Sweden topped the list of 54 countries surveyed for podcast consumption. A grand total of 47% of respondents said they had listened to a podcast in the past 12 months. It’s true that some people listen to podcasts without even knowing it (especially those who listen on YouTube, a top platform for audio consumption).
The Nordic podcast leader is followed by Ireland and Brazil. Both are above the 40% threshold of people having listened to a podcast in the past year. (The results found by the 2021 Digital News Report were similar, with Ireland first, followed by Spain and Sweden.)
In the UK, US, Canada and Australia, around a third of respondents said they listened to a podcast, while countries in the Eastern Hemisphere scored comparatively lower. China had just 19% of podcast listeners among participants.
Where podcasts are popular by statista
Where podcasts are popular by statista
Unsurprisingly, podcast consumption is driven by younger people. The 2019 Digital News Report found that in Sweden, young people were more likely to consume podcasts (59% among 18-24 year olds, 57% among 25-34 year olds).
But…
Why Sweden leads podcast listening – and… the role of Swedish radio
Sweden was already a country to follow years ago when podcasting was not as popular as it is today. Nowadays, in a more professional form, it is increasingly present in digital content options, so many of us are already looking for a new program to listen to.
The history of podcasting in the UK is also significant , especially since the term “podcasting” was coined there by Guardian journalist Ben Hammersley. Still, Sweden still outpaces the UK in most surveys when it comes to podcast listening.
Like other Nordic countries, Sweden has a strong tradition of radio consumption. Around 60% to 70% of people (depending on the data you access) listen to the radio on a daily basis .
Swedish characteristics
It is a very digitally advanced market. For example, music streaming revenue in Sweden surpassed physical sales 10 years ago already . By 2014 it accounted for 84%, which is called a dizzying growth. Undoubtedly, such rapid changes in the digital landscape created a favorable environment for people to fall in love with podcasts.
Swedish Radio, along with the BBC and some other European gambling data malaysia national broadcasters , understood early on that it was worthwhile to offer people an online option for listening to radio programmes. But online archives were often difficult to navigate, making podcasts a better option. The idea proved to be very successful and actually attracted new listeners.
Of course, it's not just about publishing the shows as podcasts . The quality of the content is important. Swedish radio podcasts have attracted the most listeners for some years now and have the largest reach across the country, as the chart below shows.
Evolution of listeners in Sweden
Evolution of listeners in Sweden. Source: Poddindex Annual Report
The influence of Spotify, Acast and Poddindex on podcast listening
Sweden is also unique thanks to multiple large digital audio players competing not only domestically but also globally. For example, Spotify, the world’s largest music and audio streaming platform, started in Stockholm in 2006.
Spotify has been aggressively pushing to become a global leader in podcasting , starting with reorganizing the app’s interface to feature podcasts more prominently. It’s also made acquisitions, from talent (the Joe Rogan Show) to podcast hosting companies (Megaphone, Anchor.fm) to podcast producers (Ringer, Gimlet).
Spotify’s success and focus on podcasting is driving the popularity of the genre , the company hints in its Swedish podcast report . Moreover, the number of podcasts in Swedish is increasing – up 89% on Spotify, the main platform, in just one year.
Acast
Acast is another Swedish-founded company with a global presence. It provides hosting, monetization, and growth support for podcasts. In 2014, it developed a dynamic insertion solution that targets advertising within podcasts based on location, time, and personal data. In 2018, Acast struck a deal with the BBC to monetize its podcasts outside the UK.
Acast produces its own podcasts both in Sweden and internationally. COO Oskar Serrander recently posted a blog post saying that Acast is the third-largest podcast network in the US (alongside NPR and iHeartRadio ) with over 14 million Americans listening to Acast-powered podcasts every month.
Poddindex
Another important fact regarding the success of podcasting in Sweden is the fact that an industry-wide initiative led in 2017 to the creation of Poddindex , a Swedish podcast measurement standard. It measures reach and listening, and also includes paid programs.
It seems that the existence of Poddindex (although we could be wrong) is a big piece of the puzzle. The main monetization option for podcasts is still ads. Although 2021 could be seen as the beginning of the global paid podcast revolution (both Apple and Spotify doubled down on paid podcast features for podcasters).
For ads to work and for advertisers to know what they're buying and how many people they're reaching, there needs to be a standard, industry-wide metric that everyone can agree on.
With Poddindex, Sweden has moved ahead of many countries around the world, especially in Europe. In France, ACPM has a similar chart, but as Sarah Toporoff wrote a while back, the French approach is hybrid and has its problems in contrast to Poddindex.
In the US, there is Edison Research's Podcast Consumer Tracking Report , Triton Digital runs its own rating system, and there are solutions from Chartable and Podtrac.
Still, even if there was a Poddindex in every country, Sweden would still be at the top of the podcast listening charts.
You might think that the country is lucky (and you would be right). However, it is important to note that Sweden shows how a few leaders (both companies and individuals) with the right mindset, leadership skills, and understanding of the digital media landscape can propel the entire ecosystem forward. Admirable.
