The BBC has publicly shared a few of its wealth of UK podcast knowledge, revealing an surprising dip in adolescence podcast intake for the reason that pandemic however persevered general enlargement in target market for the medium.
Drawing on each authentic BBC analysis and the paintings of 3rd events Ofcom and RAJAR, personnel on the company advised an target market at The Podcast Display that there was once enlargement of 139% within the selection of hours Britons spent being attentive to podcasts between 2018 and 2023.
UK podcast audiences keep growing however succeed in amongst youngest adults stalls post-lockdowns
Grace Jasper, a analysis supervisor for BBC Sounds, Radio 4 and 4Extra, stated RAJAR had discovered that two-fifths of other folks in the United Kingdom elderly over 15 now say they have got listened to a podcast.
Amongst that staff of twenty-two.4 million other folks the share who say they concentrate to a podcast once or more a month has grown 16% prior to now 5 years to 68%, Jasper stated, whilst the gang that listens weekly is up just about 1 / 4 to 52%. The crowd listening a number of occasions every week is up through nearly a 3rd to 29%.
Comparable
Jasper stated UK podcast audiences skew slightly male, with girls making up 44% of listeners. Regardless of podcasts’ recognition as a adolescence medium, she stated the imply age of a podcast listener is 44. (The imply age of the United Kingdom as a complete is nearer to 41, in step with Globaldata.)
The latest figures display podcasts now have their greatest succeed in amongst other folks elderly 25 to 34 (with 27% listening weekly) adopted through the ones elderly between 35 and 44 (26%).
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Amongst 15 to 24 year-olds the weekly succeed in of podcasts drops to 24%, making it the one demographic to have decrease weekly podcast intake now than prior to the pandemic.
Amongst podcast customers, the hosts stated, 31% favor to look at a podcast than concentrate to it. They stated there may be “a specifically sturdy urge for food for this among more youthful audiences, for instance after they’re consuming dinner”.
Georgie Cavendish, senior target market planner for BBC Audio, stated roughly 3 in 4 podcast listeners achieve this whilst doing one thing else, which she stated made it vital for manufacturers so as to add more than one access issues into an episode.
She stated: “Somewhat of a litmus take a look at we every now and then comic story about is: if any individual pops the blender on for a 2nd, would it not topic? Would other folks, essentially, be capable to in finding their as far back as what you’re pronouncing?”
Authentic knowledge from the BBC Podcast Tracker discovered that phrase of mouth is the commonest method other folks in finding their podcasts. Suggestions from family and friends was once the highest discovery course, they stated, adopted through mentions on social media.
The following maximum not unusual tactics other folks discovered a podcast, in reducing order, had been:
- the podcast was once related to a number or superstar the listener is aware of
- it was once at the homepage of a podcast platform
- that they had encountered an ad for the podcast.
Hosts had been specifically vital for fascinating more youthful listeners, then again: Jasper and Cavendish confirmed one statistic indicating 50% of 18 to 24 year-olds say “they just concentrate to podcasts from other folks they’ve heard of”, for instance celebrities or influencers, as opposed to 33% for all adults.
Afterward Thursday morning 3 of Cavendish and Jasper’s BBC Information colleagues spoke about how the broadcaster’s audio app, BBC Sounds, has been integrating information into its providing since debuting a devoted information “rail” within the app in February.
The rail — a horizontally-scrolling phase of the app — accommodates a continually-updated listing of stories programmes and pieces, bringing in combination for instance the newest episode of the Nowadays programme’s podcast with reporter-read information tales.
Nicky Birch, BBC Sounds’ editor for brand new codecs and innovation, stated the characteristic were offered after broadcast regulator Ofcom prompt the BBC so as to add extra information and present affairs content material to Sounds, which the company regards basically as an leisure product.
The inside track rail is ordered starting with a information bulletin prior to routinely transferring thru to different, continuously standalone best tales and information podcasts, however it additionally permits listeners to skip forward to different tales or segments. (The New York Occasions’ NYT Audio app has a identical characteristic, bringing listeners from flagship podcast The Day by day thru to the extra broadly-focused The Headlines after which some “reporter reads” which see newshounds learn their tales aloud.)
Standalone tales within the BBC Sounds app is also as low as a minute lengthy and are introduced in a way visually very similar to articles at the BBC Information app, pairing an illustrating symbol with a headline. BBC Information journalist Owen TJ stated the Sounds target market spoke back otherwise to the Information target market, then again, and audio tales most often gained higher consideration from listeners after they had been framed as private tales or questions reasonably than instantly information tales.
Talking on the finish of the consultation BBC Sounds controller Jonathan Wall stated BBC Sounds recently has 5 million customers every week and 9 million a month, with “on-demand speech” the preferred form of content material, adopted through podcasts and on-demand track.
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