Australia has established a strong foothold as a powerhouse in the podcasting world, with vast numbers of listeners tuning in and even more advertisers seeing the value in this blooming medium year-over-year. Of course, such bold claims are backed by numbers, so to understand the current landscape, let’s delve into some key Australian podcast statistics for 2025!
Podcast Popularity and Listener Demographics
52% of Australians now consume audio or video podcasts monthly - the first time half the population has crossed this threshold. Australia (52%) now leads the UK (51%) and is approaching the US (55%) for monthly podcast consumption, making it one of the top podcasting nations globally.
Australian podcast listenership reached 9.6 million monthly listeners in 2025, representing 47% of the population aged 15 and older.
“Podcast listeners are young, affluent, highly educated, and citydwellers”
Interestingly, there are two main reasons Australians listen to podcasts - they’re drawn to engaging, niche topics that are not covered by traditional media and they’re looking to get a diverse range of perspectives.
The younger population, particularly those aged 18 to 24, are avid podcast listeners, with over half in this age group tuning in weekly and over 70% claimed they listened to podcasts monthly. In contrast, only 17 percent of Australians aged 65+ stated that they listened to podcasts every month. (Note - this is 2023 data. At the time of this update, 2025 data is not yet publicly available)
Speaking of generations, Gen Z and Millennials are ruling the podcast scene, each grabbing about 35% of the market—together making up a whopping 70% (or 2.75 million listeners). However, Generation Alpha – those born from 2006 onwards – are tuning in more than ever (Note: this is 2023 data).
Let’s break down the listener numbers by generation (2025 data):
- 69% of 25-34 year olds listen monthly
- 3 million Millennials listen monthly
- 2.2 million Gen Zs listen monthly
- 40%+ of men aged 15-34 listen daily
What Are Australians Listening To?
The genres of choice for Australian listeners are diverse, but comedy remains the top preference, accounting for 22% of total downloads.
2023 data shows specialist podcasts (e.g., science and technology, business, media, health) are the most popular genre (15%), followed by lifestyle (e.g., food, fashion, arts, literature, travel, fun) (12%), news (11%), contemporary life (11%), and sport (7%).
- News, politics, and international events: over 63% of podcast listeners in this category are men. Their female counterparts accounted for less than 36%.
- Contemporary lifestyle: The number of female and male listeners in this genre was equal.
- Specialists discussions: The audience of such podcasts are majorly men, 60%. On the other hand, women accounted for about 40%.
- Sports: As expected, men dominated this category, with a whopping 80% of the total audience.
Once drawn in an interesting conversation, no matter the genre, Australians tend to stay loyal, often listening to multiple episodes and approximately 25% listen to four or five episodes each week.
Note that in 2025, genre preferences remain consistent with 2023 data — comedy, specialist content, and lifestyle continue to lead.
Listening Habits & Podcast Platforms
As we continue on with latest Australian podcast statistics we’ll examine a number of important podcast audience listening trends and go over some key stats and metrics of the growing podcast advertising market.
According to Edison Research data (2023), Aussie listeners would listen to their podcasts just about anywhere, at various points throughout their day, yet most podcast consumption happens at home (87%), followed by listening in the car (59%) and while walking (51%), public transport (39%), at work (27%) and lastly while working out (24%). Anecdotally, 2025 data suggests this is shifting, with blue-collar workers increasingly listening on site and in the ute."
“81% percent of those aged 12+ in Australia listened to online audio in the last month, a higher percentage than the U.S.”
Furthermore, weekly podcast listeners listen to an average of five podcast episodes per week which means weekly listening among Australians is now higher than the U.S. in that category as well.
One in ten Australians age 12+ listen to podcasts daily with the most popular day for listening being Tuesday mornings, between 7 and 8 AM.
“Digital audio consumption, including podcasts, is now a habit for many Australians and understanding crossaudio platform behaviors is crucial for commercial success.”
There’s a myriad of podcast and content delivery platforms and options nowadays.
In 2025, the most popular platforms for accessing podcasts in Australia are Spotify (58%), YouTube (44%), and Apple Podcasts (20%). Notably, YouTube listening has surged from 30% in 2024 - reflecting the rapid growth of video podcasting as a format - while Apple Podcasts has lost significant ground, dropping from 28% to 20%.
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Additionally, smart speaker usage is on the rise, with 23% of podcast listeners using these devices, and 26% of Australians owning at least one smart speaker in 2025. Podcast listening through in-dash systems took a jump as 13% of podcast listeners in Australia aged 12+ say they listen through an in-dash system, up from 8% in 2021.
The Power of Host-Read Ads: Growing Market
With such staggering podcast popularity growth, it goes without saying the podcast advertising market in Australia is booming. Australian podcast advertising revenue reached $134 million in 2025 - growing at 13.5% year-on-year, more than double the growth rate of streaming audio. Total Australian digital audio advertising hit $339 million in 2025, and 69% of advertising buyers plan to increase their podcast spend further.
Advertisers are drawn to the medium's ability to engage listeners deeply and personally, leading to higher recall and action rates.
“Is Podcast Advertising Effective? - In one word, Yes!”
Turns out, podcast ads are incredibly powerful! They generate over 400% better brand recall than those boring display ads. According to a Nielsen survey, 70% of people said that hearing a podcast ad boosted their awareness of a new product or service.
And a significant 63% of podcast listeners have taken action based on an ad they heard on a podcast. This action can range from seeking more information to making a purchase.
According to various sources, it is reported that 77% of podcast ads read by hosts usually succeed. This is because host-read ads lend authenticity and extra real estate for advertisers. The host’s endorsement of a product or service can greatly increase listener engagement and brand recall.
Why Host-Read Ads Succeed
Host-read ads offer several advantages that contribute to their success:
- Authenticity: Listeners trust their favorite hosts and are more likely to engage with ads read by them.
- Extra Real Estate: Host-read ads provide additional time for advertisers to convey their message, increasing the chances of listener engagement.
- Personal Experience: Hosts often share their personal experiences with the product or service, making the ad more relatable and persuasive.
“The digital transformation of Australia’s audio industry is growing at a sensational rate as people embrace a myriad of digital audio platforms for listening to live radio streaming and on-demand podcasts. The vast array of quality content from news to sport and crime to entertainment, is underpinned with trusted Australian voices as people look for a more personal in-ear audio experience. The reach and effectiveness of the ever-expanding audio marketplace is increasingly garnering more consumer attention and advertiser interest.” - SCA CEO Grant Blackley
Where we found these Australian Podcast Statistics:
- Edison Research. (2025). The Infinite Dial 2025 Australia. Retrieved from https://www.edisonresearch.com/the-infinite-dial-australia-2025/
- IAB Australia. (2026). Audio Advertising State of the Nation 2025.
- Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA). (2025). Infinite Dial Australia 2025.
- Acast. (2023). Why podcast advertising is effective: Benefits and statistics for 2023. Retrieved from https://advertise.acast.com/news-and-insights/why-podcast-advertising-is-effective-benefits-and-statistics-for-2023
- Accumulate. (n.d.). Amazing podcast statistics Australia. Retrieved from https://accumulate.com.au/amazing-podcast-statistics-australia/
- Edison Research. (2023). The Infinite Dial 2023 Australia. Retrieved from https://www.edisonresearch.com/the-infinite-dial-2023-australia-from-edison-research/
- PR Newswire. (n.d.). Podcast advertising generates up to 4.4x better brand recall than other digital ads. Retrieved from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/podcast-advertising-generates-up-to-4-4x-better-brand-recall-than-other-digital-ads-300768677.html
- Roy Morgan. (2023). Podcast listeners in Australia: March 2023. Retrieved from https://www.roymorgan.com/findings/9266-podcast-listeners-australia-march-2023
- Sang, Y., Lee, J.Y., & Park, S. (2020). Podcast trends & issues in Australia & beyond: Global perspectives. News & Media Research Centre, University of Canberra. Retrieved from https://apo.org.au/sites/default/files/resource-files/2020-10/apo-nid308947.pdf
Statista. (2023). Monthly podcast listeners in Australia by age. Retrieved from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1453181/australia-monthly-podcast-listeners-by-age/
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