---
title: "Podcast download stats kind of mind-blowing"
date: 2014-12-09
description: "$( document ).ready(function() { // Handler for .ready() called. $("
canonical_url: https://idratherbewriting.com/2014/12/09/podcast-download-stats-kind-of-mind-blowing/
---
# Podcast download stats kind of mind-blowing
![Podcast Stats](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/podcast_downloads2.png)

Typical download stats for podcasts in the past averaged about 700 downloads per episode. For example, take a look at this [podcast report](https://s3.us-west-1.wasabisys.com/idbwmedia.com/images/2014/12/podcast_report.pdf) and you'll see that in 2011, when podcasting was supposedly popular, average downloads were about 600-700 per episode.

Since that time, I thought podcasting had gradually declined. Most amateurs realized that it takes a long time to create podcasts -- without much payoff. Big media companies produce more compelling media, and listeners only have so much time.

Further, *webinars* (a medium I actually hate) seemed to take the spotlight for the preferred medium of choice for technical communicators, since you can carve out time during your work day to listen to them. (Speaking of webinars, in the above image, you'll notice that the "Slides and recording for the 'Perfecting the audio narration in instructional video'" episode had only 18 downloads. This is because I had the Podtrac code applied only on the mp3 download link, not on the online audio player link. This again blows my mind -- the preferred way people listen is by sitting at their computers listening to the audio.)