PODCAST DEVELOPMENT

AUDACY

🔥 WARC Study Reveals Massive Untapped Potential in Podcast Advertising ROI

WARC research shows that podcasts are an increasingly important advertising tool, yet only 8.4% of ad budgets go to podcasts. This means there is great opportunity for brands to reach deeply engaged audiences, since podcast advertising needs to increase 4.5 times to match current levels of listening. This gap represents billions in untapped potential for brands.

The study, conducted by WARC and featuring insights from industry leaders such as Paul Ruscoe, Senior Director at Incubeta; Ray Borelli, SVP, Research & Insights at Audacy; Kurt Kaufer, CGO, Ad Results Media; and Mike Follett, CEO of Lumen Research, shows a wide gap between consumption and advertising investment in audio. Consumption is 30% higher than advertising investment. A case study by Allbirds in collaboration with Ad Results Media supports such findings: It shows a clear and measurable ROI-a 20% lift in sales that is directly attributable to the podcast advertising campaign.

The Key Points:

• Audio accounts for 25% of ad-supported media usage but only sees 8.4% of advertising budgets

• Podcast ad spend needs to increase 4.5 times to catch up with current consumption levels

• Advanced targeting and measurement capabilities now enable precise tracking of ROI

• Allbirds saw a 47% increase in site visits and a 39% lower cost-per-order thanks to programmatic podcast advertising

• Audio ads command unique attention advantages as listeners "can't close their ears"

The Big Picture: This research could signal a potential boom in advertising for the podcast industry, revolutionizing the entire ecosystem. Podcasters and producers would benefit from increased ad revenue as brands recognize the value of the medium, which could mean higher production budgets and improved content quality.

The industry might see substantial growth in professional production resources, better monetization opportunities for creators, and increased investment in technology and attribution tools.

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PODCAST INSIGHTS

PODIMO

🎙️Podimo Report: Local Language Podcasts Surge 45% as Global Audio Consumption Transform

The 2024 Global Trend Report by Podimo reveals a 45% rise in local-language content consumption across seven markets. Finland saw a 194% surge in comedy podcasts, while Spain witnessed a 408% increase in True Crime engagement. Podcasts are increasingly introducing audiobooks to listeners, with almost half of Nordic users finding audiobooks through their podcast experience.

The report analyzes Podimo's user data across seven markets, highlighting a significant increase in user engagement and evolving listening habits. The report features insights from Chief Content Officer Sachin Doshi, detailed analytics on listening patterns in 2024, and focuses on various genres, demographic preferences, and consumption habits.

The Key Points:

• Local-language podcast and audiobook listening increased by 45% year-over-year across Podimo's markets

• Comedy emerged as a dominant genre, with Finland showing a remarkable 194% growth

• True Crime maintained strong appeal, particularly in Spain with a 408% increase in engagement

• Weekday listening consistently exceeded weekend consumption by 40-50% across markets

• Nordic countries led in audiobook discovery through podcasts, with Denmark at 47% and Finland at 46%

The Big Picture: For podcast creators and the industry at large, these trends signal significant opportunities and challenges. The success of comedy and true crime shows the importance of genre diversification, while the strong weekday listening patterns suggest opportunities for content targeted at daily routines.

The increasing collaboration between podcasts and audiobooks creates fresh avenues for revenue generation and diverse content offerings. Podimo's focus on creator earnings and technological advancements highlights the importance of adapting to changing consumer preferences and technological advancements for continued success in the industry.

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🎙️ PODCAST NEWS

⏭️ Podcast GPT Launches: Create AI-Powered Podcasts Using ChatGPT and Your Own Voice Wondercraft has made it easier for new podcasters to get started by releasing a new tool called Podcast GPT that allows anyone to create podcast episodes directly through ChatGPT. This tool allows users to generate scripts and convert them into audio using their own voice.

⏭️ Goalhanger Partners with Spotify in Major Multi-Channel Ad Campaign Featuring Star Podcast Host. Goalhanger, a podcast network, is launching a large advertising campaign across multiple platforms and outdoor screens, featuring popular shows such as The Rest Is Politics and The Rest Is Football, as well as introducing a new company logo and aiming to attract more Spotify listeners.

📢 PODBUSINESS & MARKETING

⏭️ Podcast Ad Spending Hits 2024 High: Top Advertisers Invest $62.8M in November. November 2024 saw the highest podcast advertising spend of the year at $62.8 million from the top 15 advertisers, with BetterHelp leading with $8.6 million, while holiday season retailers significantly increased their podcast marketing investments.

⏭️ Podscribe Launches Revolutionary Podcast Ranking Tool Tracking RSS and YouTube Data. Podscribe is launching a new podcast ranking tool that tracks both traditional podcast downloads and YouTube views, including major shows like Joe Rogan that are often missed in traditional rankings.

🎧 FROM THE COMMUNITY

⏭️ Radio vs TV, Podcast Growth: Top 5 Audio Industry Insights from Cumulus Media in 2024. Cumulus Media's top blog posts of 2024 showed that YouTube became the leading podcast platform, podcasts reached TV-level audiences among younger demographics, and radio remained America's top mass-reach medium.

⏭️ IAB Study: Podcast Ads Outperform YouTube and CTV by 3X in Consumer Action IAB's report shows that podcast ads perform up to three times better than YouTube and CTV in key metrics due to high listener engagement among 100 million weekly US podcast consumers who value podcasts.

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PODCAST TOOLBOX

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