7 True Crime Podcast Statistics That Show The Industry Is Killing It!

Every year companies like Edison Research and the Pew Research Center gather data on all kinds of entertainment. We reviewed their recent reports to share some of the most enlightening true crime podcast statistics.

 You'll learn how many true crime podcasts exist, who their listeners are, their listening habits, and the genre’s broader impact on society, and advertising.

Key Takeaways

1. There are more than 23, 000 true crime podcasts and they are some of the most listened to genre.

2. You can find many of the top ranked podcasts on Apple Podcasts.

3. True crime listeners are mostly female between the ages of 18 and 29.

4.  As people increase their level of education, they are less likely to listen to true crime podcasts

5. Listeners of true crime podcasts are 3.4x more likely to donate to causes than non-listeners. Non-profits and communities should utilize the podcast movement to raise funds and increase community awareness.

6. Victim-centered storytelling works best.

7. A true crime investigative special is not held to the same standards as the court and police. While a media company should use high quality data, the police cannot share everything in an ongoing effort.

   
   

How many true crime podcasts are there?

According to Edison Research Center there are more than 23,000 true crime podcasts. In most years, true crime podcasts are one of the top three genres based on the Edison Research Center report and Statista. While the true crime category is just a small percentage of the total of number of podcasts created, it it one of the top performers based on engagement.

YouTube is the preferred platform for many true crime podcast listeners.

What Are the Top True Crime Podcasts?

According to Apple Podcasts the top ranked true crime podcasts are:

1. The Con: Kaitlyn's Baby

2. Dateline NBC

3. Up and Vanished Weekly

4. Crime Junkie

5. Sea of Lies from Uncover

6. Scamanda

7. We Came to the Forest

8. Morbid

9. Truer Crime

10. 48 Hours

Check out my list of the best true crime podcasts.

Statistics About True Crime Podcast Listeners

2X More Women Are True Crime Podcast Listeners

44% of women listen to true crime podcasts while 23% of men listen. That means it's a great place for women to network and men should be cautious of the differences in how they think about true crime than the primary listeners.

18 To 29 Year Olds Listen To True Crime Podcasts Nearly 3X More Than Those Over 65

41% of 18 to 29 year olds listen to true crime podcasts while only 15% of people over 65 listen to the genre. I'm curious whether the television statistics hold true or whether they are reversed, but that's research for another blog.

Education Impacts Likelihood of Enjoying True Crime Podcasts

45% of people with a high school education enjoy true crime, while people with higher educations have a lower listenership rate.

74% Of True Crime Fans Listen Weekly

74% of true crime podcast listeners tune in weekly, making them one of the most consistent podcast groups.

89% of listeners go on binges.

90% of respondents admit to being fascinated with the content.

True Crime Genre Popular Topics

Unsolved cases and murder mysteries that focus on the criminal events from victim-centered storytelling and the investigation tend to perform best because the listener communities enjoy helping solve cases.

The True Crime Audience Can Be Helpful To Society

They are a purpose driven community that are 3.6 times more likely than non-listeners to contribute to causes or organizations related to the justice system.

The top ranked podcasts often have a powerful community that engages in discussions in addition to listening to the podcasts. This presents opportunities for many cities to start activating listeners to help solve cold cases and promote awareness.

A Word of Caution

True crime stories can often do not maintain the same standards as would be required in a court of law. The true crime community is involved in storytelling and a storyteller is not held to the same level of evidence as the police and courts are.

In courts everyone is supposed to be presumed innocent until proven guilty, but we can tell stories based on the assumption that everyone is guilty. In addition, police often pick and choose what they share during a true crime investigation because some evidence can help distinguish trolls from an actual killer.

Finally, what you may consider evidence may just be hearsay in a court room. You have to consider the validity of the source and whether it can be backed by evidence. Check out this blog by Deakin University to learn more about concerns people have about consuming true crime content.