Stitcher releases its first podcasting report, with 10 years of data trends; a pandemic update shows a dip in listening at commute times and a lunchtime rise

Stitcher releases its first podcasting report, with 10 years of data trends; a pandemic update shows a dip in listening at commute times and a lunchtime rise  —  What a decade of industry growth looks like from the app perspective.  —  It’s been over a decade since we launched the Stitcher app.

“The report provides a detailed analysis of in-app data, network content and listener demographics as well as an update on changes we’ve been seeing during the coronavirus pandemic. Here are a few highlights:

• The growth of podcasts is not slowing down: The number of podcasts published to Stitcher has grown more than 129,000% since 2010.
• Some states carry more listening weight: The state of Washington, for example, ranks №4 in listening hours, despite being №13 in highest population.
• Streaming remains popular: Two-thirds of podcasts are streamed rather than downloaded.
• The rise of the mini-series*: Mini-series podcasts grew from four in 2010 to more than 52,000 in 10 years. From “Serial” in 2014 to top shows including “The Dream” and “Chernobyl,” listeners are tuning in to learn about history, legends and behind-the-curtain truths.
• Episodes are trending shorter: The average podcast episode length has shortened by 2.4 minutes since 2013.
• Gen X is dedicated: Though the 18–34 age group makes up the largest chunk of listeners, the 35–55 age group is more dedicated based on listening hours and the number of shows they’ve added to their favorites.
• Bouncing back amid COVID-19: While listening decreased during weekday commuting hours, the second half of April began to show a return to pre-pandemic levels of listening patterns.

You can view the original report and the pandemic update below. The full press release is here.”