Festival del Podcasting reveals 18.5 million listeners in Italy

The Festival del Podcasting in Milan highlighted the significant growth of the Italian podcast market. According to research by NielsenIQ commissioned by Audible, 18.5 million people in Italy listened to at least one podcast in the last year, representing an increase of 500,000 listeners compared to the previous year and an 80% rise since 2018.

Key trends identified include the multitasking nature of consumption, with many listeners engaging with audio while performing other tasks at home or during commutes. While information and deep dives remain primary drivers, there is growing interest in entertainment and crime genres. The industry is also seeing a shift toward video formats and the integration of artificial intelligence.

Discussions at the festival also addressed the challenges of monetization and sustainability for creators. Industry professionals emphasized the importance of building strong communities and providing human-centric, high-quality storytelling to differentiate content in an era of AI-generated information. Additionally, the event noted the evolution of podcasts into other media, such as the announcement that the RaiPlaySound podcast ‘Io ero un milanese’ will be adapted into a television series.