Half of Australians now listen to podcasts monthly

Half of Australians aged 15 and over now consume podcasts at least once a month, according to new research from Deadset Studios and Insightfully. That puts the monthly audience at 10.3 million people.

PodPoll 26 found podcast consumption in Australia has continued to rise, climbing from 39% in 2024 to 47% in 2025 and now 50%. The survey describes podcasts as the fastest-growing audio category it tracks.

Growth was not evenly spread across the population. The strongest gains came from Millennials, with 71% classed as regular podcast consumers, and from men aged 35 to 54, whose listenership rose from 59% to 71% in a year.

"This growth in podcast consumption isn't evenly spread. It's being driven disproportionately by Millennials, with 71% of them regular consumers, and by men aged 35-54, whose listenership jumped from 59% to 71% in a single year. For anyone planning campaigns or considering a podcast, that's a signal to look beyond the usual 'young listener' narrative when thinking about who's actually driving this uptick," said Kellie Riordan, Director, Deadset Studios.

The research also points to a shift in how audiences access podcast content. Among regular consumers, YouTube's share of podcast consumption rose from 44% to 55% over the year, while one in 10 said they watched podcasts rather than listened to them.

Even so, audio remained the preferred format for most regular users. The survey found 60% would rather listen to podcasts than watch them, and 70% actively sought them out because they did not require a screen.

Screen-free appeal

The preference suggests video has expanded access to podcasts without replacing audio's core appeal. Most listeners said they chose podcasts specifically because they could consume them away from a screen.

"That's a useful counter to the assumption that younger audiences are purely video-led. For brands and producers, it's a reminder that a strong audio-only product still reaches a large, loyal, screen-fatigued audience, and that investing solely in video risks missing them entirely," said Riordan.

Beyond audience growth, the study found podcast listeners were likely to take action after listening. Among regular consumers, 45% said they had searched online after hearing something on a podcast, while 19% said they had bought a product as a result.

"We're no longer talking about an emerging medium. Half the country is consuming podcasts at least monthly. And critically for advertisers and brands, this audience doesn't just passively consume the content, they act on what they hear. PodPoll 26 found that after listening, many consumers go on to search for a topic, buy a product, or take action for a cause," said Leanne White, Managing Director, Insightfully.

Trust factor

The survey ranked podcasts as the most trusted media channel among podcast consumers. Some 71% said they trusted podcasts, compared with 34% for social media, 62% for radio, 57% for television and 56% for YouTube.

White said trust had become central to the medium's appeal as audiences navigated a crowded media market.

"What's striking this year is the extent to which trust has become podcasting's defining advantage," White said.

"In a media environment where audiences are increasingly sceptical of what they consume online, podcasts are cutting through because audiences feel like they know and trust the voice in their ears and have that parasocial relationship with hosts," she said.

Genre preferences were broadly stable, with crime, news and current affairs, and comedy remaining the most consumed categories. Government and politics, however, was growing faster than any of those genres.

The research was based on an online questionnaire conducted in Australia among a nationally representative sample of people aged 15 and over. The first part surveyed 3,472 Australians to measure nationwide podcast listenership, while the second surveyed 1,646 regular monthly podcast listeners in more detail.

PodPoll 26 was produced by Deadset Studios and Insightfully, with responses weighted by age, gender and location using Australian Bureau of Statistics census data.