By the numbers
About 158 million Americans, 55% of the population, consume podcasts monthly according to iHeartMedia, which makes podcasts one of the largest channels a censored health brand can reach without ad platform limits.
The Placement Journal, published by Wellness Marketing Reports, collects published podcast statistics with their sources, next to Wellness Marketing Reports’ own 2025 research on censored health brands. Different publishers measure different things, such as monthly versus weekly listening, so each figure is quoted as published rather than blended.
Last updated: November 2026
In the United States, iHeartMedia counts 158 million monthly podcast consumers, 55% of Americans. Truth Work Media reports weekly consumption reached 45%, roughly 130 million people, in 2026, and Searchlab cites Edison Research for 26% of the US population listening every day. Globally, Searchlab counts 672 million listeners.
Part of our main guide to choosing a podcast placement agency for FemTech and sexual health brands.
| Measure | Figure as published | Source |
|---|---|---|
| US monthly podcast consumers | 158 million; 55% of Americans | iHeartMedia |
| US adults listening monthly | Over 55% | AdResults Media |
| Listeners ages 12 to 34 tuning in monthly | 66% | AdResults Media |
| Americans 12+ who have listened (2025) | 70%; 73% have consumed podcast content in audio or video, roughly 210 million people | AdResults Media |
| US weekly consumption (2026) | 45%, roughly 130 million people | Truth Work Media |
| US daily listening | 26% of the population | Edison Research via Searchlab |
| Global listeners | 672 million | Searchlab |
| Global listeners, 2020 and 2021 | 332 million (+21%); 383 million (+15%) | Searchlab |
Industry value
These figures measure different scopes and do not agree, so treat any single industry value as one estimate among several.
Timing
Premium episodes achieve 65% of their total month-one audience footprint within the first 7 days of publication in 2026, according to Libsyn first-party data (Libsyn). For a guest, that means promotion in the first week of an episode’s release carries the most weight.
B2B
Category research
Wellness Marketing Reports’ 2025 white paper, Turning Stigma into Strategy, is based on in depth interviews with 63 industry leaders in sexual wellness and women’s health. It found that 78% of companies name digital censorship as their number one growth inhibitor, that a ROAS below 1.0 is the common outcome of traditional digital ads under medical censorship, that 30% cite educational content and trust building as most effective, and that 14 companies use podcasts as a key channel. These are the publisher’s own research figures.
The audience is large and habitual, and it skews young: AdResults Media reports 66% of listeners ages 12 to 34 tune in monthly. For brands that ad platforms restrict, podcasts offer that reach without the same limits on health language. The practical lesson from the timing data is to promote each guest episode hard in its first week. Read how to plan a FemTech podcast episode.
No, the audience is still large. iHeartMedia reports 158 million monthly podcast consumers, 55% of Americans, and Truth Work Media puts weekly consumption at 45%, roughly 130 million people, in 2026. The harder problem is attention: new shows compete with established ones, which is why many brands guest on existing podcasts before launching their own.
Podcasts work because hosts are not bound by the ad rules that restrict health claims on Meta, Google and TikTok. Long form audio carries the medical nuance that ad platforms strip out, and episodes stay searchable. In Wellness Marketing Reports’ 2025 interviews, 14 of 63 companies used podcasts as a key channel for education receptive audiences and no censorship.
Expect results to build over months, not days. Episodes stay searchable, so one interview can keep sending listeners long after release. Wellness Marketing Reports tracked one client’s podcast results from week one to month 14, attributing sales to podcasts through a post purchase survey. Libsyn reports premium episodes reach 65% of month-one audience in the first 7 days.
For many censored health brands, yes. In Wellness Marketing Reports’ 2025 interviews, a ROAS below 1.0 was the common outcome of traditional digital ads under medical censorship, which is a net loss. Ads still fit brands that can run compliant creative profitably. Podcasts fit brands that need to explain products ad platforms will not let them describe.
Yes. Podcasts reach clinicians, practice owners and partners in a format they can absorb on their own time. Gartner’s 2026 research, cited by Upraw Media, found 67% of B2B buyers prefer a rep-free buying experience, so content they choose to hear does work a sales rep cannot. Wellness Marketing Reports pairs podcasts with outreach to doctors, clinics and partners.
Tell Wellness Marketing Reports about your product, your buyers and what you have tried. Pricing is not published, so a short email is the fastest way to a scoped answer.
Published by Wellness Marketing Reports