It's time for the Friday Fact Box again, which means it's Friday, which means tomorrow is Saturday, which is just fantabulous.

One study shows that nearly 4 in 10 people own an iPod (Image via Flickr, by Eric, under CC)

It's been an exciting week with Google Chrome's release and I'll hopefully be updating the online tools statistics to include this new contender as soon as they're out. This week's focus is on the wonderful world of online audio - podcasting, to be more specific - which is a growing medium. The statistics confirmed my suspicion that it's by no means a main-stream medium but is certainly an interesting one to keep an eye on.

Have a look for yourself - no mess, no fuss just the damn statistics.(all directly quoted as usual) :).

From New Media Update Audience for Audio, Video Podcast Way Up April 2008

The audience for podcasts is way up, according to the latest research by Arbitron/Edison Media Research.

Their study, The Podcast Consumer Revealed, found that:

• The audience for audio podcasts grew 38% in the last year;
• The audience for video podcasts grew 45% in the last year;
• About 30% of regular Internet users have downloaded a podcast;
• Awareness of podcasting has leveled off at about 37%;
• People listen to or watch podcasts primarily on their computers (about 75%)
• Podcasts Offer Marketers New Opportunity To Reach Listeners

Edison also found that podcasting was creating new opportunities for marketers to reach listeners:

• Podcast listeners spend nearly 25% more time listening to Internet audio than average;
• Podcast listeners spend an average of 7 hours and 50 minutes per week listening to Internet audio, compared to the overall overage of 6 hours and 20 minutes

In related research, Edison reports dramatic growth in portable media player ownership:

• iPod/Portable MP3 player ownership continues dramatic growth. Nearly four in ten (37 percent) own an iPod or other brand of portable MP3 player
• This is up from 30 percent in 2007 and more than two and a half times the number in 2005 (14 percent)
• Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) of those age 12-17 own a digital audio player

As a result, Internet audio is gaining on radio as the medium to learn about new music:

• In 2002, radio was mentioned by nearly two-thirds of consumers (63 percent) for this perception, while only nine percent mentioned Internet
• In 2008, radio is mentioned as the medium “you turn to first to learn about new music”? by about half of consumers (49 percent), with Internet at 25 percent

From New Media Update Dedicated Podcast Audience up 300% August 2008 

• The total audience for podcasts has increased by 58% in under two years
• The dedicated podcast audience - those that download podcasts every day - has gone up 300% in the same time, from 1% of those surveyed to 3%

From Edison Media Research The Podcast Audience Revealed - New 2007 Podcasting Statistics March 2007

Awareness of the term, "Podcasting," increased from 22% to 37%

• Persons who had 'ever' listened to an audio podcast rose from 11% to 13%
• Persons who had 'ever' watched a video podcast rose from 10% to 11%

From Edison Media Research The Podcast Audience Revealed - An Exclusive Early Look at the Growing Podcast Audience June 2006

• 11% of the survey indicated that they had ever listened to a podcast as defined (and 21% of persons age 12-17 have done so)
• Podcast listeners are very well educated, have higher than average household incomes, and represent a very attractive advertising target for both online AND local retailers
• While podcast listeners are much more likely to block unwelcome advertising than the general public, they are no less likely to click on relevant advertising than other Internet consumers

P.S. If there's a particular topic you need statistics on please don't hesitate to let me know!