Podcasting in 2025 proved one thing: people are listening—a lot.
- Over 584 million listeners worldwide tuned in this year
- Americans are spending an average of seven hours a week with their favorite shows.
- One-third of listeners are discovering podcasts on YouTube
And brands are taking notice. 61% of branded podcast listeners said an episode made them more favorable toward a brand, and marketers increasingly see podcasts as among the most effective content marketing channels.
With all that in mind, it’s safe to say the podcast landscape is evolving. For creators, brands, and advertisers, the opportunities are tangible: embrace the tools, experiment with video and branded content, and meet listeners where they are.
We’re diving into the latest stats, launches, news stories, releases, and podcasts that have shaped 2025’s podcast landscape and what they mean for you. Plus, we dive into the trends we predict will follow us into 2026.
Podcasting in 2025: By the numbers
Listening behaviors and demographics
- Around 584.1 million people across the globe listened to podcasts in 2025.
- In the United States, podcast listening is growing across age groups: 66% of 12–34-year-olds, 61% of 35–54-year-olds, and 38% of those 55 and older listen monthly.
- The total number of American monthly podcast listeners has grown by 7% this year, currently sitting at 55%.
- 40% of the adults in the United States listen to podcasts weekly, up 6% from 2024.
- 1/3 of people in the U.S. listen to podcasts on YouTube, making it the most popular platform for podcasts.
- On average, podcast listeners spend about 7 hours per week listening to their favorite shows.
- 57% of men and 52% of women in the U.S. listen to podcasts.
What this means for you:
With more than half of Americans listening monthly and weekly engagement growing, your potential listeners span multiple age groups, from Gen Z to baby boomers. The fact that listeners spend an average of seven hours per week tuning in shows that podcasts are a staple in people’s daily routines. For creators and brands, this means there’s a broad and attentive audience ready for your content.
Platform choice matters. One-third of U.S. listeners tune in on YouTube, making it the top platform for podcast discovery and consumption. Understanding where your audience prefers to listen can inform your distribution strategy, whether that’s prioritizing video content, repurposing episodes for YouTube, or optimizing for mobile listening. With steady growth across all demographics, investing in high-quality, targeted podcast content can help you capture and retain loyal listeners for the long term.
Marketing and advertising
- The IAB suggests that podcast advertising will top $3 billion in 2025.
- The global podcast economy is worth $7.3 billion, with the US accounting for two-thirds, including video and consumer revenue.
- 9/10 marketers and media agencies say they have discussed podcast advertising for potential investment.
- 78% of agencies and advertisers currently advertise in podcasts, a 5X increase since 2015.
- In 2015, just 10% of brands planned to advertise in podcasts. By June 2025, the intention to invest in podcast advertising has jumped to 69% — a sevenfold increase.
- 86% of ad-supported podcast listeners recalled seeing or hearing an advertisement in the past week, the highest recall rate of any measured ad-supported medium.
- Podcasting is unique, with only a percentage point difference between male and female ad recall — nearly every other medium shows significant male/female ad recall differences.
- 45% of listeners find podcast advertising “authentic and natural,” and 48% believe podcast advertising claims are true.
- 1/4 Americans both hear and remember podcast ads, outperforming many higher-reach platforms.
What this means for you:
With ad recall rates topping 86% and minimal gender bias in engagement, podcasts deliver one of the most effective and trusted channels for reaching audiences. For brands, that means your message isn’t just heard, it’s remembered, often more so than on traditional high-reach platforms. If you’re looking for authentic ways to connect with listeners, podcast ads stand out for their credibility and impact.
The numbers also tell a story about opportunity: 78% of agencies and advertisers are already active in podcast advertising, and the intention to invest has climbed to 69% — a sevenfold increase from 2015. Whether you’re a brand experimenting with first campaigns or scaling a mature podcast strategy, the data shows that now is the time to lean in. Well-targeted, thoughtfully produced podcast ads can drive awareness, engagement, and real-world action like few other media channels can.
Branded podcasts
- 61% of branded podcast listeners say an episode made them somewhat or much more favorable toward the brand.
- 75% of listeners agreed that branded podcast episodes keep their attention for the entire time.
- 63% of listeners say they would probably or definitely recommend branded podcasts.
- 43% of Americans 18+ would likely listen to a podcast about a favorite brand or product, up 3% from 2024.
- 46% of brands see podcasts as a more effective tool for establishing thought leadership compared to other media.
- Among “Brand Fans,” 69% say they are more likely to try a podcast if it’s produced by a brand or company.
- 51% of marketers have adopted podcasts in their marketing strategy, with 53% of them stating that podcasts are the most effective form of content marketing.
What this means for you:
Branded podcasts are proving their power to influence perception and build loyalty. Listeners are sticking around for full episodes, recommending shows to others, and reporting a stronger connection to the brand behind the content. For marketers, this means a well-produced podcast isn’t just a content channel; it’s a tool for shaping opinion, fostering engagement, and turning casual audiences into brand advocates.
With nearly half of Americans open to listening to podcasts from their favorite brands and 51% of marketers already using them, there’s a clear opportunity to stand out. Branded podcasts excel at thought leadership, giving brands a platform to educate, entertain, and connect with their audience on a deeper level.
Video podcasts
- 49% of Gen Z monthly podcast listeners say video provides a better understanding of context and tone through facial expressions and gestures.
- 45% of listeners feel more connected to podcasters through video.
- 84% of Gen Z monthly podcast listeners consume podcasts with a video component
- YouTube is ranked the top platform for consumption at 34%.
- 64% of podcast listeners found YouTube to be a better podcast experience compared to audio-only formats.
- Over half of the US population (aged 12+) has now watched a video podcast; 37% have watched one in the last month.
- Despite the hype, as of May 2025, only 17% of current podcasts record video.
- This means that there’s less competition for video podcasts. You only need 30 views to crack the top 50% of podcasts and 1,100 to make it in the top 5%.
- Over 70% of viewers watch video podcasts in the foreground with full attention.
What this means for you:
As time goes on, we’re gaining more clarity into video’s role in podcasting. Unsurprisingly, YouTube is the go-to platform for video podcasts, especially among newcomers, long-time listeners, and heavy consumers. What’s more interesting is that the data shows that listeners stick around not just for the content but for the community, comments, and discovery features. That means a strong YouTube presence isn’t just about hosting video — it’s about leveraging the platform to build a loyal audience.
The best part? There’s still relatively little competition. Only 17% of podcasts currently record video, so even modest view counts can place you in the top half of video podcasts, and a few thousand views can push you into the top 5%. With over 70% of viewers watching video podcasts in the foreground with full attention, this format is still a largely untapped opportunity for creators to stand out and capture listener focus.
Podcast reports: Essential reads from 2025
Who are this year’s podcast listeners? What are their expectations? Dive into the latest research from companies like CoHost, Sounds Profitable, and Edison Research.
- Sounds Profitable launched The Advertising Landscape 2025, which focuses on how podcast audiences respond to ads compared to other channels.
- The UK Podcast Consumer 2025 from Edison Research shows that podcast listening on TV has doubled in the UK over the past two years.
- Quill, CoHost, and Signal Hill Insights released Downloads Aside: Measuring the Impact of Branded Podcasts, a complete guide to connecting podcast performance to business outcomes and tracking the right KPIs.
- The Cost of Attention Report by the Podcast Marketing Academy with Lower Street finds that producing video alongside audio can cost +77% more and require ~50% more staff.
- A new report from Acast, Podcast Pulse 2025, finds that podcasters build strong trust and influence with their audiences. Audio is still the main way they connect, while video and social help reach more people and extend their impact.
- CoHost and Copy.ai released AI in Podcast Marketing, complete with free, custom AI workflows and expert-backed strategies.
- The Women’s Audio Report by Edison Research and SiriusXM Media shows that 45% of all women in the US are monthly listeners, and 52% consume podcasts in some form (whether listening or watching) – that’s tripled in the past ten years.
- Quill and Right Side Up released Branded Podcasts vs. Podcast Advertising: What’s Right for Your Brand? where they break down the trade-offs, costs, and ROI of each approach.
- Sounds Profitable and JAR Audio teamed up to release The Power of Branded Podcasts, narrowing in on the value of corporate podcasts for consumers and as potential force multipliers for podcasting.
Let’s talk tech: 2025’s launches for your radar
Podcasting is evolving alongside technology. Here are some new tech launches from companies like RedCircle, CoHost, and Triton Digital that you’ll want on your radar.
- CoHost launched New Listener data, so you can see how many people tune into your show for the very first time, helping you track genuine audience growth and discovery.
- RedCircle launched Mic Check, a tool that uses AI to instantly review host-read ads, checking accuracy, tone, and freshness.
- YouTube added features for podcasts – namely, auto-creating Shorts from long episodes, enhancing live streams, AI editing, and dynamically inserting or updating sponsorships.
- Podcast Magic lets listeners capture and share highlights from any podcast with a simple screenshot, giving podcasters real-time insight into which moments resonate most.
- PodChapters™ launched AI-assisted podcast chaptering, letting podcasters quickly add chapters, transcripts, and links to episodes to make content easier to navigate.
- A new update from Triton Digital and Omny Studio adds built-in support for video podcasting, allowing publishers to create and manage both audio and video episodes in one platform.
- CoHost released episode consumption data pulled from Apple and Spotify, giving users a full view of how long listeners engage with episodes.
- A new tool from Ausha, called PodWars, lets podcasters quickly check how visible their show is on Apple Podcasts by seeing where they rank for specific keywords across different countries.
- PodRoll launches Video Promos in Apple Podcasts, letting podcasters deliver short-form video directly into audio feeds.
- Nielsen and Edison Research launch Podcast Fusion in Nielsen Media Impact, letting advertisers plan, measure, and optimize podcasts alongside TV, radio, digital, and social in one tool for smarter cross-platform media strategies.
- Acast launches Smart Recommendations, an AI-powered tool that helps advertisers quickly find the right podcasts for their audience by simply describing who they want to reach.
What this means for you:
Tech in 2025 is all about giving creators sharper insights, smarter tools, and more ways to make content discoverable and engaging. Features like CoHost’s New Listener and Consumption Data mean you can finally see not just how many people are tuning in, but how long they’re sticking around. For brands and creators, you can measure real engagement and adjust content or marketing strategies accordingly, rather than guessing.
Plus, AI is becoming a full-time co-producer. Tools like RedCircle’s Mic Check, PodChapters™, and YouTube’s AI editing features help you produce polished, accessible content faster. That means fewer manual tweaks and more time to focus on the creative side of podcasting. Plus, features like Podcast Magic or PodRoll give instant insight into what moments hit home with your audience, so you can double down on what works and optimize for shareable moments.
Discovery and monetization are leveling up, too. Ausha’s PodWars, Acast’s Smart Recommendations, and Nielsen’s Podcast Fusion make it easier to see where your show ranks, identify the right audience, and create campaigns that reach listeners across platforms.
The 411: What’s new from top podcast companies
Some of the biggest names in audio are levelling up in 2025. Learn what’s new from companies like YouTube, Netflix, and Spotify:
- Netflix and Spotify partner on video podcasts with a curated selection of shows from sports, culture, lifestyle, and true crime available on Netflix in the US in early 2026.
- YouTube closes its 20th anniversary year with the launch of personalized YouTube Recap and 2025 Trending Lists highlighting top creators, songs, podcasts, and cultural moments.
- Spotify expands automated podcast ad buying with Ads Manager and Ad Exchange, giving advertisers access to premium inventory and driving a 64% increase in adoption.
- Audacy launched the Creator Lab to help podcasters of all sizes grow and monetize.
- Spotify expands its Partner Program to nine new countries, giving creators more ways to monetize video and audio content.
- Acast UK launches the largest premium audio and video podcast network on YouTube, partnering with Little Dot Studios.
- Amazon Ads and iHeartMedia expand their partnership, letting advertisers use Amazon DSP to access iHeart’s streaming audio, reaching listeners across devices.
- QCODE expands with Daylight Media to help creators grow, monetize, and expand their podcasts and video shows
What this means for you:
2025 has been all about giving creators more tools, more reach, and more ways to monetize — and that’s good news whether you’re an independent podcaster or a brand looking to invest in audio.
The rise of automated ad tools and expanded partner programs (Spotify Ads Manager, Amazon DSP, Acast, QCODE) puts revenue opportunities directly in your hands. You can reach premium audiences and track performance more efficiently than ever — no big network required. For brands, this means smarter, more targeted campaigns; for creators, it’s the chance to monetize without relying on a one-size-fits-all ad model.
Support for emerging creators is also stepping up, from Audacy’s Creator Lab to Acast UK’s video network, which opens doors for growth, audience building, and cross-platform visibility. The takeaway is simple: lean into these resources, experiment with formats, and track what works.
Extra, extra read all about it: This year’s biggest newsmakers
From new exclusivity deals to the launch of new networks, here are some of the biggest stories that defined podcasting this year:
- Trevor Noah’s podcast What Now? is now exclusively on SiriusXM, with ad sales and video rights handled by the network. They’ve also inked an exclusive deal with YouTube storyteller MrBallen.
- Alix Earle’s Hot Mess left the Unwell Network. The show went on hiatus in March, but it’s set to come back in a new format.
- Goalhanger has hit one billion streams across its podcasts and videos, proving long-form storytelling and meaningful content can attract massive, engaged audiences worldwide.
- Ira Glass was honored with The Podcast Academy’s Governors Award at The Ambies for his lasting influence on podcasting, celebrating his work on This American Life.
- Quill was named one of Canada’s Top Growing Companies by The Globe and Mail for the third year in a row.
- Apple Podcasts named The Rest is History the 2025 Show of the Year, the first time the award went to a non-US podcast.
- TikTok launched the TikTok Podcast Network with up to 25 creator-led shows, partnering with iHeartMedia for video-ready studios, radio stations, and live events.
- Amazon is restructuring Wondery, laying off around 110 staff, including CEO Jen Sargent; the company, bought in 2020 for $300M, now has ~360 shows.
- Steven Bartlett and Roxcodes launched Flightcast, a video-first podcast platform for distributing, analyzing, and growing shows across YouTube, Spotify, Apple, and more.
- Spotify’s Apple TV app finally supports video podcasts and includes a Spotify DJ after a full app rewrite.
- Alex Cooper launched The Unwell Creative Agency to help brands reach Gen Z women, starting with a multi-year deal with Google.
- Amazon Prime Video in the US is now streaming New Heights with Jason & Travis Kelce. The show made headlines this year with Taylor Swift’s appearance setting records with 9M YouTube views in 12 hours, a 2,500% Spotify stream increase, and a 618% rise in female listeners.
- Inception Point AI is flooding directories with 3,000+ AI-generated episodes per week using just four staff, costing $1 per episode.
- Libsyn has paid out over $100M to creators, a 40% year-over-year increase from Jan–Jul 2025.
- Audacy closed Pineapple Street Studios, laying off nearly 30 employees.
What this means for you:
On one hand, we’re seeing massive exclusive deals (Trevor Noah, MrBallen), network restructures (Wondery, Pineapple Street), and new distribution plays from platforms that used to sit on the sidelines (TikTok, Amazon Prime Video). For brands and creators, this means the bar is higher, but the lanes are wider: premium content is getting bigger budgets and bigger partners, while niche creators are getting the infrastructure to scale without needing a legacy network behind them.
Additionally, the rise of video-led platforms and creator-first networks signals a shift brands can’t ignore: podcasts aren’t just RSS feeds anymore — they’re multi-format IP. If your show isn't video-ready, cross-platform, or built with repurposing in mind, you’re missing where the audience (and the algorithms) are headed. TikTok launching a podcast network tells you everything you need to know: discovery now lives in social feeds, not just listening apps. Meanwhile, Amazon and Spotify are doubling down on video distribution, which means creators who embrace visual storytelling will have a competitive edge in reach, partnerships, and monetization.
2025’s podcasts for your playlist
With more than 4.5 million podcasts available, here are this year’s top launches and fan favorites to save for later.
- Goalhanger launched a new video-first show, The Rest Is Science, hosted by Professor Hannah Fry and Michael Stevens, exploring big ideas, surprising questions, and cutting-edge discoveries.
- Pushkin Industries and iHeartPodcasts launched Business History, with Jacob Goldstein and Robert Smith exploring the stories behind the economy.
- Powering Travel by Expedia Group is now in season five. The show brings travel industry experts together to share trends, insights, and actionable tips to help leaders and travelers stay ahead.
- Michelle Obama and her brother Craig Robinson host IMO, a weekly podcast offering candid, relatable advice on life’s dilemmas.
- Quill and Canadian Business released The Moment, where Canada’s top founders reveal the stories behind their biggest breakthroughs and the risks that changed everything.
- The second season of Not Just Fluff by Banfield Pet Hospital brings pet experts to share practical advice, debunk myths, and offer tips to help pet owners care for their furry friends.
- The Rest Is Football: Daly Brightness is another new podcast from Goalhanger. It’s hosted by England footballers Millie Bright and Rachel Daly and offers an in-depth look at women’s football.
- Season three of Countermeasures by Emergent Biosolutions dives into global health threats, exploring everything from diseases to bioweapons, and highlights how preparedness today can create a safer tomorrow.
- Odd Lots from Bloomberg tackles both mainstream and esoteric topics in economics and finance with in-depth analysis and wonky curiosity.
- A new show by Dayforce, Piece of Work, explores workplace trends, cultural shifts, and leadership lessons to reveal how work is changing today and shaping the future.
- Scam Inc from The Economist exposes global networks of scam operations in Southeast Asia, revealing inhumane practices behind mass fraud schemes.
- Scratch & Win from WGBH explores the rise of legal gambling in America through the story of Massachusetts’ lottery and its interplay with organized crime.
- Season two of Smart Medicine by Veradigm explores the innovations, stories, and strategies transforming healthcare and shaping the future of patient care.
The next era of audio: Where the industry is headed in 2026
Video has, in fact, not killed the radio star
This year, the industry has realized that, despite the hype cycle, video hasn’t replaced audio. Yes, video is everywhere. Yes, YouTube continues to dominate with 34% of all podcast consumption, and yes, 84% of Gen Z monthly podcast listeners say they prefer podcasts with a video option. But the rise of video doesn’t mean audio is suddenly obsolete. Far from it.
Audio is still doing what it does best: 71% of listeners say they choose podcasts because they can multitask, which is something video will never compete with. And while a two-minute clip might own the algorithm, a 40-minute audio episode still owns engagement. Podcasts give creators the space to build depth, intimacy, and connection in ways video simply can’t replicate.
What video has done is broaden the funnel. Platforms like YouTube, with a U.S. user base nearly five times larger than traditional podcast apps, create discoverability that audio alone struggles to match. And with 65% of YouTube podcast consumers being first-time podcast listeners, video is helping new audiences stumble into the medium for the first time. Meanwhile, Spotify is doubling down too, increasing its video catalog by 70% in the past year — but even there, audio episodes continue to outperform for completion rates and passive listening.
At the end of the day, video is an optional layer, not a replacement. Audio-only shows still thrive because they offer something uniquely valuable: focus, flexibility, and an emotional connection that doesn’t require being camera-ready. Remember: a video-first medium already exists – it’s called video.
Mixed opinions on AI’s place in podcasting
Some call it the future of audio; others call it a dealbreaker.
In 2025, debates erupted around ventures like Inception Point AI, a company that generates thousands of AI-driven podcasts a week. While some hailed it as the future of content creation, others sounded alarms about disclosure and quality control.
Recent research sheds some light on why. Among podcast listeners, 21% said they’d be more likely to continue with a favorite podcast featuring AI voices, while 47% said they’d be less likely, including 28% much less likely. That’s a striking split — even fans of a show aren’t universally ready to embrace robot narrators.
Interestingly, the “less likely” sentiment wasn’t strongly tied to age or listening habits. Casual listeners and superfans alike expressed wariness. What did stand out? Education. The more formally educated the listener, the more skeptical they were:
- Did not graduate high school: 37% less likely
- High school graduate: 39% less likely
- Bachelor’s degree: 46% less likely
- Post-graduate degree: 49% less likely
Many listeners understand the potential of AI to replace human jobs, especially in creative and white-collar fields, and that wariness carries over to content. Execution matters, but so does transparency and trust.
Platforms and creators will need to tread carefully in 2026. AI can be a tremendous time-saver for editing, transcription, or research, but using it to replace the elements that make a podcast uniquely human risks alienating audiences.
Our two cents: use AI when it saves you time on things you’re not great at, but never let it replace what makes you amazing. In a world of increasingly AI-generated content, human creativity is the ultimate differentiator. More creativity, sharper concepts, and formats that get audiences talking will define podcasting in 2026 — and that’s something AI alone can’t compete with.
LLMs enter the arena
Speaking of AI’s growing role in podcasting, there’s a new player changing the discovery game — and it’s not another editing tool or transcription feature. Large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity have officially stepped into the spotlight, and they’re already influencing what people listen to.
LLMs don’t hear your pacing, your tone, or that perfectly timed joke. They only see the text wrapped around your show: your transcripts, titles, descriptions, show notes, blogs, and anywhere your podcast is mentioned across the web. When someone asks, “What’s the best podcast about productivity?” the model scans metadata for context, clarity, and relevance.
Unlike traditional SEO, LLMs operate on intent. If your show is consistently described in ways that match the reason someone is asking a question, you’re more likely to show up. In other words, the clearer your text signals are, the more likely your podcast is recommended.
Here are some other tips you’ll want to know for surfacing your podcast in LLMS:
- Prioritize long-tail and semantic keywords: Use natural, specific phrases your audience would ask (“how do freelancers save for retirement?”). LLMs rely on meaning, not exact matches, so clustering related terms across transcripts, notes, and blogs increases your relevance.
- Write like a human: LLMs prefer conversational, direct language because it mirrors how people search. Avoid jargon-heavy descriptions in favor of clear, approachable explanations.
- Structure your text for skimmability: Use headings, subheadings, short paragraphs, and bullet points in show notes, blogs, and transcripts. LLMs read structure as intent signals, making your content easier to understand and surface.
- Use metadata that reflects real questions: Titles, descriptions, and headers should clearly communicate what an episode covers. Clarity beats cleverness — format titles and summaries as if answering a listener’s query.
- Add FAQs that mirror user intent: Include FAQ sections on episode pages or your site using natural-language questions. These give LLMs ready-made answers to pull from and boost your chances of being recommended.
- Ensure your website is technically sound: Fast load times, mobile responsiveness, and open crawling access help LLMs index your content properly — especially transcripts and show notes.
- Track AI referral traffic and engagement: Monitor visits from ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude in GA4. Pair that with engagement metrics (scroll depth, play clicks, time on page) to understand whether LLM-driven traffic is converting to listeners.
TV and podcasts are better together
If 2025 taught us anything, it’s that podcasts are no longer just side projects for die-hard fans — they’re strategic engines for engagement, retention, and even revenue.
And nowhere is this clearer than in the world of TV and film podcasts.
As audiences crave deeper connections with their favorite shows, podcasts are stepping in to fill that gap.
New research from Sounds Profitable shows that 53% of Americans say they’d be likely to listen to a podcast about a favorite TV show or movie. Compare that to the current monthly podcast reach of 55%, and suddenly a single category has the potential to appeal to nearly every existing listener, plus plenty of newcomers. Yet only 19% of people are actually tuning in to TV and film podcasts today. Talk about opportunity.
Engagement stats paint an even more compelling picture:
- 43% of listeners use podcasts to keep up with what they’re watching.
- Over one-third end up wanting to watch more of those shows.
- 16% subscribed to a streaming service specifically because a podcast convinced them a show was worth checking out.
Put simply, podcasts are driving behaviors that even multimillion-dollar marketing campaigns would envy. And it’s not just about converting existing viewers — many subscriptions come from “side-door” discovery, where a show gets a mention on an unrelated podcast, and listeners bite.
And let’s not forget the power of superfans. TV and film podcast listeners aren’t passive — they’re talkers. Nearly 79% recommend shows to friends or family, compared to 68% of the general podcast audience.
In short, TV and film podcasts are proving they’re more than just fan content — they’re a powerful way to engage audiences, spark discovery, and turn listeners into loyal subscribers. With a huge untapped audience and listeners who love to share, the potential for growth in 2026 is clear.
Looking ahead to 2026
If 2025 showed us anything, it’s that podcasting has become a core part of how people consume media. Listening continues to grow, brands are allocating real budget, and creators have access to better data and tools than ever before.
Heading into 2026, the takeaway is simple: the bar is higher, but so are the opportunities. Whether you’re running a branded show, scaling an independent podcast, or experimenting with AI or video, the tools and demand are there.
To keep up with the latest happenings in podcasting and what they mean for you, join the community of podcasters and brands who subscribe to our bi-weekly newsletter, Tuned In.

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