True Crime Podcasts Are Powered by Women Ages 35 to 54
Fans buy the merch and pack the live shows, and hosts have turned crime stories into makeup tutorials.
PodBiz | Where's The Money In Podcasting? · How Privacy-First Data Is Changing Podcast Ads with Emma Raz of NumberEightThe core audience for true crime is women ages 35 to 54, according to Emma Raz, an executive at NumberEight, a British company that measures podcast audiences by observing what people actually listen to.
Podcast host Norma Jean Belenky calls those listeners ride or die fans. They buy the merch and go to the live shows. Belenky says true crime is one of the largest podcast genres.
There is also a subgenre called true crime and makeup, Raz says. The hosts apply makeup on camera while they tell crime stories, in a get ready with me format. Belenky says the format suits remote workers who want company at home. Raz herself said, "I used to fall asleep to true crime," showing how some fans use the shows as background company, until her husband complained.
Questions people ask
How do researchers know who listens to true crime?
NumberEight is a British audience data company that helps advertisers figure out who listens to podcasts. Instead of surveys, it observes real listening behavior through software embedded in publisher apps, with user consent, and maps shows by analyzing their text descriptions.
How big is true crime in podcasting overall?
True crime has been one of podcasting's biggest genres since Serial became a breakout hit in 2014. Live tours, merchandise, and fan communities followed, and the genre now includes hundreds of active shows covering historical cases, ongoing trials, and unsolved mysteries.
Why do so many women listen to true crime?
Researchers have offered several theories, including a desire to understand danger, learn safety strategies, and experience suspense in a controlled setting. Surveys have also found that women report higher interest in stories about survival, motives, and how crimes are solved.