🎧 How Remote Work and Reduced Commuting Have Reshaped Podcast Listening Habits – PCI 447

Welcome back to Podcast Insider, today we’re discuss how podcast consumption has changed in the post-pandemic world—especially as more people continue to work from home. The days of relying on commute-time listening are fading. With data from Edison Research and Jacobs Media, we’re exploring where podcast listening is happening now, how habits are shifting, and what it all means for creators looking to stay relevant. Whether you're publishing weekly or still finding your audience, this episode will help you understand today’s podcast listener and how to meet them where they are—likely at home. Today's Hosts: Todd Cochrane and MacKenzie Bennett Part of the changes that have come to podcast creation, listening and watching has been from the major shift to working from home. There’s clear data on some of these changes that we’ll go over with you all today. The pandemic triggered a massive shift in work culture—and podcast consumption patterns followed suit. As more people work from home and spend less time commuting, the where, when, and how of podcast listening have changed significantly. Here's what current data reveals, and what podcasters need to know to stay relevant in this new environment. 🏡 Home is Now the Primary Listening Environment Before the pandemic, podcasting was strongly associated with commuting. Today, that’s no longer the case. According to Edison Research’s Share of Ear, more podcast listening now occurs at home than anywhere else. As of their latest data: More than half of podcast listening happens at home. Only 11% of podcast listening occurs in the car, a major drop from pre-pandemic levels. 16% happens at work—reflecting that many remote workers now blend podcasts into their daily home routine. This marks a fundamental shift: home has replaced the commute as podcasting’s top listening location. 🚗 The Decline of Commute-Time Listening Fred Jacobs of Jacobs Media has observed a significant shift in audio habits during commuting: A RAIN News article cites Jacobs Media’s TechSurvey, revealing that in‑car broadcast radio listening dropped from about 62% in 2018 to just 56% in 2022, marking it as an "all‑time low" for drive‑time audio, learn more here. Jacobs emphasizes: “In‑car listening—while rebounding—is still well below pre‑pandemic levels.” Despite some commuters returning to offices, the rise of remote and hybrid schedules has disrupted consistent “drive‑time” spikes. With erratic commuting habits, podcast creators and broadcasters can no longer count on the traditional “drive time” bump to deliver peak listenership. 📈 Overall Podcast Listening Is Still Growing Despite the shift in listening environments, podcasting as a medium continues to thrive. Edison’s Infinite Dial 2025 reports that: 55% of Americans (12+) listen to podcasts monthly—up from 42% in 2020. The total U.S. audience is now estimated at 210 million people. So while the “when” and “where” may be changing, the “how many” is still moving upward. 🖥️ Key Behavioral Shifts for Podcasters to Consider Given these changes, here’s how podcast creators can adapt: 1. Reimagine When You Release Consider scheduling episodes around midday or early evening, when listeners are more likely to engage from home. 2. Create for Multitasking Moments At-home listeners are often cooking, working out, or doing household chores. Podcasts that feel conversational or companion-like may perform better. 3. Offer Video Options Where Possible Platforms like YouTube and Spotify are driving hybrid podcast/video consumption. Video adds a visual dimension and can increase discoverability. 4. Promote Across Multiple Channels No commute = less routine = more need for reminders. Email, social media, and smart speaker integrations can help reinforce new listening habits. 🔄 What This Means for Podcast Growth Strategy While some old norms are fading,

Episode Transcript

(00:00):
Hey, everyone. I'm Mackenzie Bennett, marketing specialist at
Blueberry.
And I'm Todd Cochran, CEO of Blueberry. Welcome
to Podcast Insider.
This week, we're exploring how remote work and
less time spent commuting has reshaped podcast listening
habits over the past few years.
We're pulling insights from Edison Research, Jacob Zabini,
and more to look at when, where, and
how people are tuning in today and what

(00:21):
it means for creators like you.
You're listening to Podcast Insider, a weekly podcast
bringing insights, advice, and insider tips and tricks
to help you start, grow, and thrive through
podcasting with the support of your team here
at Blueberry Podcasting. Welcome. Let's dive in.
A lot of things have changed in the
past couple years with podcasting. That's a fact.

(00:43):
That that's that just goes across the board
even not even for podcasting, but we have
definitely seen changes,
in listenership.
You know, I'm I'm definitely listening a lot
more at the house.
I I rarely,
you know, I rarely leave, like, Monday through
Thursday.

(01:03):
I I'm just parked here unless there's something
to do. So I listen in the house
versus on the road.
So, you know, listening and watching has been
you know, it's because of this major shift
from working from home. And according to the
researchers,
there's clear data in some of these changes
that, we need to go over here today.

(01:24):
Yeah. It's saying that, about more than half
of podcast listening now happens at home, and,
that is, you know, that's the biggest one
right now. And that only 11%
of podcast listening is now occurring in the
car, which is a major drop, and I
am part of that. You you're part of
it. I'm part of it. I used to
have a forty five minute commute,
you know,

(01:44):
there and back
every day when we were at the office.
And now that's just
I've I've
sometimes get to that listening, and sometimes I
don't. But believe it or not, it's actually
come back a little bit. So it was
lower last year, and it's it's come back
because more people are going to the office,
but still,
it's a it's a seismic change from before.

(02:06):
16%
happens at work. Well, where's work? You know?
I mean, many remote workers now blend podcast
in their daily home routine, so that's, you
know, that's what I've been doing. Yeah. For
sure.
I definitely will listen every once in a
while if there's, like, a you know, if
I'm just in the mood, like, during my
lunch hour or if I'm getting ready for
work or something like that. But I've I've

(02:26):
switched to more binge listening, I think, nowadays.
Yeah. For me, it's more,
I would say, in the evenings. I can't
listen and actively participate in a podcast and
actually work. Oh, no. I can't do that
either. You know, I end up pushing you
know, holding the a button down on my
keyboard, and there's, you know, 500 a's because
I've you know, I paused and stared off
in this space. I will type whatever I

(02:47):
hear. Yeah.
That's true too. I've done that as well.
So I, you know, I definitely am not,
not listening while I'm working.
And, really, this is a fundamental show a
a shift.
And with home having replaced commute as the
podcasting top listing location.
And, you know, Fred Jacobs of Jacobs Media

(03:07):
observed this trend in both podcasting and radio.
Of course, radio probably took the biggest hit.
He says the card used to be podcasting
sweet spot, but with many still working from
home and hybrid schedules in play,
in car listening while rebounding is still well
below pre pandemic levels. And I I
completely believe that.
Oh, I I am definitely part of that.

(03:30):
I got a new car early twenty twenty
one, and so I got SiriusXM
for free for, you know, however many months.
And then after that, I just couldn't justify
the cost anymore. I was like, I barely
drive. Or when I do, it's for hours
at a time. So I dropped that, and
I personally am just wildly disappointed in the
local radio options in Columbus, Ohio. So I

(03:51):
just don't listen at all anymore.
You know, what's interesting is, talking about Sirius,
they, you know, that first two years, whatever
you get for free, then they send you
this bill like Yeah. Yeah. To renew, that's
$379.
I'm like, nope. Yeah. It's wild. Yeah. And
I canceled, and then they came back in
about two weeks. I said, we'll give it
to you for $39

(04:12):
for a year. I'm like,
oh, wow. Well,
maybe. And I got to thinking, am I
really
listening to I and I said, nope. And
the same thing, I canceled
Sirius as well. But Yeah. You know, I
think despite the list the shift in listening
environments,
what's amazing is podcasting as a meeting has
continued to to thrive.

(04:35):
There's some great information from the infinite dial
from 2025.
Yeah. Since 2020,
we've gone up in Americans 12 and older.
There is 55%
of Americans listening on a monthly basis,
up from 42%,
back in 2020. So in the past
four or five years, we've gone up, you

(04:56):
know, over 10%. That's amazing. Yeah. And that
total US audience is now estimated at 210,000,000.
So the while, the when and where may
be changing, how many is still moving upwards?
And we see that on our listeners'
statistics as well in,
in growth.
It's kind of funny. I I I keep
saying this saying, and I've been saying it

(05:18):
now for about
twelve months, I've probably at least I said,
this is the best time ever to be
a podcaster.
People look at me funny, and this is
because
the the audience is continuing to grow.
You know, the audiences went nowhere. And in
fact, it's it's a lot better now because
there's fewer actual active shows.
So it's just given those that are doing

(05:39):
audio podcast this this huge leg up.
I think there also was kinda like that
that,
you know, we're all at home. Let's start
a podcast mindset that we had for a
while, and then we realized, no. I I
went back into
normalcy, and now I don't have the timer.
Or or that was a lot of work,
and I don't wanna actually wanna do it.
Oh, they went from three they went from

(06:00):
one show to three shows. Now they're back
to one show. Correct.
Exactly.
But we do have some, you know, ways
that you can adapt given that there are
more people listening at home than than on
the commute nowadays. So one of those things
is,
you might wanna change when you release your
episodes.
You know, if you were doing midday or

(06:22):
early evening,
that might mean that they're more likely to
engage when they're home as opposed to the,
like, 6AM on the dot when people were
releasing specifically for that commute. I probably break
one of the rules. I release Monday night
and Thursday night. And, obviously, my Monday show
is always much more listened to than my
Thursday, but they're in the night. So it's

(06:43):
Tuesday and Friday morning, so
I don't get as good of a bump
on the weekend as I do on the
first of the week. You know, if I
had a perfect schedule, it would allow me
I'd probably do Monday, Wednesday, but then there's
not enough spread. And if you're just doing
weekly, I think that Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday are
pretty safe days
to publish.

(07:03):
And probably that's where the if we looked
at the statistics, probably that's where the majority
of them are. Yeah. But, again, maybe that's
a Sunday night release and a Monday morning,
so it's available Monday morning. So,
there's different ways to look at it. But
also,
curate it gives you this ability,
to understand that that at home listeners are

(07:24):
cooking. I listen to a lot of podcasts
when I'm cooking.
I'm not a big gym guy, so I'm
not working out, but I do listen to
podcasts when I'm doing chores.
And,
obviously, podcasts that feel conversational
or companion
like will likely perform better.
I think I do better with the conversational
ones when

(07:45):
when I'm at home.
And, you know, I I just feel like
a fly on the wall of a conversation,
and I'm not necessarily trying to
comprehend anything that's too deep.
So that is good for, you know, if
I'm just, like, puttering around making dinner. I
do. I was thinking about your Thursday releases.
I will do, you know, chores for a

(08:06):
couple of hours on the weekends, and then
I am more likely to listen to a
podcast,
you know, where I'm like, okay. I have
to clean the whole house. Let me go
do that.
And then when I am, you know, on
a road trip,
then I'll listen to
episode after episode of, like, here, we're gonna
go take a deep dive into this environmental

(08:26):
thing that I wanna learn about, something like
that where I'm like, no. I can fully
focus on this because, like, I'm just on
the highway
with no one else.
Yeah. This this Saturday, I did, this past
Saturday, I did I think it's kinda got
out got out of hand here. I've been
back and traveled to London and all around
and
and just see if things needed a a
bit of a wipe down. And,

(08:46):
I think I was four hours in. I
felt like, wow. I can sit down and
breathe. But, yeah, the whole time I was
listening to podcast. But,
you know, there you know, everything's you know,
everyone's talking about video. So
that may be an option if you have
the time and energy to do it. You
know, that people are
watching
on YouTube and Spotify because they're definitely driving

(09:07):
a hybrid podcast video model. I think, you
know, YouTube's doing it better than Spotify, especially
if you're audio first.
That adding that video component to Spotify overwrites
your audio file. So that's a big, bit
of an issue.
But also video can add a dimen visual
dimension, increase
discoverability
if, again,
if you have time, if you want to

(09:29):
put the effort in. And by the way,
Blueberry does offer true video podcasting PRSS, so
you can ask us questions on that. And
always
has. But you don't have to do video.
When you're doing when you're cleaning the house,
are you watching the TV?
No. No.
No. I'm I'm cleaning the bathroom, you know,
which is gross, but, you know, it's just

(09:49):
it is a thing. Yeah.
So,
one last thing that you
can be doing at this point in time
is, you know, just promote across multiple channels.
There's no commute, so there's less routine for
people.
Or just that their routine has changed, so
they might need a reminder.
That's that's definitely a good one. But alongside

(10:10):
that, email, all of your social media,
you know, if people are still doing smart
speaker integrations, because I feel like people probably
use those at home more nowadays, actually.
All those types of reminders can help reinforce
those these new listening habits that you're trying
to help,
get into their routine.
There's definitely new opportunities emerging.

(10:33):
You know, this rise in home listening offers
flexibility and format,
definitely deeper engagement,
space for some experimentation with content length and
delivery.
I still think that only a few shows
can do super long content well.
There is this thing that's happening largely,
I think, well, maybe worldwide.

(10:54):
People have a
shorter,
basically, attention span. So make sure you're getting
to the point, getting the content done. You
know? Don't belabor
content topics,
you know, to a point where, like, oh
my god. Come on. Get to the point.
So podcasters understand and adapt to these behavior
shifts. Again, I think they're gonna continue to

(11:16):
to thrive.
And even as the car becomes a less
dominant player in the podcasting experience,
you still can listen while rolling down the
road.
I would love to be listening to podcasts
on a train as opposed to me sitting
in the driver's seat.
That's, you know, that's interesting. When I was,
doing the trip back and forth between Chicago
and

(11:36):
Battle Creek on Amtrak. Yeah. I was that
was perfect podcast listening time. Yeah. Exactly.
For sure.
Well, that's it for today's episode. Thank you
for joining us.
And as podcasting continues to evolve, remember, it's
important to follow the data and meet your
listeners where they are. These days, that's often
at home.
And whether you're rethinking your release time, experimenting

(11:59):
with video, or simply adjusting your format,
Blueberry tools can help you stay flexible and,
best part, keep growing.
Be sure to follow or subscribe to Podcast
Insider for more podcasting insights and support from
the team at Blueberry. Thank you. Thank you.
Thanks for joining us. Come back next week.
And in the meantime, head to podcastinsider.com
for more information,

(12:20):
to subscribe, share, and read our show notes.
To check out the latest suite of services
and learn how Blueberry can help you leverage
your podcast, visit blueberry.com.
That's Blueberry without the e's because we can't
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