Weekly Insights 12.7.22 Top Podcast Networks in the U.S. Q3 2022

Yesterday we released the latest ranker from Edison Podcast Metrics, the only all-inclusive data source covering the entire U.S. podcasting industry. The graphic below shows the Top 10 most listened-to Podcast Networks based on total audience reach in Q3 2022.  

SXM Media, Spotify, and iHeartRadio take the top three spots, and SXM is back in the number one spot after a #2 ranking behind Spotify in the Q2 report.  iHeartRadio and Audioboom rank #3 and #4, with NPR placing #5. The Top 10 Podcast Networks for Q3 2022:    

SXM Media’s success can be partially attributed to its strong lineup of shows that perform very well with women audiences. In fact, five of the top 25 shows among women are SXM Media podcasts (more than any other network): Crime Junkie, Dateline, Office Ladies, Pod Save America, and Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend. 

Wondery/Audible/Amazon Music moved the most within the top 10 spots, propelled in part by their acquisitions of major shows like Morbid and My Favorite Murder. Click here for the complete list of the Top 30 Podcast Networks.

This ranker measures reach as a percentage of the weekly podcasting audience. The Q3 survey measures actual listening, not downloads, from a sample of 11,675 podcast listeners. Rankings are compiled by measuring the total unduplicated reach of all the shows represented by a given network. Listening is credited to the producer and/or the network that represents the advertising for the show, not the platform or app that the listener uses to access the podcast.   

Edison Podcast Metrics is the only podcast measurement service that measures the relative audience size and demographics of all podcast networks in the U.S. The network ranker is derived from data collected continuously Q4 2021 – Q3 2022, from surveying weekly podcast consumers ages 18 and older in the U.S. Participants indicate which podcasts they listened to in the past week along with a variety of demographic, psychographic, and purchase behavior information.

Speaking of women podcast listeners, join us for an in-depth look at The Women’s Podcast Report from Edison Research and SXM Media.  Thirty-five percent of U.S. women, an estimated 47 million people, have listened to a podcast in the past month, and women now make up almost half (48%) of all monthly podcast listeners. Join Edison Research VP Megan Lazovick and SXM Media VP Sales Research and Analytics Melissa Paris next Wednesday, December 14th at 2:00 p.m. ET for a webinar that delves into the latest research on women podcast listeners. Click here to register for The Women’s Podcast Report webinar. 

In case you missed it (and you barely missed it – it was presented at 1pm ET today), Safe and Sound, the latest study from Sounds Profitable, is now available for download. Safe and Sound addresses brand safety and suitability from podcast listeners’ perspective, and uses data from Edison Research. Click here to download Safe and Sound.