52% of people report listening to or watching podcasts each month; Audio industry unifies around a single source of truth for podcasting
Podcasting has reached a significant step-change. New research reveals 52% of Australians are now reporting they are listening to or watching one or more podcasts every month. The sustained and consistent growth in podcasting has been exceptional with reported listening more than doubling in the past five years from 25% of Australians back in 2020.[i]
This milestone demonstrates that the medium has crossed from emerging to essential, firmly embedding itself in audience routines and reflects an evolving industry defined by unified measurement, consistent data standards, and unprecedented collaboration across publishers of all sizes.
“Podcasting has reached scale, and that requires measurement that’s fit for purpose. The industry has united behind a single source of truth because advertisers need consistency and clarity to invest with confidence,” said Lizzie Young, CEO, Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA).
A Unified Industry, A Verified System
That source of truth is the Australian Podcast Ranker, the country’s only official, third-party verified podcast measurement system. Governed by a cross-industry Steering Committee and supported by deep collaboration across commercial, independent, and non-commercial publishers, it sets the benchmark for podcast data in Australia.
Today, CRA confirmed the extension of its partnership with Triton Digital to continue delivering the Ranker, reinforcing the sector’s commitment to robust, transparent reporting.
“Australian podcasting now delivers the scale and depth of audience intelligence that advertisers require to make informed investment decisions,” added Young.
“The Ranker’s strength lies in the collective intent behind it, every participating publisher has chosen to collaborate, establishing a consistent, transparent standard that gives agencies the confidence to invest at scale.”
What the Australian Podcast Ranker Delivers
- Granular title-level and publisher-level metrics
- Demographic and behavioural insights via Triton’s Demos+
- Standardised, transparent methodology trusted across the industry
- Interactive dashboard showcasing the top 300 podcasts listened to by Australians, the top 300 Australian-produced podcasts, and genre-level analytics
Industry-Wide Publisher Participation
Participating publishers include the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), ARN/iHeart, Audioboom, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), Guardian Media Group, Mamamia, New York Times, Nine, Nova Entertainment, Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), Schwartz Media, Shameless Media, Southern Cross Austereo (LiSTNR), Squiz Media, Wondery and others. Together, they represent a cross-section of the country’s most influential and innovative podcast creators, united in building a transparent, accountable and advertiser-ready sector.
June 2025 Australian Podcast Ranker: Who’s Listening, What’s Trending?
Our Demos+ data reveals that True Crime delivers active buyers, not browsers. Among True Crime monthly podcast listeners surveyed, 83% serve as primary grocery shoppers and 90% purchased groceries in the past week. The True Crime genre, with 19.2% reach of monthly podcast listeners and a premium female 25-54 skew (44.9% vs 31.3% average), True Crime delivers engaged consumers making active purchase decisions. These listeners represent quality buyers reaching for their wallets weekly.[ii]
| Australian Podcast Ranker top five genres June 2025 | ||
| Genre | Monthly Listeners | |
| 1 | News | 4,849,015 |
| 2 | Society & Culture | 4,602,861 |
| 3 | Sports | 3,431,907 |
| 4 | True Crime | 3,404,842 |
| 5 | Comedy | 2,939,544 |
| Australian Podcast Ranker top five podcasts June 2025 | |||
| Podcast | Producer | Monthly Listeners | |
| 1 | ABC News Top Stories | Australian Broadcasting Corporation | 781,067 |
| 2 | Hamish & Andy | LiSTNR (SCA) | 776,321 |
| 3 | Mushroom Case Daily | Australian Broadcasting Corporation | 670,856 |
| 4 | Mamamia Out Loud | Mamamia | 537,240 |
| 5 | Shameless | Shameless Media | 501,218 |
Sources:
[i] The Infinite Dial 2025, Edison Research. Data referring to Australians aged 10+ unless otherwise stated.
[ii] Triton Digital Demos+ Australian Survey Data (Q4’23 – Q2’25). All percentages represent composition of each genre’s monthly P18+ podcast audience.
About the Australian Podcast Ranker: The Australian Podcast Ranker is a monthly snapshot of the top 300 podcasts listened to by Australians, and the top 300 Australian podcasts. The Australian Podcast Ranker is an industry initiative commissioned by CRA and published by Triton Digital. Results comply with IAB Podcast Measurement Technical Guidelines.
About Commercial Radio & Audio: Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) is the peak industry body representing the interests of commercial radio broadcasters across Australia. CRA promotes the effectiveness of radio and audio to advertisers, manages audio research and insights, the metropolitan and regional audience measurement surveys, the official Australian Podcast Ranker, revenue reporting, industry innovation, industry codes and standards, and regulatory and legislative matters. CRA hosts the ACRA Awards and HEARD, the audio industry showcase. We also collaborate with the broader digital audio ecosystem to grow the total market and provide services to the public and part public audio broadcasting services.