The podcast audience has grown in the past six months, says the Pew Internet and American Life Project, but the new medium still has yet to catch a serious wave.
The demographic spread, according Pew’s Senior Research Specialist Mary Madden, is partly what you’d expect, and partly not. Fifteen percent of men reported downloading a podcast, compared to just 8 percent of women.
Awareness of podcasting among the AARP cardholders (ages 65+) is virtually nil, with just four percent reporting they’d downloaded one. But among the other age groups, 18-29, 30-49, and 50-64, it is evenly spread with a slight (2%) edge for the youngest. For the elders, 12 percent of both have downloaded.
While there is, as usual, a significant difference in podcast adoption according to education level (9 percent of high school graduates, compared to 13 percent of college), household income seems to matter little.
The percentage adoption throughout income levels tarries between 12 and 14 percent, with the highest belonging to households with annual incomes between $30,000 and $49,999.
The largest factor driving podcast adoption appears to be experience with using the Internet. Those with six plus years of online experience trounced those with less experience.
Thirteen percent of those with the most experience had downloaded a podcast, while only seven percent of those with 4-5 years, and six percent of those with less than three years had downloaded one.
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