In last week’s blog I sounded skeptical of the revolutionary adoption of podcasting by a mass audience. Well, this week I came across some new and more positive numbers from Edison Media Research (via Podcasting News). Survey results show that podcast audiences have jumped in the last year:

  • The audience for audio podcasts grew 38% in the last year;
  • The audience for video podcasts grew 45% in the last year;
  • About 30% of regular Internet users have downloaded a podcast;
  • Podcast listeners spend an average of 7 hours and 50 minutes per week listening to Internet audio.

The study also finds that awareness of podcasting has leveled off when compared to previous surveys. This past weekend, I was discussing podcasting with friends of my parents and realized that nobody knew what podcasting was. These are folks who own mp3 players and use the internet daily. So while those who are familiar with podcasts are joining the fold (and spending more time doing so), podcaters could do a better job reaching their intended audience. Also, it seems like businesses and marketers would be wise to promote the podcasts they sponsor on the Web and traditional radio, on top of advertising within the podcast.