BBC Sounds got over 5 million weekly users in Q1 2024 with a weekly audience of 4.97 million users across the app, website and voice activated devices, and for the first time, a peak of 5.1m. The RAJAR figures for the same period highlight how audiences value BBC Radio with 31.3m people tuning in each week for live output across the stations, with a share of 43.4% of all radio listening in the UK. Podcast listening is at an all-time high with 21% of the UK population (15+) now listening to podcasts each week.
Key highlights on BBC Sounds in Q1 2024
- BBC Sounds had a record 643 million plays of all content across radio, podcasts and music mixes between January and March 2024 and reported a record 245 million plays of on demand radio and podcasts.
- Speech titles from BBC Radio 4 dominated the top ten podcasts with Just One Thing taking the top spot, and Things Fell Apart, You’re Dead to Me and drama series Limelight all making the top 5 most listened to podcasts on BBC Sounds
- BBC Newscast was the most listened to news podcast and the second most listened to podcast overall and the second most popular podcast with listeners under 35
- The Archers continues to be the most popular on demand radio programme for all adults this quarter, followed by Whodunnits on Radio 4 Extra and Desert Island Discs
- Smash-hit TV series The Traitors returned at the start of the year and helped drive younger listeners to BBC Sounds, with The Traitors: Uncloaked attracting under 35s to the platform
- Returning title Things Fell Apart was the most popular amongst the under 35s this quarter, with Jon Ronson back for a new season dissecting culture wars during lockdown and Radio 1’s At Home with Vick, Katie and Jamie had the highest proportion of listeners under 35
- Other popular returning titles for all adults this quarter included Young Again, Uncanny, Sliced Bread, Gangster: Catching The Kingpins, and Lady Killers with Lucy Worsley
- Sports titles, such as 5 Live Match of the Day Top 10, Football Daily, Rugby Union Weekly, Tailenders and The Players Channel; and music titles, such as, Sidetracked with Annie and Nick were some of the most popular for listeners under 35
- The Sleeping Forecast was the most listened to music mix on BBC Sounds this quarter, followed by Mindful Mix, Sounds of the 90s with Fearne Cotton and Pace Setter
- The top podcasts from local radio this quarter includes Lovebombed, In Court and Undercover: The Spycops
There was a total of 203 million downloads for BBC podcasts around the world this quarter, with the Global News Podcast the most popular on third party platforms followed by 6 Minute English and BBC Newscast.
The BBC’s Sounds quarterly data includes figures at a programme/podcast level for smart speakers for the first time, which accounts for 164 million of the plays on BBC Sounds in the quarter.
To get the BBC Sounds Q1 Report 2024 which contains complete podcast charts amongst other details go here.
