When looking at data from the recent Driving to Action report, which demonstrates how Podcast Primes (respondents to The Advertising Landscape who consume podcasts daily/near-daily), Webster cautions against treating people as monoliths. Podcast Primes love podcasts, to be sure, but it’s not the only ad-supported medium they consume every day. He then notes Instagram consistently scores pretty high with Podcast Primes when considering actions taken due to an ad (e.g. screenshotting an offer, writing down a promo code). Instagram and Podcasting act as two different touchpoints. The former largely is interacted with in sessions measured in seconds or single-digit minutes, while the latter is more of a lean-in medium where consumers are dedicating half an hour to over an hour per session. While ads on social media are generally considered less ‘trustworthy’ than ads on podcasts, a podcast ad can effectively vouch for a brand the listener heard about first in passing on Instagram. Podcast ads stand on their own two feet (see: any and all of SoundsProfitable.com/Research), but their parasocial power makes them an excellent addition to social media marketing campaigns.
Audioboom’s Q2 report finds video revenue has doubled since the start of the year with 13% of its business coming from video. Across both Audioboom and the recently-acquired Adelicious, video podcast episodes received 22 million views in the first half of the year, making up 20% of the overall podcast consumption of both companies.
The Podcast Industry Reacts to Amazon Instituting Mass Layoffs at Wondery by Garrett Searight
In light of Wondery streamlining operations to be exclusively a company for personality-driven podcasts while narrative-driven productions are moved over to Audible, online conversation has turned to the ‘future’ of audio podcasting. The Wondery restructuring is reportedly, in part, motivated by video podcasting’s popularity blurring the line between content creation for YouTube and “a podcast.” Barrett Media interviews several industry experts about the restructuring and associated layoffs, including Amplifi Media CEO Steven Goldstein, Thrumm founder Lindsay Graham, and Sounds Profitable’s Tom Webster. When it comes to the future of the industry, Webster points to a few years ago when Amazon laid off several Zappos employees after acquiring the shoe-maker. “I believe the future of shoes, however, remains bright.”
Before we get into the quick hits, we’d like to draw special attention to a new episode of The Sound Off Podcast in which Cundill interviews former Signal Hill Insights president Jeff Vidler about moving towards retirement, his work in the audio world since the 80s, and where things look to be going in the near future.
As for the rest of the news…
- Triton Digital has appointed Sharon Taylor as their Chief Revenue Officer.
- Lemonada Media is launching a new interview podcast with The Dan Buettner Podcast.
- Joe Mandese at MediaPost has a new article discussing Edison Research and Nielsen’s new collaborative effort Nielsen Podcast Fusion powered by Edison Research.
- The Guardian covers the latest episode of South Park and podcasting’s role, in which the show lampoons right-wing podcast celebrities (including the latest continuation of the show’s X beef with Charlie Kirk).
- Ausha has a new version of their Podcast Search Optimization (PSO) Control Panel, their tool for managing a show’s PSO and visibility in searches on Apple Podcasts and Spotify. The new version of the tool boasts full compatibility with all hosting platforms.
- Apple Podcasts has published a Best So Far 2025 list of ten podcasts, including Multitude’s This Guy Sucked, Spotify’s Good Hang with Amy Poehler, and 20/20’s Bad Rap: The Case Against Diddy.
- Trill Magazine has a new piece covering a general overview of podcasting’s history and the current state of the industry now that podcasting has gained mainstream popularity.
