The Rise of Podcasts: What Media Houses Need to Know

A Reuters Media Trends 2025 report has predicted that audio will become an increasingly prevalent format used by media organisations. One audio format that has surged in popularity over the last 15 years is podcasts. Today, there are over 546 million podcast listeners worldwide, with a steady annual growth rate of 7.85%.

Media houses have taken notice of this trend and are developing products to meet the demand. Last year, The Economist launched a podcast subscription that attracted 30,000 subscribers in just six months.

So, what should media houses know if they want to tap into this growing audience?

Low-Cost Format, High Competition

One of the biggest advantages of podcasts for producers is their relatively low cost. With just a microphone and basic recording software, almost anyone can start a podcast, making it an accessible medium. However, this low barrier to entry has also led to a highly saturated market, making it difficult to stand out.

For established brands and well-known media houses, gaining listeners is easier, as they can tap into an existing audience. However, retaining them requires a focus on quality over quantity. Before launching a podcast, it's crucial to have a clear goal and a deep understanding of your target audience.

While starting a podcast may not be expensive, sustaining one requires a commitment of both time and resources to ensure consistent, high-quality content. Additionally, news-focused podcasts must compete for attention not only with other news formats but also with lifestyle and niche podcasts that cover news-adjacent topics.

What Revenue Opportunities Do Podcasts Offer?

As the Economist example above shows, media houses can monetise podcasts by placing them behind paywalls. Many media companies are adopting this model—Die Zeit has launched an audio app with a separate subscription, while The New York Times offers a podcast subscription alongside an audio-only app. Nordic publishers, on the other hand, are bundling podcast subscriptions into their existing subscription packages.

Another significant revenue stream for podcasts is advertising. Global podcast ad spending is projected to reach $5.03 billion by 2027. The industry average for podcast ad placements ranges between $15–$25 per thousand listeners (CPM), while highly popular podcasts can charge up to $50 CPM. Advertisers are drawn to podcasts because they offer highly targeted reach and proven effectiveness—surveys show that 55–61% of listeners have purchased a product after hearing it advertised on a podcast. Additionally, podcast ads are harder to block or skip, as they are typically integrated into the content. 78% of listeners even approve of podcast ads, recognising them as a way to support the content they enjoy.

Some publishers are attempting to create their own platforms to monetise podcasts through direct advertising. However, due to fragmented audiences and limited resources, this remains a challenge—particularly for smaller publishers—forcing many to rely on platforms like YouTube and Spotify for distribution and revenue generation.

Podcast audiences tend to skew slightly male—39% of men listen to podcasts compared to 32% of women. News and political podcasts, in particular, have a strong male listenership, partly due to the dominance of male hosts in these genres.

Podcasts are most popular among younger audiences. 55–58% of people aged 18–34 listen to podcasts, while only 20% of those over 55 do. Additionally, podcast listeners tend to be highly educated and have higher incomes.

Image source: Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2024.

Geographically, Americans are the most active podcast listeners. In the past decade, monthly podcast listenership in the U.S. has risen from 15% to 47%, marking a 32% increase. 19% of Americans tune into news podcasts monthly, followed by strong listenership in Sweden, Australia, Ireland, and Spain.

In Europe, the Nordic countries lead in overall podcast consumption, with public broadcaster-produced shows being the most popular. In Finland, 34% of the population listens to podcasts each month.

Image source: Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2023.

What Makes a Podcast Successful?

Several key factors contribute to a podcast’s success:

• Consistency is key – Listeners prefer podcasts that are released on a regular schedule, ideally weekly or even daily.
• Optimal episode length – The sweet spot for most audiences is 16–30 minutes. Longer episodes risk losing engagement.
• Engaging content – Podcasts should be entertaining, informative, or both. 43% of listeners tune in for entertainment, while 39% listen to stay updated on the news.
• Multiple hosts – Listeners tend to prefer podcasts with more than one host, as this creates dynamic discussions.
• Encouraging ratings and reviews – Positive feedback helps with visibility and credibility, so it’s essential to engage listeners in leaving reviews.
• Strong hosting skills – A successful host should have humour, solid interview skills, and an engaging voice—whether calm or energetic, depending on the content.

Audio vs. Video Podcasts

The pure audio format remains dominant, but video podcasting is on the rise, partly driven by YouTube’s popularity as a podcast platform. Additionally, video content is more effective for social media promotion, helping podcasts attract new audiences. The most preferred platforms for podcast consumption are YouTube, Apple Podcasts, and Spotify.

News Podcast Formats

News podcasts typically fall into four categories:

1. News round-ups – Brief updates covering multiple topics.
2. Deep dives – A detailed analysis of one or two key subjects.
3. Documentaries – A multi-episode series focusing on a single topic.
4. Extended chat – Informal, personality-driven discussions or roundtable conversations.

Among these, Extended chat and Deep dive formats tend to be the most popular, followed closely by News round-ups. Documentary-style podcasts, while valuable, generally receive less attention. 

How can AI help?

AI is increasingly shaping the podcasting landscape by streamlining content creation. In 2023, Google launched NotebookLM, a service that gained traction after going viral on TikTok. While originally designed as a study aid, it demonstrated AI’s ability to generate remarkably natural-sounding podcast episodes from uploaded materials.

Even if AI isn’t used to produce fully automated episodes, it can still be a valuable tool for rewriting content into structured podcast scripts or host notes, significantly reducing the time required for preparation. AI-assisted workflows allow creators to focus more on content quality, storytelling, and audience engagement rather than spending hours on manual scriptwriting.

Below, you can listen to an example of a podcast episode generated by NotebookLM using this very article.

Conclusion

The rise of podcasts presents both an opportunity and a challenge for media houses. With a rapidly growing listener base and diverse monetisation options, podcasts can be a valuable addition to a media company’s content strategy. However, the high market saturation means that success depends on delivering high-quality, engaging content tailored to a well-defined audience.

While traditional audio formats still dominate, the increasing popularity of video podcasts and platform-based subscriptions suggests that the landscape will continue to evolve. News publishers must consider not just the type of content they produce, but also how they distribute and monetise it. AI-powered tools can further streamline podcast production, offering media houses new efficiencies in content creation.

Ultimately, for those willing to invest in consistent, compelling storytelling and strategic audience engagement, podcasts offer a powerful way to strengthen brand presence, enhance audience loyalty, and unlock new revenue streams in the digital media landscape.