Commercial Radio Australia and Triton Digital’s latest podcast data shows 52% of Australians are now listening to or watching podcasts each month, more than doubling in the past five years from 25% of Australians back in 2020. The news comes as CRA confirms extension of its partnership with Triton Digital on the rankings tracker.

For CRA, the milestone demonstrated the medium has crossed from emerging to essential, firmly embedding itself in audience routines and reflects an evolving industry defined by unified measurement, consistent data standards, and unprecedented collaboration across publishers of all sizes.

“Podcasting has reached scale, and that requires measurement that’s fit for purpose. The industry has united behind a single source of truth because advertisers need consistency and clarity to invest with confidence,” Lizzie Young, CEO of Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA), said.

CRA has now confirmed extension of its partnership with Triton Digital to continue delivering the Ranker, reinforcing the sector’s commitment to robust, transparent reporting. The Australian Podcast Ranker Delivers granular title-level and publisher-level metrics, demographic and behavioural insights via Triton’s Demos+, standardised, transparent methodology trusted across the industry, interactive dashboard showcasing the top 300 podcasts listened to by Australians, the top 300 Australian-produced podcasts, and genre-level analytics.

“Australian podcasting now delivers the scale and depth of audience intelligence that advertisers require to make informed investment decisions. The Ranker’s strength lies in the collective intent behind it, every participating publisher has chosen to collaborate, establishing a consistent, transparent standard that gives agencies the confidence to invest at scale.”

According to the latest June figures, news was the overall top podcast genre with 4.849 million monthly listeners, followed by society and culture (4.602m monthly listeners) and sports (3.431m monthly listeners). True crime was fourth ( 3.404m monthly listeners) while comedy was fifth (2.939m).

Across the June 2025 Australian Podcast Ranker Demos+ data, CRA said true crime delivered up active buyers, not browsers. Among True Crime monthly podcast listeners surveyed, 83% serve as primary grocery shoppers and 90% purchased groceries in the past week. The True Crime genre, with 19.2% reach of monthly podcast listeners and a premium female 25-54 skew (44.9% vs 31.3% average), delivers engaged consumers making active purchase decisions. These listeners represent quality buyers reaching for their wallets weekly.

Across Australian podcasts, ABC News Top Stories was the number one podcast in June, up two places with 781,067 monthly listeners. Hamish & Andy were second, with 776,321 monthly listeners, while the Mushroom Case Daily was another fast mover into third place, with 670,856 monthly listeners. Rounding out the top five were Mamamia Out Loud (537,240 monthly downloads) and Shameless (501,218 monthly listeners).

For ARN’s iHeart, the latest data cements its position as Australia’s Podcast Powerhouse, reaching 65% of all monthly podcast listeners. In June, the network attracted over 7 million unique listeners (out of a total of 10.8m), with 23.5 million downloads. Highlights over the past month included the first-time appearance of The New York Times podcasts, represented by iHeart locally. ARN noted The Daily made a stellar debut at #12 overall, claiming the #1 spot for international news, while The Ezra Klein Show and Hard Fork also entered the Top 200. Their addition to the ranker comes at a time of heightened Australian interest in US politics and global affairs, with The Daily’s debut proving local audiences are eager for world-class international news content.

Life Uncut also jumping four places to #7 overall and retained the crown as Australia’s #1 relationship podcast, driven by huge listener interest in Brittany Hockley’s marriage and Laura Byrne’s third pregnancy. This follows the announcement earlier this week that the show has surpassed 100 million downloads, a testament to its enduring popularity and connection with audiences. Other highlights include The Daily Aus climbing four spots to #18, BBC’s Global News Podcast jumping 12 places to #27, and finance favourite She’s On The Money moving up six spots to #44. Meanwhile, BBC’s Diddy on Trial captivated Aussie listeners with a massive 50-place leap to #74. Overall, ARN’s iHeart represents 51 of the top 200 podcasts in Australia.

“Our iHeart network continues to lead the market, now reaching 65% of all monthly podcast listeners – offering unmatched scale and connection for advertisers and partners,” ARN’s Head of Digital Audio, Corey Layton, said. “We’re proud to welcome The New York Times podcasts to the Australian Ranker with The Dailylanding straight in the Top 20 and other debutants like The Ezra Klein Show and Hard Fork resonating with listeners. Locally, Life Uncut’s 100 million download milestone is an extraordinary achievement for Britt and Laura – a testament to their ability to consistently engage audiences with content that delivers real impact.”