The Podcast Landscape: North America reigns in 2024, China poised to overtake by 2027

North America currently takes the lead with a staggering 149.4 million listeners this year, according to Insider Intelligence’s latest forecast. However, a shift is on the horizon, as by 2027, China is projected to claim the crown with an estimated 178.7 million podcast enthusiasts.

The surge in podcast listenership within China can be attributed to its comparatively low penetration rate. In 2023, podcast listeners in China are anticipated to make up 9.4% of the country’s population and 12.6% of its internet users, as highlighted in Insider Intelligence’s August 2023 forecast. In stark contrast, a significant 39.6% of the US population and 44.1% of internet users are expected to be avid podcast consumers in 2024.

The growth trajectory in China is remarkable, fueled by the untapped potential within a large portion of the population and the online community. As podcast content creators continue to emerge in China and other Asian markets, content availability remains a critical challenge. The evolving podcast landscape in these regions presents opportunities for creators, platforms, and advertisers to tap into a burgeoning market hungry for diverse and engaging content. 

According to a recent report, by the year 2024, digital audio is poised to constitute a significant 20% of all time spent on digital media in the United States. A staggering 75% of internet users in the US are anticipated to engage with digital audio throughout the current year. This surge will see US listeners dedicating an average of 2 hours and 20 minutes (2:20) daily to digital audio, surpassing the time allocated to popular platforms such as Netflix (1:02), Hulu (0:53), and YouTube video (0:48), as outlined in the report. 

Per the report, the podcast audience is projected to surpass 150 million by the year 2027.