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Do parents listen to podcasts?
New data says YES.
Trent Anderson
October 25, 2024
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Parents are tuning into podcasts—and in huge numbers. From family tips to cultural conversations, the top 250 podcasts with high parental skews are shaping how moms and dads navigate life’s biggest decisions. Whether they’re listening for advice on parenting, seeking entertainment, or exploring new products, these podcasts offer brands a golden opportunity to connect with an engaged, decision-making audience. Want to know where parents are spending their time and attention? Dive into the insights below to uncover how these shows are shaping the parental media landscape and how your brand can tap into this powerful trend.
Category Breakdown of Top 250 Podcasts with High Parental Skew
Key Insight: Family/Kids and Society/Culture dominate the top 250 podcasts with high parental skew in the U.S.
What matters: Family and cultural topics are central to parental listeners, with "Family/Kids" as the leading category, followed closely by "Society/Culture" and "Parenting."
Why it’s important: Brands targeting parents, especially those in the family and lifestyle sectors, can align their campaigns with podcasts focusing on family, culture, and parenting content. These categories offer the largest audience reach.
Data to back it up: Over 140 podcasts in the "Family/Kids" category show the immense demand for family-oriented content among parental audiences. Meanwhile, society-focused podcasts also capture a large portion of this demographic.
Actionable Takeaway: Marketers in parenting, family products, and education should prioritize these categories to maximize audience engagement and relevance in podcast campaigns.
Top Audience Interests of High Parental Skew Podcasts
Key Insight: Parental audiences are most interested in content revolving around relationships, children, and food.
What matters: "Friends, Family, Relationships" is the top interest for parental podcast listeners, followed by "Toys, Children, Baby" and "Food, Restaurants."
Why it’s important: Parents are seeking advice and entertainment related to family dynamics and children's needs. Food and restaurant discussions also attract a significant portion, revealing opportunities for family-oriented food brands.
Data to back it up: Over 100 podcasts center on family relationships, followed by around 80 related to children's products, making these key interests for advertisers.
Actionable Takeaway: Brands in the toy, baby product, and family relationship sectors can thrive by sponsoring podcasts that align with these core interests, ensuring they reach engaged, relevant listeners.
Gender Breakdown of High Parental Skew Podcasts
Key Insight: Female-dominated podcasts lead the high parental skew category.
What matters: "High Female" and "Very High Female" categories dominate the gender breakdown, with fewer male-focused or mixed-gender shows.
Why it’s important: The data highlights that parental podcasting content resonates strongly with female listeners, particularly mothers, who are likely the primary decision-makers in family-related purchases.
Data to back it up: Over 120 podcasts cater to a predominantly female audience, while male-focused podcasts are much fewer, indicating where brands should direct their focus.
Actionable Takeaway: Brands targeting mothers or women making household purchasing decisions should prioritize podcasts with high female skews to maximize impact and relevancy
Age Bracket Breakdown of Parental Podcasts
Key Insight: The majority of listeners in this space are aged 25-34, followed by 35-44.
What matters: Parental podcast listeners are primarily millennials, with the 25-34 and 35-44 age brackets representing the majority of the audience.
Why it’s important: These age groups are typically parents of young children, making them a key demographic for products and services targeting families, from educational tools to family-oriented travel services.
Data to back it up: More than 140 podcasts target listeners aged 25-34, while those aged 35-44 follow closely behind.
Actionable Takeaway: Brands with products or services tailored to young families, particularly millennial parents, should focus their efforts on these podcasts for higher engagement and conversions.
Guest Appearances on High Parental Skew Podcasts
Key Insight: The majority of these top 250 podcasts feature guests.
What matters: Over 59.6% of the top 250 parental podcasts regularly feature guests, showing the importance of expert interviews and guest spots in engaging listeners.
Why it’s important: Brands looking to expand their thought leadership or personal branding via podcasts should consider securing guest spots on these shows to reach a highly engaged parental audience.
Data to back it up: More than half of the podcasts include guest appearances, indicating the popularity and effectiveness of guest-based content for parental listeners.
Actionable Takeaway: Securing guest spots on popular parental podcasts is a powerful strategy for brands and influencers looking to build authority in the parenting space and connect with a trusted audience.
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