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The news: Edison Research鈥檚 Q2 2025 鈥淪hare of Ear鈥� report revealed key trends in ad-supported audio and what channels are winning. The conclusion? Radio is still dominating in time spent across age groups鈥攁nd while podcasts are gaining ground, the shift is slow. Our take: Strategies that focus solely on podcasts at the expense of radio will fail to capitalize on the full potential of ad-supported audio. Brands that combine radio鈥檚 enduring reach while accounting for 辫辞诲肠补蝉迟蝉鈥� ability to engage and drive action will unlock the best outcomes.

The news: A report from DoubleVerify unveiled insights on the state of the digital ad landscape as audiences and brands go digital-first. More than three-quarters (77%) say short-form vertical videos (think Reels) perform better than marketers鈥� campaign baselines, while 75% say the same for social media feeds, 69% for connected TV (CTV), 67% for commerce media networks, and 58% for audio and podcasts. Our take: As time spent with digital grows, advertisers are pushed to invest鈥攂ut with ad blockers and brand safety remaining concerns, advertisers must rethink how they earn attention and invest in meaningful, trustworthy, and well-placed experiences.

High audio listenership and time spent this year means limited growth. Subscription revenues will be healthy, as most listeners pay to limit ads. And Spotify will lead in nearly every metric, though several platforms are doing well.

The news: Podcast ads are turning passive listeners into active consumers and driving measurable outcomes for brands, per a Nielsen study. Podcast campaigns led to a 10-point boost in brand awareness; an 8-point increase in information-seeking; and a 6-point increase in recommendation and purchase intent. Our take: Podcasting鈥檚 high engagement and success for brands makes it an increasingly critical investment鈥攂ut key considerations must be kept in mind. Host-read ads perform best. Brands are most likely to thrive with podcast ads when the host is an actual user of the products advertised and comes across as authentic.

Meanwhile, time spent with podcasts by listeners is forecasted to grow 2.1% this year to 50 minutes (0:50) a day. What it means: Make sure that you're getting the ROI you expect from advertising on the platform and strategize for the platform's light growth in the near future.

The news: Podcast ads are the most effective way to drive action through advertising across media types, per a new study from Sounds Profitable and Signal Hill Insights. 22% of monthly podcast listeners have made an immediate purchase after hearing an ad on a podcast in the past six months, per the study. Podcasts outperformed users of premium TV streaming services like Peacock and Netflix (13%), Instagram (13%), YouTube (12%), and TikTok (5%). Our take: As audiences shift to digital, podcasts demand advertiser investment. Brands that pay attention to the format and take steps to innovate will succeed long-term.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss the biggest discrepancy by device with regards to where we spend our time versus how many ad dollars are aimed there, why social players want to take a page from YouTube鈥檚 CTV playbook, and why sub OTT鈥檚 unusual path to advertising has created major misalignments. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host, Marcus Johnson, Principal Forecasting Writer, Ethan Cramer-Flood, and Senior Analyst, Minda Smiley. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Podcasts and streaming are boosting digital listenership. Podcasts and streaming music have displaced many traditional radio habits. Most popular talk radio shows that attracted appointment listening in the past are available as podcast downloads. Current affairs, culture, and sports programming are targeting a larger share of listeners digitally rather than over the air.

YouTube leads in podcast engagement, prompting Netflix to explore video podcasts as a new offering to attract viewership and build relationships with creators. Netflix is building its ad ecosystem to better compete with YouTube鈥檚 massive ad revenue advantage.

Digital audio consumption continues to grow in the US. Younger audiences are leading the way, adopting platforms like Spotify and audio content like podcasts.

But YouTube has proved to be incredibly disruptive, having influenced other players in the space to lean into video podcasts. Podcasts are videos, and videos are podcasts. What makes a video a podcast is loosely defined, but the key is that video has become central to many podcasters鈥� outputs. As YouTube鈥檚 viewership figure attests, consumers are overwhelmingly leaning into video.

The news: Spotify鈥檚 Partner Program has opened new monetization paths for video podcasters, enabling MP4 uploads and revenue through ads and subscriptions. Creators like Ryth report earning over $55,000 per month, surpassing YouTube earnings. However, the model doesn鈥檛 support dynamic ads for premium subscribers, prompting networks to hold back. Why it matters: Nearly half of all digital media time is spent on video, and Spotify is betting big on that trend鈥攅specially among Gen Z, who increasingly prefer video-first podcast formats. Our take: Spotify鈥檚 approach may alienate ad-heavy networks for now, but video鈥檚 growth and creator enthusiasm suggest its long-term strategy is sound.

On today鈥檚 podcast episode, we discuss the battle between linear TV and CTV, one mobile device metric that is going down, and a surprising finding about which age group uses YouTube the most. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, Principal Forecasting Writer Ethan Cramer-Flood, and Senior Director of Forecasting Oscar Orozco. Listen everywhere and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

Podcast ad revenues surpassed $2 billion in 2024: As revenues maintain consistent growth, advertisers must tap in to meet audiences where they鈥檙e at.

India was No. 1 for time spent with podcasts. At 1:02 daily, it was 4 minutes ahead of the regional average and 12 minutes above the global average. YoY time spent with podcasts was flat, but it was down 20 minutes from four years ago. Time spent with print press was 50 minutes daily, No. 1 in the region. This was down 11 minutes compared with 2022.

Time spent with podcasts and music streaming in France also ranked low in the region, at 13th place and 11th place, respectively. The viewership shift from traditional formats to digital is lagging in France. Time spent with broadcast TV was 2:25 daily, 15 minutes higher than the regional average.