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THE FINDINGS

Dr. Stacy L. Smith reports the findings.

“Podcasts have become an important platform that audiences turn to for information and entertainment. This study serves as a critical look at who provides audiences with the podcasts that they spend considerable time with each day.”

— Dr. Stacy L. Smith, Founder of the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative

🔊 Download audio of Dr. Stacy L. Smith here

DOWN WITH THE DATA

In 2026, podcasts are getting their very first Golden Globe nomination.

Given the rising popularity of podcasting, it’s important to understand who is behind the mic. Learn about the Golden Globes and key findings in our report by watching our reel @inclusionists on Instagram.

INFORM

What to say to your audience

Women

Across the top 100 podcasts, nearly two-thirds of hosts were men. When we looked more broadly at the top 592 podcasts, this trend was the same. In other words, roughly a third of popular podcast hosts are women.

This means that podcasting lags behind other parts of entertainment when it comes to women’s participation. For comparison, half of the leads or co-leads in the top 100 film were women, 45% of series regulars of the top 100 TV series were female, and 38% of popular music artists were female in 2024.

Women

Race & Ethnicity

Among the top 100 podcasts, 77% of hosts were white, and only 22% were from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups.

That’s far behind what we see in film, TV, and music where representation among people of color is much higher.

Race & Ethnicity

Among the top 100 podcasts, 77% of hosts were white, and only 22% were from underrepresented racial or ethnic groups.

That’s far behind what we see in film, TV, and music where representation among people of color is much higher.

Women of Color

And when we looked specifically at women of color, the gap grew even wider. Just 7% of hosts among the top 100 podcasts were women of color. Across all 592 podcasts, it was just over 8%. In other words, women of color remain the least likely to have a voice in this medium.

Women of Color

Guests

Across more than 4,000 episodes, nearly three-quarters of guests were men and about 63% of episodes didn’t feature a single woman guest at all.

Here’s the interesting thing. When a podcast had at least one woman host, women were most likely to appear as a guest. That shows us how representation behind the mic shapes who gets invited to speak in front of it.

Guests

Across more than 4,000 episodes, nearly three-quarters of guests were men and about 63% of episodes didn’t feature a single woman guest at all.

EXPLORE

Read the full report

The study is the first from the Annenberg Inclusion Initiative to explore podcasting. The report includes suggestions for future research and solutions for change.

As the popularity, financial possibilities, and audience for podcasting grows, ensuring the promise of a field in which everyone can participate is met with reality is essential.

See the full report