If a geek records a podcast, and no one downloads it, does it make a sound?
Just like the rhetorical “tree in the forest” we do know that podcasts are heard, mostly by nerds and younger enthusiasts, but they are comparably quiet when compared to other social media such as blogs, wikis and social networking.
A recent study by Bridge Ratings has found that only about 1% of the U.S. population listened to podcasts last year. Unfortunately, the real figure is likely much lower as this number comes from a number of interviews conducted with a “podcast panel.”
Want to test the theory yourself? Try asking 100 friends and family if they listen to podcats and I’ll bet, with the exception of 20 and early 30 somethings, the vast majority will never have heard of a podcast.
Now the podcasting enthusiasts will cry havoc and take me to task for this, but only because their enthusiasm has no temper (and the broadcast waves are clouding their heads. It’s okay guys, I don’t have anything against podcasting. In fact, I have my own podcast (The Intranet Podcast) and think it’s a fantastic medium, but it has no where near the reach of blogging, wikis or social networking.
Nonetheless there are podcasters and listeners and it will undoubtedly begin to become more popular as it gathers steam. But it will not won’t explode in the manner of social networking, as exemplified by MySpace and YouTube (both in the top 8 most trafficked sites on the Internet). According to the Bridge Ratings study, a projected seven million Americans will download and listen to podcasts every week by 2010, with an additional 21.4 million listening to a minimum of four podcasts every month. That’s a little more than 5% of the population that is expected to listen to podcasts every week, several years from now. This is hardly a revolution.
For once, I think podcasting on the intranet might overtake the use of that on its predecessor. Read how IBM employees are podcasting on the IBM intranet (see Podcasting @ IBM).
Do you listen to podcasts? Do you know many others that do? Let us know what you think by posting a comment below.
Comments (4)
Well someone is listening to podcasts. At http://www.podfeed.net/feedburner_rankings.asp there is a list of the top 100 podcasts (who have turned on their feedburner stats to the public). At the bottom of the list is Inside home Recording (with 1680 subscribers), and at the top is Ask a Ninja with 89671 subscribers.
Isn't 1% of 300,000,000 still 3 million people?
Dave Jackson
School of Podcasting
www.schoolofpodcasting.com
Posted by David Jackson | June 25, 2007 8:18 AM
Posted on June 25, 2007 08:18
Yes, that is correct Dave. A very small sliver of the population is listening to podcasts.
Posted by Toby Ward | June 25, 2007 2:28 PM
Posted on June 25, 2007 14:28
Toby, you're wrong about your stats in regards to who is consuming podcast. It's not "nerds and younger enthusiasts" consuming podcasts. Every report I've seen from Neilsen, Forrester, even one I co-authored here in Canada, all show that the majority of those who listen or view podcasts are between 25-50 years old, with the fastest growing group being baby boomers.
While I do agree that a small portion of the adult population is consuming podcasts, get your facts straight about who is consuming podcasts.
Posted by Leesa Barnes | July 2, 2007 12:52 AM
Posted on July 2, 2007 00:52
I have my facts straight: "A recent study by Bridge Ratings has found that only about 1% of the U.S. population listened to podcasts last year." A similar study from Forrester proved nearly identical. At this point its geeks and younger enthusiasts that are regularly consuming podcasts. I didn't say exclusively, I said mostly. You need to do better before calling me out.
Posted by Toby Ward | July 3, 2007 7:58 PM
Posted on July 3, 2007 19:58