Mediavision: Podcast listening sets new record in Sweden

More people in Sweden are listening to podcasts. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the number of daily listeners was 20 percent higher than the previous year. Nearly two million people now listen to podcasts an average day, setting a new record. This is presented in Mediavision’s latest analysis of the Swedish audio market.

During the fourth quarter of 2024, nearly two million 15–74-year-olds listened to podcasts an average day in Sweden. This indicates strong growth in podcast listenership over the past year, with an increase of 20 percent. Compared to 2022, growth is even bigger. This trend shows that podcast listening continues to set new records, as people shift away from traditional radio listening.

Mediavision also notes that growth is widespread, with a significant increase across most of the age groups analyzed.

Listening to podcasts is becoming increasingly popular. It is now the fastest-growing audio category in Sweden in terms of daily listeners, comments Fredrik Liljeqvist, senior analyst at Mediavision. Most of the listening is dedicated to content that is free for consumers, meaning ad-supported or public service content.

Mediavision also notes a significant increase in the number of households paying for podcast content. Despite the strong dominance of free listening, nearly 450,000 households now pay for podcasts, which is also a new record.

The relatively new phenomenon of video podcasts reached about 10 percent of Swedes aged 15–74 on an average day during the last quarter of 2024. This implies a noticeable and ongoing transformation of the audio landscape.

Both increased listening and more paying households make 2024 a strong year for podcasts. With the growing number of video podcasts, the audio medium is likely to develop even further. There are also strong indications that competition between Spotify and YouTube will accelerate this development. The conclusion is that podcasts are broadening the audio landscape, concludes Liljeqvist.