September 29th, 2023, Bhawna Singh
On the occasion of International Podcast Day, data from YouGov Profiles shows that the majority of urban Indians now listen to podcasts, with almost three in ten (28%) listening once or more a day and another quarter (25%) listening every week. The rest listen to a podcast at least once a month (11%) or lesser than that (8%), and 27% do not listen to podcasts.
Unlike media like TV or movies, listening to podcasts leaves consumers’ hands and eyes free, meaning that shows are often enjoyed while engaged in some other activity.
From a list of given activities, a third of urban Indians (33%) who listen to podcasts do so while doing household chores, the most popular podcast-listening situation. Commuting to work, another activity that requires eyes and not quite all of one’s attention, is second at 28%. This is followed by working out and cooking/baking, at 26% and 24%, respectively.
While many situations are equally appealing to different genders, there are a few with significant differences. Women are more likely to listen to podcasts while doing household chores (35% vs 30% of men) and while cooking/baking (28% vs 20%). Men are more likely to listen to podcasts while commuting (30% vs 26%), working out or doing sport (27% vs 25%) and running errands (19% vs 17%).
Age also makes a difference and podcast listening appears to be more regular among young Indians between 25 and 44 years. 25-34-year-olds are more likely than the other age groups to listen to podcasts when working out, running errands, while eating and shopping, while for adults between 35-44 listening to podcasts is popular while doing household chores, cooking, before sleeping, during walks and when waiting in a queue.
Data from YouGov Profiles shows that among the various podcast service providers, two in five urban Indians who listen to podcasts use Spotify to do so (39%). That is followed by Google podcast (22%), Audible (16%) and Apple Podcast (10%).
Spotify podcasts are popular among adults up to 44 years of age, while Google Podcast, Audible and Apple Podcast find a larger audience within the age bracket of 25 and 44.
Methodology: YouGov Profiles is based on continuously collected data and rolling surveys, rather than from a single limited questionnaire. Profiles data for India is nationally representative of the online population and weighted by age, gender, education, region, and race. Dataset is from September 2023. Learn more about Profiles.