ARN's iHeart celebrates four years of growth

ARN’s iHeart has celebrated its fourth birthday, marking a remarkable journey of dominance and growth in the country’s podcasting landscape since its launch on February 25, 2020.

Over the past four years, ARN’s iHeart has firmly established itself as Australia’s leading podcast publisher. The platform has seen an incredible 150% growth in audience size, soaring from 2.7 million monthly listeners in 2020 to nearly 7 million in 2023, while downloads have nearly tripled from 10.5 million per month to over 28 million. Additionally, ARN’s iHeart has maintained its position as the #1 Podcast Publisher for 45 consecutive rankers.

Central to the success of ARN’s iHeart is its commitment to supporting local content creators. The network has continuously expanded its slate of iHeart Originals and leading Australian podcasts, with shows such as “The Imperfects,” “Life Uncut,” “She’s On The Money,” ”Concealed" by Art Simone, “Two Doting Dads,” “The Daily Aus,” “The Pool Room with Tony Armstrong”, ”Picture Discuss” with Merrick Watts," "Find and Tell” with Jamilla Rizvi from Indigenous Podcast Network BlakCast and many more.

ARN’s iHeart also continues to forge partnerships with renowned publishers including Clubby Sports, Channel 7, TED, The New York Times, Audioboom with shows like Casefile, Sony, and more, providing listeners with a diverse array of high-quality content across various genres.

To commemorate the milestone, a special event was held in Melbourne where many of the network’s experts and creators gathered for a Valentine’s Day lunch to celebrate the fourth birthday and showcase the strength of iHeart’s offering.

Corey Layton, ARN’s Head of Digital Audio, said: “As we celebrate iHeart’s fourth birthday, we’re truly thrilled by the phenomenal growth the network has experienced since its launch. Our slate is packed with experts, storytellers, and brilliant, funny individuals who not only entertain and enlighten but also drive engagement and connection. This milestone is a testament to the power of podcasts in shaping the media landscape, and we’re excited to continue delivering compelling content and innovative experiences to our ever-expanding audience.”