In the United States, 58% of people age 12 and older—167 million people—had consumed a podcast in the past month by 2026, and 45%—130 million—had done so in the past week. Podcast audiences are also increasingly video-inclusive: among weekly consumers, more watched podcast video than listened audio-only in the latest reported comparison.
How many Americans listen to or watch podcasts in 2026?
Edison Research at SSRS’s Infinite Dial 2026 reports that podcast consumption reached record highs among Americans age 12 and older. Its national survey was fielded in January 2026 with 2,050 respondents and weighted to represent the U.S. 12+ population. “Consumed” includes watching as well as listening.
| Measure | U.S. audience, age 12+ | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Ever consumed | 80% (230 million) | Had listened to or watched a podcast at some point. |
| Past month | 58% (167 million) | Had consumed a podcast within the previous month. |
| Past week | 45% (130 million) | Had consumed a podcast within the previous week. |
These are U.S. estimates, not global audience figures. The measures describe different time windows; “ever” should not be read as a regular-listening measure. Edison Research at SSRS, The Infinite Dial 2026.
Is podcasting still audio-only?
No. In the 2026 Infinite Dial release, 57% of Americans age 12 and older said they had both listened to and watched a podcast. Among weekly podcast consumers, Edison’s 2026 Podcast Consumer summary reports that 82% watched podcast video and 78% listened audio-only. Those behaviors can overlap, so the percentages are not mutually exclusive shares of one audience.
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The format balance has shifted quickly. In 2023, 73% of weekly consumers watched podcasts, compared with 89% who listened audio-only. Video viewing first exceeded audio-only listening among weekly consumers in Q3 2025. The comparison is about weekly consumers and specific format behaviors—not a claim that video has replaced audio across all podcast audiences.
Edison Research at SSRS vice president Megan Lazovick characterized the shift this way: “Video isn’t replacing podcast audio. It’s expanding the tent.” She added that podcasting is “a dual-format medium now.” See The Infinite Dial 2026 and The Podcast Consumer 2026.
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How often do people listen to podcasts?
The frequency numbers depend on the time window and on whether the measure includes video. For a current, broad U.S. measure that includes watching, 45% of Americans age 12 and older consumed a podcast in the past week, while 58% did so in the past month.
For context, Edison’s 2025 Infinite Dial reported that 55% consumed a podcast monthly and 40% weekly among Americans age 12 and older. The 2025 combined-consumption definition already included audio and video, so the 2026 figures are comparable in broad scope, though survey results should still be treated as estimates rather than exact counts of every listener.
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Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2025; The Infinite Dial 2026.
Do podcast ads influence listeners?
Edison reports that 76% of weekly podcast consumers said they had acted after hearing a podcast ad. The reported actions included visiting a website, buying something, using a promo code, or recommending a product. This is a self-reported measure combining several kinds of action; it is not a verified purchase rate or proof that an ad caused a sale.
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A separate real-world media-mix analysis offers a campaign-specific reach finding: reallocating budget to podcasts lifted reach among adults 18–54 by 41% without increasing total spend. Edison attributes that analysis to Nielsen Podcast Fusion powered by Edison Podcast Metrics. It does not establish that every podcast campaign will achieve the same lift.
Edison Research at SSRS, The Podcast Consumer 2026.
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- Four pickup patterns: Flexible cardioid, omni, bidirectional, and stereo pickup patterns allow you to record in ways that would normally require multiple mics, for vocals, instruments and podcasts
- Onboard audio controls: Headphone volume, pattern selection, instant mute, and mic gain put you in charge of every level of the audio recording and streaming process
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How large is the U.S. podcast advertising market?
The IAB’s April 2026 release of the PwC-conducted 2025 Internet Advertising Revenue Report puts U.S. podcast advertising revenue at $2.9 billion in 2025. That was 17.6% higher year over year and equal to 1% of total digital advertising revenue. These are advertising-market figures, not a measure of podcast creators’ individual earnings.
An older IAB/PwC forecast projected nearly $2.6 billion in U.S. podcast ad revenue by 2026. That was a forecast, not an observed 2026 result; the newer reported 2025 revenue figure is $2.9 billion. IAB, Internet Advertising Revenue Report; IAB, Podcast Advertising Revenue Study 2024.
How engaged are daily podcast consumers?
Edison’s Podcast Consumer 2026 summary says daily podcast consumers spent an average of 5 hours 11 minutes per day with all audio sources in Q1 2026. The comparable figure for Americans age 13 and older was 3 hours 57 minutes per day. Among daily podcast consumers, podcasts accounted for 36% of daily audio time and 51% of ad-supported audio time. These figures describe audio time, not total time spent watching video or using media.
The same summary reports mixed attitudes toward artificial intelligence: 69% approved of AI being used for podcast research and 69% for brainstorming ideas, while 62% of weekly podcast consumers considered AI a threat to podcast credibility and 59% a threat to creativity. Approval of particular uses and concern about broader effects can coexist; the figures are survey responses, not measures of AI’s actual effects on podcast quality.
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Edison Research at SSRS, The Podcast Consumer 2026.
Quick Recap
What these statistics do—and do not—show
- Keep geography consistent: the audience and advertising figures here describe the United States, not podcasting worldwide.
- Match the age group: the Infinite Dial audience reach figures use age 12 and older; the audio-time comparison uses age 13 and older.
- Match the time window: monthly consumption and weekly format behavior answer different questions.
- Distinguish the evidence type: audience reach and ad actions are survey findings; the reach lift is a modeled media-mix analysis; revenue is an industry report.
- Do not combine separate measures into one statistic: the Edison audience survey and IAB/PwC advertising report come from separate research programs.
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