Nielsen’s Lean In vs. Lean Back report explores how the rapid growth of podcasting has created two distinct audiences: those who primarily listen and those who primarily watch podcasts. While video podcasts have attracted significant attention, the report concludes that audio remains the foundation of the medium and that listening and viewing represent different consumer behaviours rather than one replacing the other.

Podcast consumption continues to grow strongly , with podcasts now accounting for 20% of all daily ad-supported audio listening among adults in the U.S.. Despite the rise of video, 90% of monthly podcast consumers listen to podcasts, while 62% also watch them. Across the ten most popular podcast genres, only around 2% consume podcasts exclusively through video, compared with 29% who listen exclusively, while almost seven in ten both listen and watch depending on the occasion.

The report argues that the key difference between listeners and viewers lies in their mindset. Podcast listeners use audio as an efficient companion throughout the day, integrating podcasts into commuting, working and exercising. They tend to be highly educated, employed full-time and consume a much larger number of shows each week. By contrast, podcast viewers are generally younger, more likely to be male and treat podcasts as a destination medium, watching at home during dedicated leisure time, particularly on platforms such as YouTube. Sports and comedy are the genres most likely to drive video viewing.

These behavioural differences have important implications for advertisers. Audio listeners are highly responsive to direct-response advertising, with almost half researching products online after hearing an advert and one in four completing an online purchase. Podcast viewers also convert well, with 29% making a website purchase, but are more likely to engage with brands through social media and physical retail, making them valuable for storytelling and brand-building campaigns.

The report concludes that marketers should not view podcasts as a single medium. Instead, they should tailor creative to the context: audio is best suited to driving reach, response and immediate action throughout the day, while video provides opportunities for deeper engagement, visual storytelling and building long-term brand equity.

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