The 10th annual Infinite Dial results showed that podcast listening continues to grow in Australia, some 10 million of us are now consuming a podcast weekly, but the US has caught up to us in terms of percentages. Last year 42% of Australians listened to or watched a podcast episode each week, versus 40% in the US. In 2026 we are 45% a piece.
To further expand on that, data released by Edison Research showed not only that Americans are spending almost four times longer with podcasts than they were ten years ago but are now spending 812 million hours each week consuming them.
Gabriel Soto, the Senior Director of Research at Edison Research told PodNews:
“Total podcast consumption time, a measure that accounts for both consumer growth and the increase in time we commit to podcasts, showcases to advertisers just how massive the medium has become. Ten years ago, I remember having to teach college friends how to listen to stand-up comedy podcasts on their journeys to class. Today, I study how that medium evolved into a mainstream cultural staple, a staple in the marketing playbook that advertisers cannot ignore.”
Triton Digital this week also took a look at the Canadian podcast market. 46% of Canadian adults now consume podcasts monthly (Australia is up to 55% total population). That is up from 39% in 2024.
Infinite Dial also showed the healthy state of total radio with 77% of Australians listening to AM, FM and DAB+, broadcast or streaming in a week. That was the highest percentage compared to NZ, the US and UK.
77% of Australians listened to total radio in a week, that includes AM, FM and DAB+ – broadcast or streaming. That is the highest percentage compared to NZ, the US and UK.
In Frankfurt, at WorldDAB Automotive 2026, Global sales of DAB and DAB+ receivers were revealed to have surpassed 166 million units. That was a 10% increase on figures from February 2025 and showed that broadcast radio was still a core part of the in-car experience.
In Australia again, total radio is the dominant in-car audio choice, with 82% tuning in weekly and 60% tuning into commercial radio – ahead of music streaming (52%).