Study Finds Male Hosts and Guests Dominate the Audio Industry

A recent study by the USC Annenberg Inclusion Initiative reveals that podcasting continues to face significant gender and racial disparities. The research shows that men overwhelmingly dominate both hosting and guest roles, reflecting a lack of balanced representation in one of today’s most influential media platforms.

Male Majority Among Hosts and Guests

Researchers analyzed over 600 of the most popular podcasts of 2024 using Spotify data. Among the top 100 shows, nearly two-thirds were hosted by men, while almost 75% of all guests were male. Women were particularly underrepresented in genres such as business, technology, sports, fitness, and comedy.
By contrast, women were more often hosts in categories like true crime, arts, society and culture, news, and education.

Limited Racial Diversity Across Leading Podcasts

The study also found that over 77% of top podcast hosts identified as white, leaving many communities underrepresented. Within the top 100 shows, only 11 women from racially diverse backgrounds held hosting positions.

An Accessible Medium Still Seeking Inclusion

According to the findings, inequality in podcasting is greater than in film, television, or music. Only 22.3% of podcast hosts come from underrepresented groups, compared with over 44% in TV and popular music.
Researchers note that podcasting’s accessibility gives it the potential to become a more inclusive space — one that amplifies diverse voices and challenges traditional patterns in entertainment.