Businessweek’s Blogspotting column tips us to this new report on U.S. podcasting use from Emarketer. It claims the "total US podcast audience reached 18.5 million in 2007".

Here’s a link to the full report – Podcast Advertising – Seeking Riches in Niches – if you fancy ponying up $695.

If not, here are some of the takeaway stats:

• EMarketer estimates that there was a 285% increase in size of the US podcast audience in 2007
• Audience will increase to 65 million in 2012
• 25 million of those will be “active” users who tune in at least once a week

Here’s the visual that Emarketer offers (hope they don’t mind me sharing it).

The question I have is what does this mean in terms of social media influence? Maybe I’m in the minority but the only podcasts I listen to are repackaged from mainstream radio shows. In fact I share Blogspotting’s suspicion that these numbers seem rather high.

I’ve yet to find a truly engaging or interesting corporate podcast that makes me want to subscribe to it, and most of the non-mainstream podcast shows are truly cringeable.

Obviously this report is aimed at mainstream media podcasts given its advertising revenue bent but it does make you ponder that, if there’s a growing audience for good quality niche audio content online, then companies as publishers and conversationalists should be involved in this mix.

Do you have favourite non-mainstream media podcasts? Is so let us know.

- Matthew