Marking 1 billion downloads of BBC World Service podcasts

Radio is undergoing a resurgence. Recently we revealed that the radio audience for the BBC World Service has grown to 133m people every week, including 52 million to BBC World Service English. 

And one factor which has been central to our growth is podcasts, helping us reach new (and younger) audiences both in the UK and around the globe.

So today we’re celebrating our podcasts on the BBC World Service, and the announcement that the BBC World Service has surpassed 1 billion downloads, with the latest figures showing downloads of nearly 28 million a month. 

When the World Service began podcasting in July 2007, six World Service programmes were available, gaining over 1.3million downloads in the first month. By April 2015, 78 World Service programmes were available across 11 languages from English, Arabic, Azeri, Burmese, Cantonese and Indonesian to Kinyarwanda, Nepali, Persian, Russian and Tamil, and the total downloads for that month were over 27.9 million. That growth has been matched by the global popularity of podcasts and downloads from all sorts of providers, including of course other BBC stations.

With an emphasis on what’s been happening around the world and why it matters, and on the people at the heart of events, our distinctive podcasts cover everything from global news, business and sport to science, culture and history. There are English language learning guides too.

Our most popular podcasts include big hitters, like Global News, the twice daily compilation of topical stories, interviews and reporting from around the world, which has been downloaded over 322.7million times since it began in August 2007. Our compelling and varied documentaries provide an in-depth look at often hidden stories, and have been downloaded 151.8million times. 

Looking ahead, it’s clear that podcasts along with streaming and audio on social media are a big part of radio’s future. With ever developing smartphone technology, we know the way people listen is changing and this brings new opportunities.

The audience age of the World Service is already young with an average age of 32 but I want to reach younger people who might think the BBC is their parents’ radio station. With that in mind, we’ve recently launched BBC Minute - a 60 second dynamic news summary available to download on our own site, but also on iTunes as well as on FM partner stations around the world. Our audiences come to us directly on radio and online but we also go to them – working with radio and digital partners to help our impartial, high quality journalism reach broad audiences.

We’re also hoping podcasts and downloads might prove useful in reaching more women, especially in countries where we know they account for a smaller percentage of our listeners. Sometimes women are less likely to be ‘in charge’ of what’s listened to on the radio, but now with their own smartphones, podcasts offer the chance to listen to what they want to. In direct response to listener feedback, we’ve been showcasing more women’s voices and stories on the World Service, including our recently launched programme The Conversation broadcast weekly and also available as a podcast.

I also want listeners here in the UK to remember that the World Service is very much for them too. UK listeners coming to our programmes on DAB, online or on Radio 4 overnight will find familiar names and voices on air as well as a wealth of global voices offering a broad international perspective. Our podcasts are a great way for UK audiences to get a taste of what we offer and connect to a wider world.

I firmly believe in BBC World Service English’s role as the 'world’s radio station' – the BBC's biggest radio network with a global audience of more than 50 million, and a place that can host conversations from around the world. Podcasts offer a way for listeners to sample some of the best World Service content and listen at your own convenience.

To mark reaching a billion podcast downloads, we’ve put together a selection of ten 'unmissable' podcasts, a taster of the wide range of World Service podcasts. The list includes some of the World Service’s most distinctive content, from the ever popular World Book Club and science series Discovery to Radio Select Persian and English language learning podcasts. 

There’s something there for everyone. I hope you enjoy listening.

Mary Hockaday is Controller, World Service English

• Read more about the World Service's total downloads on the Media Centre website.
• Discover the selection of World Service podcasts available on the BBC Podcasts website.