Today I’m sharing 5 reasons why podcasts are so popular. Since Podcasts became a thing, way back in 2004, they have grown in popularity, year on year. I’ll be honest – It was around 2017 before I even listened to one! Now, I love to have one playing as I work, drive or do the ironing. When a friend asked me recently why so many people love them, I decided to put together a list of reasons why podcasts are so popular. So read on to find out…
5 Reasons Why Podcasts are so Popular
The most obvious reason why podcasts are so popular is the fact more people know about them. For me, I decided to finally give them a try after my favourite radio presenter launched their own podcast. With so many celebrities jumping onto the podcast bandwagon, it was inevitable that their popularity would increase. Keep reading to find out some other reasons why podcasts are so popular.
Podcasts are Free to Listen To
I think the fact you don’t need to spend money to tune in makes people willing to give them a try. With so many genres out there, it’s easy to find something you’ll enjoy too. Personally, I use Spotify to listen to podcasts, but there’s plenty of other options out there.
Podcasts are a Great way to Learn
When people want to learn a new skill, podcasts can be a great way to do it. Lots of educational services now offer podcasts to help their students, and those who aren’t yet enrolled increase their knowledge. Babbel is a language – learning app, and they recently put together a great infographic titled, “What can a Podcast Teach You?” This is what they had to say…
“By 2023, 1 billion people will be listening to them at least once a month: Podcasts (a loose combination of the words “iPod” and “broadcasting”) are carving out an increasingly important space in our daily routine.
Not only light topics are covered: In fact, edutainment (education + entertainment) podcasts are becoming more and more popular. That’s why Babbel – the world’s first language-learning app – created the infographic “What can a Podcast Teach You?”, to explain this global phenomenon through lots of fun facts and data, while also offering a series of useful tips for learning languages… by listening to podcasts.
As the infographic explains, in 2021, Brits listened to almost 60 million hours of podcasts every week (+50% compared to 2019 and 17 times more than in 2015). In 2022, even more growth: +2.9 million listeners are expected in the UK. From “Today in Focus”, a podcast by The Guardian that covers a crucial fact in 20 minutes, to “Eat Sleep Work Repeat” by Bruce Daisley (Vice President of Twitter), there are many podcasts loved by the British.
Babbel has also launched numerous podcasts to help language learning. In fact, there are many educational benefits to listening to Babbel’s podcasts: They present and introduce relevant cultural elements, they help improve pronunciation and conversation and they also explain new linguistic forms of speech.”
Podcasts are a Great Self-Help Tool
Lots of people use Podcasts as a great source of self-help and personal growth. Whether you need some affirmations, to increase your self-confidence, or to motivate yourself as you run, you’ll find a Podcast to help! The fact you can access this for free is definitely one of the reasons why Podcasts are so popular.
It’s Free to Create Your own Podcast
One of the reasons you can find a Podcast for most genres is the fact it’s free to create your own. All you need is a computer or smartphone, and a microphone! Spotify even let you add music to your free podcast – If you are happy to keep your podcast exclusive to their platform! The fact so many people can have a go at creating their own Podcast is definitely one of the reasons why Podcasts are so popular.
Podcasts are a Great Source of Entertainment
The main reason why podcasts are so popular is the fact they are so entertaining. I regularly listen to 2 podcasts while I work – both are true crime shows. I’m a big fan of murder mystery fiction, so it’s no surprise I love Solved Murders by Parcast which discusses a different case each week. The show goes into detail of the crime, the investigation and then the prosecution of the murderer. My second favourite Podcast is Unsolved Murders, also by Parcast. It’s very similar to the first show, except it discusses suspects and theories, rather than the capture of the criminal.
Do you listen to Podcasts? Let me know your favourites in the comments!
