Fewer Than 1 in 10 Podcasts Published an Episode in the Last 90 Days
Podcast Index lists 4.7 million podcasts. Only 466,395 of them put out a new episode in the last 90 days.
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by Navid Moazzez·Updated Sept 30, 2026·2 min read·Navid.me is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Learn more.Podcasts with a new episode in the last… (Podcast Index)
| Item | Count | Share |
|---|---|---|
| 90 days | 466,395 | 10% |
| 30 days | 338,557 | 7% |
| 10 days | 230,014 | 5% |
| 3 days | 93,883 | 2% |
Sources: Podcast Index, index statistics (read through its API); Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2026 (2,050 Americans 12+, January 2026); My list of the best podcasts on navid.me (225 shows) (checked Sept 29, 2026)
Most podcasts stop.
Podcast Index lists 4,732,381 podcasts. Only 466,395 of them put out a new episode in the last 90 days.
In this post, you'll find:
- How many podcasts are still active
- How many people listen to podcasts
- How often the best shows publish
- How to keep your own show going
The podcast counts come from Podcast Index, read on 2026-09-29, and the listener numbers from Edison Research.
Key podcast activity stats
Here are the numbers at a glance:
- Podcast Index lists 4,732,381 podcasts (Podcast Index)
- Only 466,395 published an episode in the last 90 days, fewer than 1 in 10 (Podcast Index)
- 338,557 published in the last 30 days, about 7% (Podcast Index)
- 58% of Americans 12+ listen to podcasts monthly, and 45% weekly (Edison Research)
- 208 of the 225 podcasts on my best podcasts list publish every week
Let's look at each one.
How many podcasts are still active
Here's how many podcasts put out a new episode recently:
- Podcasts
- 93,883
- Share of all
- 2%
- Podcasts
- 230,014
- Share of all
- 5%
- Podcasts
- 338,557
- Share of all
- 7%
- Podcasts
- 466,395
- Share of all
- 10%
Source: Podcast Index, read 2026-09-29.
9 in 10 podcasts in the index haven't published in the last 3 months.
How many people listen
The audience is big. Edison Research's Infinite Dial 2026 found that 58% of Americans 12+, about 167 million people, listen to podcasts monthly.
45%, about 130 million, listen every week. 80% have ever listened to or watched a podcast.
How often the best shows publish
The shows that last keep a steady schedule. On my best podcasts list, 208 of 225 publish every week:
How often the best podcasts in my list publish (shows)
It's a list I curate, so it shows what the best shows do, not what all podcasts do.
How to use these numbers
If you're starting or running a show:
- Pick a weekly day and keep it
- Record in batches, so a busy week doesn't break the schedule
- Plan for the long run, since 9 in 10 podcasts in the index have gone quiet
- Go daily only if the show is short and built on the news
Showing up every week already puts you ahead of 9 in 10 podcasts.
FAQs about active podcasts
Questions about how many podcasts are still active? Here's what to know.
Podcast Index lists 4,732,381 podcasts, read on September 29, 2026.
466,395 published an episode in the last 90 days, fewer than 1 in 10.
338,557 published in the last 30 days.
58% of Americans 12+, about 167 million people, listen monthly, according to Edison Research's Infinite Dial 2026.
45% listen every week.
Weekly works for most shows.
208 of the 225 best podcasts in my list publish every week.
About 9 in 10 podcasts in Podcast Index haven't published an episode in the last 90 days.
93,883, about 2% of all the podcasts in Podcast Index, read on September 29, 2026.
80% of Americans 12 and older have ever listened to or watched a podcast, according to Edison Research's Infinite Dial 2026.
Only a few: 13 of the 225 podcasts on my best podcasts list publish daily.
Daily works best for short shows built on the news.
Pick a weekly day and keep it.
Record in batches, so a busy week doesn't break the schedule.
The podcast counts come from Podcast Index, and the listener numbers from Edison Research's Infinite Dial 2026.
The publishing schedule of the best shows comes from my best podcasts list on navid.me.
Sources (3)
- Podcast Index, index statistics (read through its API), checked Sept 29, 2026
- Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2026 (2,050 Americans 12+, January 2026), checked Sept 29, 2026
- My list of the best podcasts on navid.me (225 shows), checked Sept 29, 2026
Navid Moazzez
AI business strategist
Navid Moazzez helps creators and founders master AI and build their own AI Operating System (AI OS) to automate their business and life.
Navid.me is reader-supported. When you buy through links on this site, I may earn an affiliate commission. Read the affiliate disclaimer.
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