Podcasting’s next stage of growth begins with clarity

Podcasting continues to expand its influence across culture, commerce, and politics. Yet the latest State of Audio Advertising report from Oxford Road shows that the industry's rapid growth creates new challenges in measurement, definition, and alignment that are holding it back.

This report captures a market full of promise but constrained by fragmentation. It paints a picture of an industry with surging audience demand, growing ad spend, and accelerating experimentation, but also one struggling to speak a common language. Publishers must respond to the need to more clearly define and align terms, metrics, and more for podcasting to realize its full potential.

The leaders find clarity amid fragmentation

Oxford Road describes podcasting today as "a new kind of chaos." Definitions are blurred, ownership within marketing teams overlaps, and measurement standards vary by platform. Even basic questions, what qualifies as a podcast, or how to count impressions, remain unresolved.

Despite this, leading publishers are finding stability through consistency and alignment. The report highlights the tension between open RSS distribution and platform-specific shows, noting that this confusion hinders advertiser confidence. Those offering clear definitions and uniform reporting stand out as trusted partners.

Podcast ad spending in the U.S. is expected to reach $2.55 billion in 2025, up 47% since 2022. But "inconsistent ROI frameworks" still slow advertiser confidence. Organizations that define podcasting clearly, both internally and externally, maintain steadier revenue and stronger brand trust. Clarity is becoming a competitive advantage.

Video drives discovery and reach

Audio remains the medium's core, but video is transforming how audiences discover and consume shows. Oxford Road cites Edison Research data, which shows that YouTube now accounts for 25% of all U.S. podcast listening, making it the single largest platform by reach.

Oxford Road calls this "video-led listening," where video extends reach and awareness even when audiences ultimately engage through audio. Video boosts discoverability and monetization but complicates measurement. Pixel tracking is unavailable on YouTube, and attribution remains inconsistent across platforms.

The most successful publishers integrate video strategically, using it to complement, not replace, the intimacy, credibility, and depth of spoken-word audio.

Measurement-minded publishers attract investment

Measurement remains podcasting's biggest obstacle. Oxford Road's What Brands Want 2025 survey found that nearly half of marketers cite limited performance data as their top barrier to investment. More than three-quarters said they would increase spending if YouTube offered measurement comparable to pixel-based attribution. This lack of consistent insight continues to hold back growth in podcast investment. Even more striking, 76% say they would increase investment if YouTube podcasts offered measurement comparable to pixel-based digital attribution.

The report details the industry's current "metric mayhem." Advertisers juggle promo codes, vanity URLs, and clean-room data that rarely align. The result is wasted time, conflicting results, and suppressed investment in what remains a high-potential medium.

In response, Oxford Road is convening an Alliance for Measurement in Podcasting (AMP) task force. The group includes leading brands, platforms, and agencies working to standardize performance attribution and audience measurement. The report suggests that those engaged in this type of collaboration are laying the groundwork for scalable and repeatable growth. Clearly, alignment on metrics equals acceleration in investment.

Credibility drives podcast performance

Oxford Road calls 2024 "The Podcast Election," pointing to the moment when the medium transitioned from a niche format to a major force in shaping public opinion. During the campaign cycle, candidates and advocacy groups leaned into long-form, host-led, trust-based media to reach audiences that traditional advertising struggled to engage.

That shift highlights podcasting's central strength: credibility. Listeners see hosts as trusted sources, and the relationships they form translate directly into advertising effectiveness. The report notes that this trust-based environment is attracting new categories of advertisers and more direct response spending.

The broader takeaway is that influence and authenticity define podcasting's commercial value. Publishers and creators who understand the emotional connection between host and audience are better equipped to maintain brand-safe environments and drive measurable outcomes. Credibility is a key differentiator.

Definition and alignment unlock scale

Oxford Road's call to action for the industry is clear: define, align, and scale. The agency urges consensus around a shared definition of a podcast as "an audio-driven, on-demand program rooted in the spoken word, typically episodic, conversational, and distributed via open RSS or other platforms, often supplemented by video." This definition bridges the gap between the medium's origins and its evolution toward multimedia formats. It creates space for innovation while preserving the integrity of audio-first storytelling.

Once definitions are established, alignment on measurement and performance can follow. Oxford Road believes that this clarity will unlock a "wildly undervalued channel," positioning audio as an efficient and trusted form of digital engagement.

Podcasting continues to grow. But its next phase depends on shared standards for definition, data, and performance. The momentum is real, but so are the constraints. Only through collective clarity can podcasting realize its full commercial and cultural value.