Study: Podcast Growth Continues As Fans Move Between Audio And Video.

Podcast listening continues to reach new audiences, but the medium is evolving into something much broader than an audio format as Americans increasingly watch podcasts, follow creators across multiple platforms, and look for ways to engage beyond the weekly episode.

That’s according to MRI-Simmons’ annual Podcast Study, which finds 34% of U.S. adults —about 89 million people — listened to a podcast during the past month, while 28% listened during the past week. Monthly podcast listening has increased 36% over the past five years, growing from 63 million monthly listeners in 2021 to 89 million today.

The study also shows podcasting continuing to broaden its appeal, with nearly half of adults ages 25-34 listening monthly while usage among adults 65 and older also continues to climb.

The report offers fresh evidence that audio and video are becoming complementary rather than competing formats. MRI-Simmons says 96% of podcast listeners still consume audio-only programs, but 89% also watch video podcasts. That means nearly 10 million consumers only listen, and over 3 million only watch.

Looking ahead, nearly three in ten listeners say they expect to increase both their audio listening and video viewing during the next year, suggesting audiences are comfortable moving between formats depending on where and how they consume content. MRI-Simmons says 11% of weekly listeners plan to increase video podcasts in the next year, but not audio. While 10% of weekly viewers plan to increase audio podcasts in the next year, but not video.

The survey also points to a shift in how consumers think about podcasts. Nearly one in four now define podcasts as “audio programs on an app,” while another 15% describe them more broadly as creator-led shows they follow online, whether audio or video.

At the same time, interest in podcasts with a video component has increased seven percentage points during the past year, reinforcing the industry’s move toward platform-agnostic distribution. Social media and word-of-mouth remain the two biggest drivers of podcast discovery.

Comedy remains the country’s most popular podcast genre, followed by true crime, politics, news and sports. But viewing habits differ by format. Sports podcasts attract relatively more video viewing than news programming, while demographic preferences continue to vary across genres. Older listeners over-index on news programming, younger adults gravitate toward relationship-focused shows, and Black listeners are more likely to consume parenting and language-learning podcasts.

The data also shows such labels matter. When choosing a new podcast program, MRI-Simmons found 88% of listeners think the genre is important, and over 50% think it’s very important.

The research also suggests audiences increasingly want relationships with podcasts that extend beyond listening. Seven in ten listeners say they would watch a television series or movie based on a favorite podcast, and an identical share want podcasts available through video streaming services. Nearly two-thirds would attend a live event hosted by favorite podcasters, 55% would subscribe to a companion email newsletter, and just over half would purchase branded merchandise.

For advertisers, the study offers more evidence that podcast campaigns continue to produce measurable consumer response. After hearing or seeing a podcast advertisement, roughly one in four listeners say they visit the advertiser’s website, one in five turns to social media for more information, and 16% report purchasing the advertised product or service.

The findings are based on an online survey conducted March 3-17 among 5,018 U.S. adults who had listened to a podcast within the previous 30 days. Download the full report HERE.