The great thing about podcasts is that you can listen to them at any time, on any device and in any place.
The convenience has led to a growth in the number of people who say they download podcasts, according to a Pew Internet study. Now 12% of American netizens download podcasts, up from 7% earlier this year.
But the same Pew study suggests that few are becoming hooked. Few are downloading podcasts with great frequency – apparently just 1% download every day.
This is not that surprising. Radio tends to be something that is on in the background. The difference with podcasts is that you have to make a conscious decision to subscribe to a particular show. It stands to reason that people would subscribe to the few they are most interested in, rather than clog up a hard drive with mass of audio.
Quoted on the BBC News website, senior Pew research specialist Mary Madden said:
“While podcast downloading is still an emerging activity primarily enjoyed by early adopters, the range of content now available speaks to both mainstream and niche audiences. We are at a crossroads of a major transition in the way media content is delivered and consumed.”
The report is available as a PDF.
PDF