Dashboard technology advancements are making it easier to listen to a podcast while in the car, but nearly two in three weekly podcast listeners say they continue to listen to episodes while at home. Edison Research says the latest Podcast Metrics data shows 63% of listeners 18 and older say home is where they most often consume podcasts.

That figure has been largely consistent since the pandemic. Edison says prior to the sudden impact on lifestyles caused by the pandemic, less than half (48%) of adult podcast listeners said they most often listened while at home. But lockdowns changed that, with the number jumping 10 points in 2020, then rising to 62% in 2021. The habit has taken root.

In the years that followed the pandemic, Edison says at-home listening has continued to see its share hold mostly steady even as its impact on everyday life has faded. It says podcast consumption trends, especially with more people watching video episodes on their living room televisions, is likely keeping the at-home numbers from reverting to pre-COVID rates.

The podcast consumption patterns are part of a larger trend in audio, where Edison says a “new normal” has emerged. Between 2015 and 2019, slightly more than half of daily audio listening occurred at home. That changed in 2020, when the pandemic lockdowns closed offices and schools for weeks at a time. Edison says the at-home listening share jumped to 59% among listeners 13 and older. Its Share of Ear data shows that level held for several years, until 2023 when at-home listening levels pulled back.

Today, Edison says a majority 55% of audio listening is done at home. While down from its COVID highs, that remains above pre-pandemic levels. The researchers say the data seem to reflect the new world where many office workers continue to work from home at least a few days each week.