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Podcasts on the rise,
ABC makes its debut,
Listeners' delight.
Podcast popularity soars in Australia: ABC ranked as third biggest publisher
The Australian podcast scene is booming, with a record 105.2 million podcasts downloaded last month, according to the Australian Podcast Ranker. The Ranker, a joint initiative by Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) and Triton Digital, has welcomed the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) as the third biggest publisher, trailing behind ARN and SCA.
The highest placed ABC podcast, 'Conversations', secured the fifth spot with 538,786 listeners last month. However, the monthly results were topped once again by the dynamic duo, Hamish and Andy, who amassed an impressive 1.05 million listeners.
Ford Ennals, CEO of CRA, expressed his enthusiasm about ABC's debut on the Australian Podcast Ranker. He stated, "ABC is a prolific podcast producer, and it is a boost for the industry to have them participate in the Australian Podcast Ranker." Ennals also noted the sustained popularity of podcast listening, highlighting that "18 out of the top 20 most popular podcasts in Australia are commercial titles."
The year 2023 saw a significant surge in podcast downloads, with annual insights revealing a 25% increase from the previous year, totalling 946 million downloads. "Overall, it has been an incredible year for podcasts - a 25% increase in downloads for 2023 is huge, and driven by the array of high-quality Australian content," Ennals commented.
Richard Palmer, VP of Market Development and Strategy, APAC, Triton Digital, also welcomed ABC to the Podcast Ranker. The top five most popular podcast genres in 2023 were Society and Culture, Comedy, True Crime, News, and Sports. The most popular podcast of the year was Hamish and Andy, followed by Casefile True Crime, Mamamia Out Loud, Shameless, and The Kyle & Jackie O Show.
The average listener spent 2.3 hours a week listening to podcasts between January and November this year and downloaded 3.9 podcasts a week. A staggering 95% of all listening occurred on a mobile device, further emphasising the growing importance of mobile platforms in the media landscape.
The Australian Podcast Ranker was commissioned by the CRA and published by Triton Digital.
