Four lessons from Podcast Pulse 2025, and why they matter for your next campaign
Influencer marketing has evolved. It is no longer a race for follower counts, it’s earned through time, trust, and ideas. That’s why podcast creators sit at the center of modern influence.
Acast’s Podcast Pulse 2025 report shows that podcasting does more than entertain. It sparks new thinking, builds community, and moves people to act. With algorithmic feeds overflowing with AI content, podcasts offer curation, perspective, and real connection. For brands, that translates into partnerships that feel credible and deliver measurable results.
Below are four takeaways from this year’s report, with the proof points marketers need to plan with confidence.
Podcast advertising works because of resonance
Resonance is a simple formula: Attention + Trust = Action. This is where podcasts excel, blending focused listening with hosts audiences believe.
Globally, podcasting now reaches two out of three consumers each month. Among major media channels, none commands attention like podcasts. Listeners are not scrolling past, they’re pressing play on purpose. It’s content that’s sought, not served.
That intent pays off, with nearly eight in ten people saying podcasts feel like a personal, one to one conversation. When a message lands in that intimate space, it sticks. And it drives action.
Credibility underpins it all. When consumers consider product recommendations, podcasters rank alongside journalists for trust, ahead of YouTubers, social influencers, and celebrities. That credibility isn’t abstract. Among listeners, two in three say a host recommendation has made them consider a brand they had never heard of before, and over two thirds say they have discovered new brands or products on podcasts that they now view positively. This is resonance turning into results.
Multi-platform fandoms expand reach, but audio builds the bond
Today’s leading podcasters build full creator ecosystems. Their shows live in audio feeds, video episodes, social clips, live events, newsletters, and more. This creates omnichannel opportunities for brands, with audio as the anchor and extensions that amplify.
Across Acast’s network, creators collectively reach 2.66 billion followers on social platforms, which means a single partnership can travel far beyond the episode itself.
Fans follow their favorite hosts wherever they show up. When listeners also engage with podcasters on social, they feel closer to the host, notice brand partners more, and say they trust recommendations more. The social multiplier effect is real, with strong majorities reporting they are more likely to try new products or services mentioned on the show when they also see the creator in their feeds.
For marketers, you’ve got a powerful playbook: start with audio to build the relationship, then add smart social and video extensions to reinforce the message and unlock incremental reach.
Podcasts are cultural drivers, not passengers
When culture moves, audiences turn to podcasts for context, depth, and a sense of community. 72% percent of listeners say podcasts significantly shape the cultural conversation.
During big news moments, sports events, elections, and major entertainment drops, listeners increase their podcast consumption because they want deeper analysis, insider access, and perspective from voices they trust. That is where brand messages benefit from high attention and high relevance at the same time.
This cultural leadership has commercial impact. Compared with other media, 6 in 10 podcast listeners say they are more likely to change their opinion after hearing something on a podcast. In cultural moments, hearing a brand message makes listeners more likely to learn more online, talk about the brand with friends, remember the brand after the event, and try or purchase the product or service.
Podcasts don’t just join the conversation, they help start it. Brands that show up here earn memorability and momentum.
Creator-led podcast marketing delivers outsized commercial results
Attention is scarce. Podcasting stands out because audiences actively listen to ads. 60% of consumers say they pay attention to podcast ads, compared with 50% for YouTube, and higher than streaming music services, Facebook, and radio. Saturation is lower too, so ads feel lighter and less intrusive.
Listeners also rate podcast ads as more authentic, more memorable, and more relevant than ads on many other channels, which is the profile you want when you need performance.
The environment is safer and more constructive as well. Consumers are far less likely to encounter content that offends or aggravates them in podcasting than on social platforms, reducing brand risk while keeping attention high. You also need fewer exposures to drive serious consideration compared with other channels, which means media dollars work harder.
Most importantly, podcast ads translate into real actions. 85% percent of podcast audiences have taken some kind of brand action after consuming podcasts, from visiting a site and following on social media, to using a promo code and making a purchase in the last 12 months.
What this means for marketers
If you want influence that lasts beyond the impression, think podcasts first. Use audio to earn attention and trust, then build multi channel touchpoints that follow the fan. Treat hosts as collaborators, not inventory, and give them space to tell real stories.
Creators themselves say the smoothest partnerships include shipping product samples before recording and allowing room for ad libbed personal anecdotes. When a brand fit is genuine and the message is delivered in the host’s voice, the endorsement feels like part of the show, and audiences respond.
Finally, plan for culture, not just reach. Podcasts set agendas across news, sports, and entertainment. Build flexible creative that can plug into those moments, and measure for both upper funnel perception shifts and lower funnel actions. The combination of focused attention, high trust, and light ad load gives podcast advertising a rare efficiency. That’s why it is earning more budget from marketers looking for both brand building and performance.
Download the full report
Podcast Pulse 2025 goes deeper on all of these findings, with global consumer data, creator insights, and practical guidance for brands. To see every chart, case study, and tactic, visit podcastpulse2025.com and download the full report.
Influencer marketing has evolved. It is no longer a race for follower counts, it’s earned through time, trust, and ideas. That’s why podcast creators sit at the center of modern influence.
Acast’s Podcast Pulse 2025 report shows that podcasting does more than entertain. It sparks new thinking, builds community, and moves people to act. With algorithmic feeds overflowing with AI content, podcasts offer curation, perspective, and real connection. For brands, that translates into partnerships that feel credible and deliver measurable results.
Below are four takeaways from this year’s report, with the proof points marketers need to plan with confidence.
Podcast advertising works because of resonance
Resonance is a simple formula: Attention + Trust = Action. This is where podcasts excel, blending focused listening with hosts audiences believe.
Globally, podcasting now reaches two out of three consumers each month. Among major media channels, none commands attention like podcasts. Listeners are not scrolling past, they’re pressing play on purpose. It’s content that’s sought, not served.
That intent pays off, with nearly eight in ten people saying podcasts feel like a personal, one to one conversation. When a message lands in that intimate space, it sticks. And it drives action.
Credibility underpins it all. When consumers consider product recommendations, podcasters rank alongside journalists for trust, ahead of YouTubers, social influencers, and celebrities. That credibility isn’t abstract. Among listeners, two in three say a host recommendation has made them consider a brand they had never heard of before, and over two thirds say they have discovered new brands or products on podcasts that they now view positively. This is resonance turning into results.
Multi-platform fandoms expand reach, but audio builds the bond
Today’s leading podcasters build full creator ecosystems. Their shows live in audio feeds, video episodes, social clips, live events, newsletters, and more. This creates omnichannel opportunities for brands, with audio as the anchor and extensions that amplify.
Across Acast’s network, creators collectively reach 2.66 billion followers on social platforms, which means a single partnership can travel far beyond the episode itself.
Fans follow their favorite hosts wherever they show up. When listeners also engage with podcasters on social, they feel closer to the host, notice brand partners more, and say they trust recommendations more. The social multiplier effect is real, with strong majorities reporting they are more likely to try new products or services mentioned on the show when they also see the creator in their feeds.
For marketers, you’ve got a powerful playbook: start with audio to build the relationship, then add smart social and video extensions to reinforce the message and unlock incremental reach.
Podcasts are cultural drivers, not passengers
When culture moves, audiences turn to podcasts for context, depth, and a sense of community. 72% percent of listeners say podcasts significantly shape the cultural conversation.
During big news moments, sports events, elections, and major entertainment drops, listeners increase their podcast consumption because they want deeper analysis, insider access, and perspective from voices they trust. That is where brand messages benefit from high attention and high relevance at the same time.
This cultural leadership has commercial impact. Compared with other media, 6 in 10 podcast listeners say they are more likely to change their opinion after hearing something on a podcast. In cultural moments, hearing a brand message makes listeners more likely to learn more online, talk about the brand with friends, remember the brand after the event, and try or purchase the product or service.
Podcasts don’t just join the conversation, they help start it. Brands that show up here earn memorability and momentum.
Creator-led podcast marketing delivers outsized commercial results
Attention is scarce. Podcasting stands out because audiences actively listen to ads. 60% of consumers say they pay attention to podcast ads, compared with 50% for YouTube, and higher than streaming music services, Facebook, and radio. Saturation is lower too, so ads feel lighter and less intrusive.
Listeners also rate podcast ads as more authentic, more memorable, and more relevant than ads on many other channels, which is the profile you want when you need performance.
The environment is safer and more constructive as well. Consumers are far less likely to encounter content that offends or aggravates them in podcasting than on social platforms, reducing brand risk while keeping attention high. You also need fewer exposures to drive serious consideration compared with other channels, which means media dollars work harder.
Most importantly, podcast ads translate into real actions. 85% percent of podcast audiences have taken some kind of brand action after consuming podcasts, from visiting a site and following on social media, to using a promo code and making a purchase in the last 12 months.
What this means for marketers
If you want influence that lasts beyond the impression, think podcasts first. Use audio to earn attention and trust, then build multi channel touchpoints that follow the fan. Treat hosts as collaborators, not inventory, and give them space to tell real stories.
Creators themselves say the smoothest partnerships include shipping product samples before recording and allowing room for ad libbed personal anecdotes. When a brand fit is genuine and the message is delivered in the host’s voice, the endorsement feels like part of the show, and audiences respond.
Finally, plan for culture, not just reach. Podcasts set agendas across news, sports, and entertainment. Build flexible creative that can plug into those moments, and measure for both upper funnel perception shifts and lower funnel actions. The combination of focused attention, high trust, and light ad load gives podcast advertising a rare efficiency. That’s why it is earning more budget from marketers looking for both brand building and performance.
Download the full report
Podcast Pulse 2025 goes deeper on all of these findings, with global consumer data, creator insights, and practical guidance for brands. To see every chart, case study, and tactic, visit podcastpulse2025.com and download the full report.
