Taking soundings

BBC Sounds averaged 3.2 million listeners a week in Quarter 3, from July to September. That compares with 3.4m in the previous three months - the lockdown months - and 3.1m in the first quarter of the year.

Live listening, counted in hours, makes up the bulk of activity - 66% in Q1, 65% in Q2 and 67% in Q3. 

This quarter, the BBC have published their top tens, but not shared absolute numbers. These are the top ten podcasts.

 1 Newscast – BBC News
2 You’re Dead To Me – R4
3 That Peter Crouch Podcast – 5L
4 Grounded with Louis Theroux – R4
5 Fortunately… with Fi and Jane – R4
6 Ecstasy: The Battle Of Rave – 5L
7 The Missing Cryptoqueen – BBC Sounds
8 Match of the Day: Top 10 – 5L
9 The Joe Wicks Podcast – R4
10 6 Degrees from Jamie and Spencer – R1

And this is the top ten of 'broadcast' shows (and, apparently, whole genres) listened to on demand. 

1 The Archers – R4

2 Hercule Poirot – R4E (Two series available, from 2007 and 2008)

3 Miss Marple – R4E (One series, from 2011)

4 Drama – R4 (a choice of over 100)

5 Desert Island Discs – R4

6 Radio 1’s Dance Anthems – R1

7 The Infinite Monkey Cage – R4

8 The Unbelievable Truth – R4

9 In Our Time – R4

10 Old Harry’s Game – R4E