Reports: Acast

Browse all of our reports, featuring our analysts' expert insights and analysis of audience segmentation, emerging trends and technologies, value chains, market shares, predictions and more – backed by our proprietary survey data and bespoke models & forecasts. Become a subscriber to get new ones every month, or just pick one to get started.

Cover image for The global podcast opportunity

The global podcast opportunity
Unlocking format growth

Annie Langston

30 Nov 2022

While mainstream media tends to focus on podcast growth in Western territories, understanding digital-audio consumption on a global scale will be key to future growth. Each territory has unique listener demographics and genre preferences that present various opportunities for podcast platforms, illustrating that podcast habits vary globally.

Cover image for Podcast market value chain

Podcast market value chain
The next investment is the listeners

Annie Langston

27 Oct 2022

Creators Apple Spotify

Investments from major audience platforms in audio infrastructure, such as hosting platforms and advertising, kickstarted the growth of the podcast market. With the basic infrastructure now in place, it is time for the major platforms to focus on growing the format by expanding listenership and user experience.

Cover image for Podcast monetisation and remuneration

Podcast monetisation and remuneration
Balancing creator and platform needs

Annie Langston

22 Aug 2022

Creators Apple Spotify

Audio platforms traditionally monetise through advertising and, to a lesser degree, listener subscriptions. However, with the rise of the creator economy and more creators entering the podcast space, platforms must bulk up their offerings for creator monetisation as well.

Re-creating the creator economy

Mark Mulligan, Tim Mulligan, Karol Severin, Hanna Kahlert, Srishti Das, Kriss Thakrar, Ashleigh Millar, Tatiana Cirisano, Annie Langston and Richard Broadhurst

18 Aug 2022

Apple Spotify YouTube

Streaming first democratised the means of consumption, then distribution, and now production. Though the promise of the long tail may not have materialised quite as expected, long-tail and mid-tail creators are now a central component of the digital-entertainment economy.

Podcasts Q2 2020
Spotify Takes an Early Lead

Mark Mulligan

9 Oct 2020

US UK France

Podcasts have become the next battle front for audio. Spotify’s ambitious content and product strategy have enabled it to become an early leader, but the podcast market is still in its infancy, with adoption far lower than radio or streaming music. Podcasts have greater long-term market potential than music streaming but with many divergent objec...

Cover image for Spotify Podcast Strategy

Spotify Podcast Strategy
Strong Start, Long Way to Go

Mark Mulligan

28 Nov 2019

Spotify Spotify Pandora

Spotify has bet big on podcasts, viewing them as a means to multiple strategic ends. After a number of major acquisitions, Spotify is beginning to deliver meaningful audience and revenue numbers. Though it is still early days for Spotify’s podcast strategy, there is clear long-term potential to transform the wider audio landscape.

State of the Podcast Nation

Mark Mulligan

23 Jul 2019

Apple Spotify Radio

Podcasts are an overnight success many years in the making. Podcasts were first added to Apple’s iTunes ecosystem in 2005, only to then spend a long time in the shadows. Now, however, they occupy the centre stage with radio companies, podcast vendors, streaming services and traditional media companies alike all trying to carve out roles.

Music Marketing
Niche is the New Mainstream

Mark Mulligan

20 May 2019

Streaming Streaming Music Spotify

Streaming personalisation and falling radio audiences are combining to rewrite the music marketing rulebook, ushering in a whole new marketing paradigm. Hits used to be cultural moments; artist brands built by traditional mass media. This fire-hydrant approach to marketing lacked both accountability and effective targeting.