• Podcast listening among the youngest listeners (18 to 24) has grown seven percentage points in the last year to 62%. In addition, consumption is growing up to 44 years of age (50%).

• Social and events (13%), specialized (20%) and lifestyle (25%) podcasts gain the attention of 18-34 year olds, while news (13%) and sports (7%) podcasts appeal equally to millennials and those over 35.

• YouTube (30%), Spotify (26%) and iVoox (19%) are the most used platforms for searching and listening to podcasts, but the use of websites or media apps for the same purpose (12%) has grown by two percentage points in 2022.

Four out of ten Spanish Internet users listen to podcasts (41%). This proportion remains stable since 2018, the year in which our report Digital News Report Spain first collected information on podcast listening. The data of the survey demonstrates the consolidation of consumption since then.

Overall, the percentage of podcast listeners (41%) is up 3 points from the previous year (38%) and equals the figure obtained at survey in 2020. This percentage is 5 points higher than the average listening rate in the twenty-three countries surveyed this year for podcast consumption (36%): Brazil (55%), Republic of Korea (52%), Ireland (46%), Sweden (44%), Norway (42%), Chile (41%), Spain (41%), United States (37%), Canada (36%), Switzerland (35%), Argentina (34%), Singapore (33%), Australia (33%), Denmark (32%), Austria (31%), Finland (30%), the Netherlands (30%), Belgium (29%), Italy (29%), France (29%), Germany (29%), Japan (27%) and the United Kingdom (25%).

As in other markets, men (46%) continue to listen to more podcasts than women (36%) in Spain. Across the twenty-three countries asked about podcast consumption this year, 40% of men and 32% of women surveyed have listened to a podcast in the past month.

Young people continue to drive podcast listening in Spain

Half of adult Internet users up to the age of 44 listen to podcasts (50%). But podcast consumption is more widespread among young adults up to the age of 34 (54%, 3 percentage points more than in 2021), compared to 37% of Internet users aged 35 and over. The social penetration of podcasts among the younger audience (18-24 year olds) is even higher: six out of ten (62%) report having listened to a podcast in the last month. In this age group, podcast listening has grown by 7 percentage points compared to 2021 (55%).

However, a third of Internet users over 55 years of age (33%) say they listen to podcasts (28% last year). For those aged 65 and over, the percentage of podcast listeners drops to 27%.

Podcast listening finds its main audience among Internet users with a high level educational . Nearly half of them listen to podcasts (47%), compared to 35% of those with a low programs of study level (35%). Thus, it is still significant that nearly seven out of ten respondents with a low level of programs of study say they have not listened to a podcast in the last month (65%).

In relation to income level, the 2022 survey sample shows a significant difference in listening in favor of high-income Internet users: five out of ten among high-income users (50%) compared to four out of ten among average (39%) and leave (41%).

Once again, there is a positive relationship between podcast listening and the frequency with which the Internet user enquiry listens to online news. Thus, 44% of those who access news several times a day reported listening to podcasts. Similarly, podcast listening is also higher than average among those who say they are extremely or very interested in the news (44%). On the contrary, the percentage of podcast listeners among those who get information online once a day is 34%, below average.

Specialized topics and lifestyle, themes of the most listened to podcasts

The growth in podcast consumption in 2022 has also resulted in a slight increase of between 1 and 2 percentage points for each of the topics, with the exception of sports, a category that obtained the same result as in 2021. The following graph shows the evolution of podcast listening by topic over the last five years.

Spanish Internet users continue to prefer podcasts on specialized topics (science and technology, Economics and business, media, health, etc.) (16%) and lifestyle (15%). 13% of Internet users listen to current affairs podcasts (news, politics and international events) and 11% to social issues and events. Sports podcasts remain with an audience of 7% of Internet users who say they have listened to podcasts in the last month. The differences in consumption by gender are shown in the following graph.

Men are more inclined to listen to podcasts on specialized topics (19%), current affairs (18%) and sports (12%). Women, on the other hand, pay more attention to lifestyle (18%) and specialized topics (14%). There are significant differences in consumption in favor of men in terms of current affairs (18% of men compared to 8% of women), specialized (19% compared to 14%) and sports (12% compared to 3%). In terms of women's consumption of podcasts, there is a significant difference in lifestyle (18% of women compared to 12% of men).

The 18-34 age group consumes significantly more lifestyle podcasts (25%, compared to 12% of Internet users aged 35 and older), specialized topics (22% compared to 15%) and social issues and events (13% compared to 10%). But it is 18-24 year olds who lead the way in terms of consumption, which is significantly higher in the case of podcasts on specialized topics (28%); lifestyle (28%); and social issues and events (17%).

In reference letter , it is significant that seven out of ten Internet users who say they do not know where they are located do not listen to podcasts (71%), the same as in last year's survey .

This year, the public in the center claims to listen to podcasts (46%) above average, but those on the right listen to podcasts (38%) below average. On the other hand, those who say they are on the left, center-left and center-right present listening percentages similar to average (40%, 39% and 42%, respectively).

Regarding the consumption of podcast types according to the subject matter and political position of Username, there are notable differences on average: right-wing users choose more lifestyle podcasts (18%) and fewer on social issues and events (8%). On the other hand, center-right users listen more to sports podcasts (10%) and less to lifestyle (9%). Finally, it should be noted that centrist Internet users listen to more lifestyle podcasts (18%) than average in 2022.

YouTube, Spotify and iVoox top the list of platforms for finding and playing podcasts

Among about twenty platforms, YouTube (30%), Spotify (26%) and iVoox (19%) are the most used to find and play podcasts by Spanish Internet users who listen to podcasts, followed by Google Podcasts (13%) and the websites or applications of a news media or broadcaster (12%). With respect to the previous year, YouTube has grown 3 percentage points; Spotify (26%) rises 8 percentage points and climbs from third to second place in the table (it had 18% in 2021, grows 43%), while consumption on web or media app has also gained 2 percentage points (it obtained 10% in 2021 and has registered 12% in 2022%). In contrast, leave slightly iVoox consumption to 19% of users (1 percentage point less than last year) and Google Podcasts (13%) recorded 3 percentage points less than in 2021 (16%).

As for the rest of the platforms, each and every one of them is below 10%, but it can be seen that, compared to the previous year, the use of Audible (from 4% to 7%, which represents 68%), Apple Podcasts (from 6% to 7%), TuneIn Radio (from 3% to 5%), Podium Podcast (from 3% to 4% of users), Podcast Addict (from 3% to 4%), Downcast (from 1% to 3%) and Pocket Casts (from 2% to 3%) has grown.

Among those who listened to a podcast in the last month (N = 822), the percentage of Spotify users between 18 and 34 years old (37%) exceeds average (26%) by 11 points and is the most used platform in this age group ( group ). Spotify is the most used platform among millennials to listen to podcasts, followed by YouTube (31%). Users of iVoox reach 16%, 4 points below average on this platform. Young people up to 34 also access podcasts through Apple Podcasts (10%, 3 points above average), Audible (9%, 2 percentage points higher than average), Google Podcasts (9%, 4 points below average), Podium Podcast (7%, 3 points higher than average), among others. Among young people up to 34, the use of websites and media applications to access podcasts drops to 3%, 9 points lower than average (12%). Finally, we also highlight notable differences in the use of Podium Podcast, with 7%, and Podimo, with 5% of young people up to 34, compared to 3% and 2% of those over 35, respectively.

On the other hand, over 35, 30% use YouTube; 22% use Spotify, 15 points less than users up to 34; 19% access podcasts via iVoox; 16% listen to podcasts via web or media app, 13 points more than users up to 34 and 4 percentage points above average; and 14% use Google Podcasts. From 45 years of age onwards, the use of websites or media apps rises to 21%.

In terms of gender, women have a higher proportion of Spotify users (30%) than men (24%). In particular, Spotify is more popular among group users up to 34 years of age (41%). Women also use YouTube more (32%) than men (28%) to find and play podcasts. Conversely, we found a higher proportion of men than women among users of iVoox (22% vs. 15%, a significant difference), Audible (8% vs. 6%) and Podium Podcast (5% vs. 3%). Among women up to 34 years old, Apple Podcasts (13%) and Audible (10%) are also more popular.

According to income level, high-income respondents are more likely to use Apple Podcasts (11%) and iVoox (25%). In these cases, significant differences are found with respect to the use of Apple Podcasts (3%) and iVoox (11%) by income users leave.

Likewise, significant differences were found according to the level of Education by medium (36%) versus high (31%) or low (25%) level users in the use of YouTube.

In terms of the political location of users, the significant use of Spotify to listen to podcasts by users who declare themselves to be on the left (33%), compared to those on the center (22%) and right (24%), stands out.

Finally, a relationship is sought between the use of the platforms and the frequency of access to online news by Username. In this case, a significant difference in the use of Google Podcasts is found between those who access several times a day (16%) versus those who access digital news only once a day (9%).