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It is no secret to anyone who knows me even casually that I'm a bit of a podcasting nut. I listen to podcasts at the gym. At home. On the bus. On walks to the grocery store.

So much for music. Podcasts are really the soundtrack of my life.

So as a marketer, I found this new article released by eMarketer really interesting. Currently, only 18.5 million of us listen to podcasts regularly. But by 2012, this number will reach 65 million. In just 4 years, that's an increase of 251%. Talk about a huge leap.

Looks like podcasting is moving from the early adopter phase and into the mainstream.

These numbers are enough to make any advertiser do a double take. Many podcasts have very niche audiences, allowing for specialized audience targeting. And unlike radio, podcasts can be played again and again, and at the listener's discretion—particular when they have time to really listen to what's being said.

If the predictions hold true, I'm interested to see how advertising and sponsorships are proliferated through podcasts in the next few years as more people than ever tune in. Perhaps integrating a podcast strategy into your own business is something you should consider if you haven't already.

And as a welcomed personal side effect, I really hope these statistics mean I'll soon have a whole slew of people to gab with about the latest episode of All Songs Considered!