According to a report from eMarketer, a global market intelligence firm, podcasting is coming of age in China and it is no longer a niche market.
It is expected to become the world’s second largest market after the US, with 85.6 million podcast listeners in 2021.
The growth in podcast listeners in the country is projected to be 25.1% this year, and remain in double-digit growth for the next five years, the company said.
Its estimates are based on the analysis of survey and traffic data from research firms and regulatory agencies; the growth trajectory of major gaming sites; historical trends; internet and mobile adoption trends; and demographic adoption trends.
For the study, podcasts are defined as any audio-first serialized episodes that can be accessed via digital streams or downloaded, including listening to podcasts via video platforms.
Thanks to the country’s large population, the number of podcast listeners may seem large, but represents only 6.1% of the population.
According to eMarketer, the current low penetration is partially due to the industry’s slow start and the abundance of competing digital audio options.
However, younger people listening to podcasts is on the rise and large digital companies such as music platform Tencent, Ximalaya, Xiaoyuzhou FM (UFO podcast) and Lanren Changting are now pushing “long form content.”