The Infinite Dial 2024, supported by Audacy, Cumulus Media and SiriusXM Media, charts an increase in the size of the overall U.S. podcast listening audience, as well as gains in both monthly and weekly U.S. podcast listeners. Edison Research’s annual report was revealed live last week at Podcast Movement Evolutions.

The percentage of people age 12 in the U.S. that have ever listened to a podcast is up three percentage points since last year (64% in 2023 to 67% in 2024) and monthly listening is up by five points (42% in 2023 to 47% in 2024).

Just over one-third (34%) of the U.S. 12+ population say they have listened to a podcast in the past week — up from 31% in 2023. An estimated 98 million people now listen to podcasts each week. Put another way: The U.S. podcast audience is now just below the 100 million weekly listeners milestone.

Some in the industry are still reeling from the change to the iPhone operating system that led to reduced download numbers. While it is hard to rationalize when you see numbers drop so drastically, let’s be clear: reduced downloads doesn’t necessarily mean reduced listens. In fact, this year’s Infinite Dial presented the powerful evidence needed to show that podcast listening is growing.

Regarding podcasting today, one can break down the population into three equal parts, as seen in the graph below.

Only 16% of the U.S. population remains unfamiliar with the term “Podcasting.” An essentially equal number (17%) are familiar but have not listened. As such, one-third of the U.S. population can be identified as potential podcast listeners.

In the middle group we find that 20% of the population have tried podcasts, but have not listened in the past month, and 13% have listened in the last month but not in the last week. Combine those two groups and that’s another one-third of the U.S. population with the potential to move further down the podcast funnel- some of whom could eventually join the final group.