New research from comScore reveals that males represented a significantly larger share (63%) of the podcast download audience on iTunes in the US than did females (37%).
In addition, 18-24 year olds represented a substantial share of the audience (29%) and were more than twice as likely as the average internet user to download podcasts.
People between the ages of 35-54 represented about half of the podcasting audience and were also more likely than average to download podcasts.
Nick Tabbal, comScore senior vice president of media and entertainment solutions, said: “The comScore study reveals significant advertising opportunities among several consumer segments.
“While the conventional wisdom says that only young, tech-savvy consumers are downloading and listening to podcasts, there is also a sizable market among 35-54 year olds, indicating that the audience is broader than previously thought.”
| Demographic Profile for iTunes Podcasting Audience* |
| Demographic |
Total Internet |
Total Podcast Audience |
Total Podcast Audience Index |
| |
| Gender |
|
|
|
| Male |
51% |
63% |
125 |
| Female |
49% |
37% |
74 |
| Age |
|
|
|
| 18-24 |
14% |
29% |
203 |
| 25-34 |
20% |
14% |
68 |
| 35-44 |
24% |
27% |
113 |
| 45-54 |
22% |
23% |
103 |
| 55-64 |
13% |
5% |
41 |
| 65+ |
6% |
2% |
29 |
| Source: comScore |
| *Total Podcast Audience Index = 100 x (total podcast audience/total Internet); Index of 100 represents parity |
ComScore also examined the household income and education levels of the iTunes podcasting audience, revealing that consumption of podcasts increased with both income and education.
In particular, those individuals in households making at least $100,000 annually were 28% more likely than average to download podcasts, while college graduates were 25% more likely.
| Demographic Profile for Podcasting Audience |
| Demographic |
Total Internet |
Total Podcast Audience |
Total Podcast Audience Index |
| Household Income |
|
|
|
| Less than $25,000 |
9% |
7% |
78 |
| $25,000-$50,000 |
21% |
16% |
77 |
| $50,000-$75,000 |
29% |
27% |
95 |
| $75,000-$100,000 |
17% |
19% |
109 |
| $100,000+ |
24% |
31% |
128 |
| Education Level |
|
|
|
| High School |
28% |
25% |
89 |
| Some College/Assoc Degree |
34% |
28% |
82 |
| College/Graduate Degree |
37% |
47% |
125 |
| Source: comScore |
Tabbal added: “Since many of the top podcasts are in the educational and business genres, it’s not surprising that podcasts today appeal to the more educated and higher-income consumer segments. Because these core audiences represent highly desirable consumer segments, it’s probably just a matter of time before significant advertising dollars begin to flow toward this medium.”
A recent report from eMarketer forecast that US spending on podcast advertising will grow nearly fivefold by 2011 (see US Advertisers To Increase Spending On Podcasts)
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