share has gone from 34% in 2018 to 24% in 2021.
Podcast Comparison: Google Vs Apple Future Of Podcasting
Experts in the industry expect podcasting to grow in the next year as this service continues to grow in popularity. Monthly podcast listening among Americans aged 55 years and older is the fastest-growing demographic.
Forecasts predict that total podcast listeners will exceed 160 million by 2023. By 2024, listeners in the United States will grow to 100 million from the current level of 75.9 million.
As of 2022, podcast listeners have increased by 29.5% in the past three years.
In Conclusion
The popularity of podcasting and the audiences it draws on the larger platforms indicates that this once-niche media looks set to grow and evolve even more into the mainstream.
We hope this guide to Google Podcasts stats has been helpful.
