Women’s Podcast Listenership Triples in Ten Years as Women Turn to Podcasts to Navigate Life Challenges

Podcast Consumption among women has experienced explosive growth in the last ten years. The number of women who listen to podcasts each month has tripled during the past decade, growing from 15% in 2015 to 45% in 2025, according to the Women’s Audio Report: Women & Podcasts released by Edison Research and SiriusXM Media. This means an estimated 60 million U.S. women are reached by podcasts monthly.

The report released on Tuesday shows that Women aren’t just listening more – they are also dedicating more time and showing greater engagement. U.S. women monthly podcast consumers average over 1 hour and 40 minutes of podcast content daily. 

“Female monthly podcast listenership has tripled in ten years – that’s worth repeating,” said Melissa Paris, Vice President of Sales Research at SiriusXM Media.

Also Read: Podcast Survival Guide 2025: Why 47% Fail by Episode 3 & How to Beat the Odds

The report is the first installment of a two-part webinar series exploring the relationship between women and audio consumption.

“But what’s also important is the growing role of video in podcast consumption, with 33% of women now watching podcasts. When we look at total monthly podcast consumption across audio and video formats, we’re reaching 52% of all women.” Melissa added during the webinar, presenting the findings.

Role of Video in Driving Podcast Consumption

Edison says that when video podcast viewership is added in, the data shows that 52% of women age 18+ now consume podcasts in either audio or video formats each month. That includes a third of women who say they had watched a podcast episode.

“Women now represent a massive audience segment with distinct preferences and behaviors,” Edison VP Megan Lazovick said.

Why Women Listen to Podcasts

In the past ten years, podcasts have emerged as a woman’s best friend, helping them navigate life challenges, seek connection, knowledge, and representation. 64% of monthly women podcast consumers use podcasts to navigate life challenges, with 44% using them for mental health support. 

Podcasts are outperforming traditional mainstream media and are viewed as more trustworthy and less susceptible to control by governments and gatekeepers, fueling their growth. 43% of Women Monthly Podcast Consumers 18+ agree that podcasts with female perspectives cover topics not found in other media

More than half (53%) use podcasts to dive deeper into topics, (46%) to learn something, while 44% turn to them to be entertained.

Also Read: How to Find Your Voice in Podcasting – Tips from host of Mission Matters with 6,000+ Interviews

Some of the secondary motivations women listen to podcasts include: 35% of 18+ say hearing unique perspectives is a main reason to consume podcasts, while another 35% say staying entertained during mundane tasks is a main reason to consume podcasts

Ad buyers can bank on women podcast listeners for better returns since they show high commercial engagement. Among the women monthly consumers who have heard an ad on a podcast, 75% have acted as a result of hearing an ad. 

Dedicated audience research to understand the nuanced needs of different female listener segments promises even more positive feedback.

The Women’s Audio Report was based on 2,520 interviews with women aged 18+ who had listened to audio in the last month. The data was weighted to match age, ethnicity, and census region of the U.S. female population. The study also incorporated statistics from Edison Research’s Infinite Dial series, Share of Ear daily diary listening study, and Edison Podcast Metrics. 

Here is a summary of key data from the Women’s Audio Report: Women & Podcasts.

• Female podcast consumers skew younger (39% between ages 18-34), have higher incomes (29% with household incomes over $100K), and higher education levels (51% with college degrees). 
• 79% consider having a host they enjoy important, and 72% value podcasts that are relatable. 
• 45% of women monthly consumers are more likely to consider brands that support women-hosted or produced podcasts. 
• Nearly half (48%) of the top 25 shows among women weekly listeners have female hosts or co-hosts — this compares to just 40% among all weekly listeners. 
• Why Women Listen to Podcasts: 80% of U.S. Women Monthly Podcast Consumers 18+ say “to feel inspired” is a reason, 27% say it is a main reason.
• Among Women Monthly Podcast Consumers 18+ who listen/watch podcasts with their children: 70% say “to bond with my children” is a reason to listen/watch podcasts together, 63% say “to share topics that I love with my child(ren)” is a reason to listen/watch podcasts together, 56% say “to expose your child(ren) to educational content” is a reason to listen/watch podcasts together