Podcast Boom Archives

By Ian Shepherd

For years, podcasting sat on the side-line of media buying, perceived as niche, hard to measure and reserved for the brave. But in 2025, advertisers who overlook podcasting are leaving influence and impact on the table. With high trust, unmatched attention and scalable ad tech catching up, podcasting is finally having a “must-have” media moment.

Podcasting blends attention with trust, a potent mix that not only drives brand recall but leads to real-world action. And now, after years of being treated as a side experiment, podcasting is finally being seen for what it is: a high-performance media channel that turns engagement into outcomes.

“Ten years ago I was CRO of an ad network with better data than podcasting has today,” says Greg Glenday, CEO of Acast, the world’s largest independent podcast company. “We still have work to do. But advertisers are starting to realize: this works.”

The Trust Dividend

Acast’s 2025 Podcast Pulse report delivers some interesting data points. 67% of daily listeners say they’ve taken action after hearing a podcast ad. 58% have made a purchase because of a recommendation from a host. Podcast hosts rank at the very top for brand trust, equal to journalists and ahead of YouTubers, influencers and celebrities.

When podcast listeners are considering a purchase:

70% say a recommendation from a podcast host made them consider a brand they hadn’t heard of.
64% say they trust podcast hosts to give genuine endorsements.
49% say podcasts have changed the way they think about a brand.

“Podcasting is intimate,” says Glenday. “It’s a one-to-one experience. It’s someone in your ear while you walk the dog or commute. You don’t need five impressions to make an impact, you need one good one.”

Low Clutter, High Impact

Unlike social or video platforms, podcasting hasn’t been oversaturated with ads and that’s part of its power. According to the Podcast Pulse report:

71% of listeners hear mid-roll ads.
60% say podcast ads feel light compared to other channels.
45% say podcast ads are more memorable than those on YouTube, Facebook, or even cable TV.

This balance, a lean ad load with a deeply engaged audience, is what makes podcasting unique. It offers a rare chance for brands to speak without shouting.

And the results are increasingly measurable. Nearly 85% of global daily podcast audiences have taken some form of brand action after listening, from visiting a website or using a promo code to making a purchase.

The AI Assist

The common pushback for podcasting has always been that it is hard to buy at scale. No longer.

“We’ve built AI-powered tools that remove friction for advertisers,” says Glenday. “From smart show recommendations to creative generation, we’re solving the scale problem.”

Acast’s self-serve platform, powered by data from Podchaser, lets small and mid-size advertisers use natural language inputs (“I own 100 pizza shops in the UK”) to receive customized media plans. They can then auto-generate ad scripts and audio spots using AI tools, no agency or studio required.

This is opening podcasting up to thousands of advertisers who would otherwise never have participated.

Creator Authenticity Still Reigns

Importantly, AI is not being used to replace the hosts or content, a trend Glenday firmly opposes.

“We are not interested in synthetic personalities or AI-generated shows,” he says. “People come to podcasting for the companionship. They want real people.”

This focus on human authenticity is also why podcasting thrives where other channels struggle. In a world of deepfakes and AI influencers, podcast hosts offer consistency, credibility and community.

A Must-Have, Not a Maybe

Podcasting’s next leap will be less about creative innovation and more about media normalization.

“We want podcasting to become a standard part of the media plan,” Glenday said. “It’s brand safe. It drives sales. It shapes perception. And now we can prove it.”

What’s needed now, he says, is for advertisers to stop thinking of podcasting as a “risky” or “experimental” channel and start seeing it for what it is: a performance medium.

From cultural cachet to commerce conversion, podcasting is delivering. And for advertisers looking for high-impact, low-clutter, trust-filled environments in an AI-fatigued media world it might just be the best deal in marketing today.

This article is based on an interview with Greg Glenday from my podcast, The Business of Creators.

Feature image credit: Getty