Podcasting a hit with young, male audiences

The early adopters of podcasting are a demographic that most marketers will want to latch onto. According to a recent comScore study young males are nearly twice as likely to download a podcast as young females.

by Kristina Knight

comScore and Ad Infuse, a mobile marketing firm, followed podcast downloads in October 2006 and males aged 18-24 accounted for 63% of the podcasting audience while females of the same age range accounted for only 37%. The 18-24 age group in general accounted for roughly 29% of the entire podcasting audience.

But the young aren't the only early adopters of podcasting.

Nick Tabbal, comScore senior vice president of media and entertainment solutions said, “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.”

The 35-54 age group represents about 54% of the entire podcasting audience according to the study. The podcasting audience is also more affluent than the general online audience, with just over 30% making $100,000 or more each year and 47% having an advanced degree.

There are also more opportunities for podcast advertising, either through sponsorship of a specific segment or buying ads across the podcasting spectrum. With the audience growing to encompass two of the largest consumer bases, it seems clear that marketers should consider buying in to that audience.