In last week’s edition of the Edison Research Weekly Insights newsletter, we talked about how True Crime and Comedy have the highest “batting averages” in podcasting, meaning they are the categories most likely to put shows in the top 200 of our ranking of all podcasts.
This week we go a certain distance to prove this point further, by looking at the top new podcasts of 2022.
We calculated which shows that debuted in 2022 had the highest average weekly audience most listening over the course of the entire year. Naturally, coming out earlier in the year helps a show’s average over the course of the year, similar to how Billboard’s biggest hits of any given year benefit from when in the year they are released.
With that noted, the top three shows that launched in 2022 are:
Each of these new ‘hits’ is evidence of the ways shows can launch successfully.
True Crime weekly “The Deck” comes from the prolific Ashley Flowers Universe. Having a show like “Crime Junkie” and a talent like Ms. Flowers’ to spin out from is a great springboard.
A second solid path is to use existing, beloved celebrities with large followings on social media and in the culture in general. Saturday Night Live alums Carvey and Spade bring the funny and their seemingly bottomless Rolodex of connections to create a reason to listen.
And third, Kendall Rae meshes the two above approaches. She has built her own True Crime franchise on YouTube and social media and has now successfully transferred her audience to her podcast.
We will watch to see how high on the charts these three shows can go, and which new launches in 2023 will join them at the top.
Hit Play, Boomer! Podcasting’s Age 55+ Opportunity Edison Research and NPR release new thought leadership project
”Hit Play, Boomer! Podcasting’s Age 55+ Opportunity,” a new study from Edison Research in partnership with NPR, will be presented in a webinar on Thursday, April 13 at 2pm ET.
Forty-two percent of Baby Boomers in the U.S. — those age 55+ — have ever listened to a podcast. Attend the webinar to learn more about what has shaped Baby Boomers in the U.S. and what their media habits look like today. Learn how they consume audio and which podcasts index the highest for listening among Boomers.
Findings will be presented by Larry Rosin, Edison Research President and resident Boomer. The research presented will feature new in-depth interviews with spoken word audio listeners age 55 and older.
