Weekly podcast consumers are just as interested in watching as they are in listening.
New data from Podcast Consumer 2026
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Edison Research released in SSRS podcast consumer 2026Its annual in-depth study of US podcast audiences. The findings point to a medium that is at an inflection point: For the first time, as many weekly podcast consumers are listening to podcasts as they are watching them. The report also includes how much time audiences spend with audio, what content they are selecting and how podcasts influence their behavior.
- Watching and listening to podcasts is now virtually the same
Video podcast consumption overtook audio-only consumption in Edison Podcast metrics for the first time in Q3 2025, with 82% of weekly podcast consumers actively watching video, while 78% were listening to audio only. The two formats have since been playing alongside each other, a dramatic change from 2023 when 89% of weekly consumers only listened to audio while only 73% watched video.
- Podcast audiences are heavy audio consumers
According to Edison’s Share of Year study (Q1 2026), daily podcast consumers spend 5 hours and 11 minutes per day with all audio sources. This is more than an hour more than the 3 hours and 57 minutes spent daily on all audio sources by Americans aged 13+.
Daily podcast consumers spend 36% of their daily audio time with podcasts and 51% of their daily ad-supported audio time with podcasts.
- Podcasts have proven advertising effectiveness
Seventy-six percent of weekly podcast consumers say they have taken action as a result of listening to a podcast ad, including visiting a website, making a purchase, using a promo code, or having a product recommended.
Shifting a portion of the advertising budget to podcasts can increase reach. According to Nielsen Podcast Fusion, conducted by Edison Podcast Metrics, real-world media mix analysis found that reallocating budget to podcasts increased reach among adults 18-54 by 41%, and resulted in no increase in spending.
- Podcast consumers have nuanced views on AI
Podcast consumers have strong feelings about generative AI, and the data is nuanced. Consumers are largely open to AI taking over behind-the-scenes production tasks: 69% approve of using AI to conduct research, and 69% approve of using AI to brainstorm ideas. However, they also have concerns: 62% of weekly podcast consumers see AI as a threat to podcast credibility, and 59% see it as a threat to creativity.
Vice President Megan Lazovic presented the findings of the study, which combines research from The Infinite Dial®, Share of the Year®, Edison Podcast Metrix™ and SSRS’s Sports Poll.
Lazovic said, “This presentation represents an excerpt from the research we conducted to understand the American podcast consumer. The growth of this medium has been incredible to watch, and the data shows an audience that is deeply engaged, extremely loyal and growing every year.”
