The popularity of the podcast remains unchanged in the Netherlands. The number of listeners has roughly doubled since 2019 and the number of podcasts to listen to has multiplied. Meanwhile, 48% of Dutch people listen to a podcast at some point. Among young people (12-18 years old) this is even 66%. Furthermore, the podcast also proved an important source for the elections to the House of Representatives in 2023: more than a quarter of all Dutch people obtained information about this through the medium. This is evident from the 10th measurement of the Markteffect Podcast Monitor, a semi-annual survey that has been conducted since 2019.
In brief:
- Nearly half (48%) of the Dutch listen to a podcast at some point. This percentage has been stable since November 2022.
- Commercially, podcasts are becoming increasingly interesting. 15% sometimes paid for a podcast and it pays off: 80% are satisfied with the content received. Moreover, very positive effects are generally realized for the brand, research shows.
- Podcast as a source of information: More than a quarter of the Dutch (28%) used the podcast for information about the parliamentary elections.
Number of listeners is stable
Research firm Markteffect has been measuring popularity since May 2019. Back then, about 25% listened to a podcast at some point. After a rapid rise, the number of listeners has remained stable over the past 1.5 years; about half of the Netherlands. For the first time, targeted research has also been done among young people (12-18 years old) and this shows that as many as 66% of this group listens occasionally. The podcast is also above average in popularity among the higher educated (65%) and 18-35 year olds (76%). Of all non-listeners, 12% say they have listened in the past.
The avid listeners listen weekly for about 1 hour and three quarters of an hour (stable compared to previous measurements). In any case, there is plenty of choice. Recent Pointer research found that more than 7,000 podcasts were published in 2023 alone.
The podcast is becoming increasingly commercially interesting
The increase in the number of podcasts listened to also means that advertisers are increasingly finding the medium for commercial messages and partnerships. After all, it is possible to reach a target group that listens attentively.
Meanwhile, 15% of listeners have paid for listening (was 12% in May 2023) and people seem (thankfully) very enthusiastic about this; as many as 80% of those who have paid are (very) satisfied with it. And nearly two-thirds of listeners would be willing to pay if their favorite podcast could only be listened to bit by bit.
Advertising in podcast pays off
Using a Podcast Brand Lift Study, Market Effect charts the impact of advertising in a podcast. This showed that, for example, Birra Moretti's brand awareness increased significantly among listeners of the podcast they sponsored (Tip from Jet & Co) and brand consideration nearly doubled. In another survey, we saw that Bitonic's brand awareness among listeners of Het Nieuwe Geld increased 7x. While the Dutch are generally not fans of commercials in any form (according to several surveys), they are not opposed to them if the sponsor of a podcast provides authentic content and adds content to the episode.
This is not surprising, according to Michael Petit (Manager of Marketing at research firm Markteffect): ''You can hardly listen to a podcast these days without hearing a commercial or a sponsored message.
For marketers, it has therefore become a tool in the marketing mix that is considered and used much more often, especially if you want to spread a message that makes an impact. Listeners really have their attention and there are many opportunities to activate your brand in a fun way. The expectation is therefore that the number of commercial partnerships will only increase.''
Podcast as a source of information
In general, people listen to podcasts mainly for entertainment (57%). However, the podcast is also an increasingly important medium for keeping abreast of the latest news. Almost a third of listeners (30%) use the podcast to follow general news and 11% for sports news. Interestingly, 28% of listeners used the podcast to keep up to date on the House of Representatives elections.
Research justification
The representative survey was conducted by research firm Markteffect in December 2023 among 2,185 Dutch people, of whom 1,001 were podcast listeners. This is the tenth edition of the monitor and provides insight into the familiarity, popularity and use of podcasts in the Netherlands.
Read more from us: here.
