Study: Nine Million Adults Downloading Podcasts
Tuesday, July 25, 2006 | |
More than 6 percent of U.S. adults, or about nine million Web users, downloaded podcasts in the last three months, according to a study by Nielsen Analytics. The study titled, "The Economics of Podcasting" is the latest in a series of reports on "uber-media consumers" done by Nielsen, a division of VNU's Media Measurement and Information Group.
More than 1,700 participants were surveyed on their podcasting usage. About 6 percent orf respondents described themselves as regular podcast downloaders, 75 percent of whom were male. Approximately 38 percent of active podcast downloaders say they are listening to the radio less often.Other highlights from the study include:
- The most successful podcasts are garnering as many as two million downloads a month.
- Sixty percent of respondents said they "always" fast forward past commercials in their podcasts. Women were more likely to fast forward than men, with 67 percent saying they "always fast forward."
- Advertisers are devising more effective means to reach consumers due to this skipping ability, such as embedding their messages within the program content or having podcast hosts endorse their products and services.
- The average length of the podcasts being listened to was 44 minutes.
- Seventy-two percent of respondents who regularly download podcasts say they download an average of one to three podcasts per week. About 10 percent download eight or more per week.
Even though some users are fast-forwarding through commercials, mainstream advertisers are using the medium, according the study, which also points to the importance of measuring podcast usage, so advertisers and the media industry will have a comprehensive picture of who is using the digital multimedia content.
"For podcasting to reach its full potential, we will have to find the best ways to keep track of its audiences," added Gerbrandt. "That means developing accurate and comprehensive metrics that will allow podcast producers, distributors and advertisers to answer questions like: 'Who are we reaching?' 'With what kinds of content?' 'When and how often?'"
The survey found that the average length of the podcasts being listened to was 44 minutes. This may change with the growing popularity of video podcasts, which generally tend to be shorter, said Larry Gerbrandt, general manager and senior vice president of Nielsen Analytics.. Some 72 percent of respondents who regularly download podcasts say they download an average of one to three podcasts per week. About 10 percent of all podcast downloaders could be characterized as "heavy users", downloading 8 or more podcasts a week.
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