Internet users who downloaded podcasts to watch or listen to later increased from 12% to 19% since last year, according to a study by The Pew Internet and American Life Project. In early 2006, only 7% of Web users downloaded podcasts for later use.

The study showed that 22% of men download podcasts, as opposed to 16% for women.

Users above 50 are more "significantly more likely" to download podcasts for later. However, 13% of users under 50 downloaded podcasts and 1% downloaded a podcast "yesterday."

Meanwhile, 23% of users under 50 downloaded podcasts and 4% downloaded a podcast "yesterday."

Only 3% of Internet users surveyed download podcasts and only 17% of those download podcasts on a regular basis.

As a result of increasing demand for podcasts, their availability rose.

For instance, podcast directory Podcast Alley increased its podcasts from 26,000 to 43,000 since November 2006. Technology is allegedly the most popular topic, with over 4,000 podcasts for download.

iTunes urging users to subscribe to podcasts may have also helped boost their popularity.

The academic use of podcasts has also increased, as colleges and universities use them to offer lectures or important speeches. Certain professors have even gone as far as having students respond by making their own podcasts instead of "traditional" papers, wrote The Guardian.

The Pew Study also found that more people are using iPods and MP3 players. 61% of users between 18 and 29 own such technology. A Pew study from December 2007 found that 34% of US adults and 43% of Web users had an iPod or an MP3 player, an increase from 20% of the population and 26% of Web users from a study in April of the previous year.

Source: The Guardian