The 2020 Spoken Word Audio Report from NPR and Edison Research shows podcast listening hit an all-time high in 2020, with 55% of the American population having listened to one. 

Other highlights: 

  • The report includes six years of insights from AM/FM radio, podcasts, and other on-demand audio content. It shows the share of podcast listening on the rise. 
  • In 2014, 11% of listeners listened to Spoken Word Audio and 89% to music. Compare this to 2020, when 30% listened to Spoken Word Audio and 70% to music.
  • 54% of listeners cited “Searching the Internet” as the top source of discovering new content. With 62% of listeners, “News/Information” is the most popular topic amongst listeners. 
  • 32% of listeners are listening to NPR and Public Radio podcasts, in 2020. This was at 19% in 2016. 

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