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# Podcast listening reaches “new highs” as format evolves beyond audio
- URL: https://capitolcommunicator.com/podcast-listening-reaches-new-highs-as-format-evolves-beyond-audio-only-roots/
- Published: 2026-03-16T18:12:15.000Z
- Updated: 2026-03-16T19:34:19.000Z
- Author: Capitol Communicator
- Tags: Media, Insights, #wp-top-right-sponsored, #Import 2026-10-08 18:56

**Podcast listening in the U.S. reached new highs over the past year**, as the medium continues to expand its audience and frequency of use, reports [Inside Radio](https://www.insideradio.com/free/podcast-listening-hits-record-high-as-video-helps-expand-the-audience/article%5F231ed8d9-4f52-4368-b0b2-9ee956fa1503.html?ref=capitolcommunicator.com).

According to Inside Radio, the 2026 edition of Edison Research’s Infinite Dial reports that “58% of Americans age 12 and older listened to a podcast during the past month, equal to roughly 167 million people. That is the highest monthly podcast reach recorded in the study’s history.

“Weekly listening is also climbing. Edison says 45% of Americans — about 130 million people — listened to a podcast in the past week, continuing a steady upward trend that has brought weekly listening closer to majority adoption.

“Overall awareness of podcasting remains near universal. The report finds 86% of Americans are familiar with the term “podcast,” while 80% have listened to a podcast at some point, equal to an estimated 230 million people who have tried the medium.

“The medium’s reach remains strongest among younger and middle-aged listeners. Monthly listening among Americans age 35-54 has climbed to 68%, while 64% of those age 12-34 say they listened to a podcast during the past month. Yet adoption is also continuing to grow among older listeners, with 44% of those age 55 and older now reporting monthly podcast listening.”

Of note, states Inside Radio, “video is increasingly reshaping how Americans consume podcasts, with the data showing audiences are engaging with the medium across both audio and visual formats. Edison reports 57% of Americans say they have both listened to and watched a podcast, underscoring how the format is evolving beyond its audio-only roots.”