Podcasting: A word in their ear

A new report from eMarketer analyzes the current and future podcasting audience in the U.S., and discovers that the numbers are sufficient enough to make marketers sit up and take notice.

by Helen Leggatt

Around 18.5 million people in the U.S. listened to podcasts in 2007, a sizeable audience by anyone’s standards. According to eMarketer analyst Paul Verna in his recent report “Podcast Audience: Seeking Riches in Niches”, the podcasting audience is set to rise 251 percent to 65 million in 2012.

eMarketer’s report points to a number of factors that are contributing to the growth of the podcast audience. As well as the increased use of podcasts by reputable news sites and bloggers, terrestrial radio has done much to promote the medium and it's far more accessible thanks to the proliferation of affordable portable players.

”As the U.S. podcasting industry matures it is unquestionably creating a listening audience,” says Paul Verna, eMarketer Senior Analyst and author of the new report. “And along with a larger audience comes increases in advertising spending tied to podcasts.”

That spending will almost double, forecasts Verna, from 2007’s $165 million to $310 million in 2009, with a forecasted $435 million being spent in 2012.