More people in Sweden are listening to podcasts. In the fourth quarter of 2024, the number of daily listeners was 20 percent higher than the previous year. Nearly two million people now listen to podcasts an average day, setting a new record. This is presented in Mediavision’s latest analysis of the Swedish audio market.
During the fourth quarter of 2024, nearly two million 15–74-year-olds listened to podcasts an average day in Sweden. This indicates strong growth in podcast listenership over the past year, with an increase of 20 percent. Compared to 2022, growth is even bigger. This trend shows that podcast listening continues to set new records, as people shift away from traditional radio listening.
Mediavision also notes that growth is widespread, with a significant increase across most of the age groups analyzed.
– Listening to podcasts is becoming increasingly popular. It is now the fastest-growing audio category in Sweden in terms of daily listeners, comments Fredrik Liljeqvist, senior analyst at Mediavision. Most of the listening is dedicated to content that is free for consumers, meaning ad-supported or public service content.
Mediavision also notes a significant increase in the number of households paying for podcast content. Despite the strong dominance of free listening, nearly 450,000 households now pay for podcasts, which is also a new record.
The relatively new phenomenon of video podcasts reached about 10 percent of Swedes aged 15–74 on an average day during the last quarter of 2024. This implies a noticeable and ongoing transformation of the audio landscape.
– Both increased listening and more paying households make 2024 a strong year for podcasts. With the growing number of video podcasts, the audio medium is likely to develop even further. There are also strong indications that competition between Spotify and YouTube will accelerate this development. The conclusion is that podcasts are broadening the audio landscape, concludes Liljeqvist.
Ad-funded online video is gaining significant ground in the Nordic media landscape. One of the fastest-growing formats is video content on social media platforms – also known as social video. During spring 2025, more than seven million individuals aged 15-74 watched social video on an average day across the region. This development puts distinct pressure on local actors, as their share of viewing decreases, according to Mediavision’s latest analysis of Nordic Ad-funded Video.
Social video continues to expand rapidly across the region. This spring, more than seven million people aged 15-74 consumed social video an average day – an approximate 30 percent rise compared to spring 2024. Facebook and Instagram maintain the highest daily reach in the Nordics, closely followed by TikTok, all contributing to the strong upward trend.
– The continued growth of social video signals a significant shift in video consumption patterns across the Nordics, says Fredrik Liljeqvist, Senior Analyst at Mediavision. Given the high daily reach, particularly among younger audiences, both advertisers and media stakeholders need to adapt to a more competitive landscape where platforms like Meta and TikTok are gaining ground.
As social video consumption grows, the share of viewing time held by local actors declines. While local actors still account for over half of total video viewing, primarily due to strong performance in traditional TV, their share drops to less than 30 percent when only online viewing is considered. As viewing behavior increasingly shifts towards online and social platforms, the pressure on local actors is expected to increase going forward.
– The growing consumption of social video highlights the increased competition in video streaming. This puts pressure on local actors especially, as they must withstand the pressure of both declining traditional TV viewing as well as increased fragmentation online, Liljeqvist continues. However, hybrid subscriptions (HVOD) are seeing significant traction among Nordic consumers – a development led by local actors, Liljeqvist concludes.