We’ve all witnessed the podcasting boom. Whether you’re a brand, advertiser or the everyday listener who likes some My Dad Wrote a Porno with your morning coffee (guilty), podcasts have become a social currency. People now recommend podcasts to each other in the way they do books, movies and TV, so it’s no surprise that podcasting in Australia – and around the world – is still enjoying a strong growth trajectory. 

But with any new(ish) kid on the media block comes questions from the industry. And when it comes to podcasting, these usually fall into three buckets: Consumption and the current state of play, the role podcasts can play within a media channel mix and importantly, the proof that podcast advertising actually works.  

The deep dive 

At Acast, we’re driven to provide the industry with the knowledge they need to make informed decisions when it comes to podcast advertising. It was important that we made the 2022 Acast Sounds Smart Report the comprehensive guide to podcasting in Australia.  

We commissioned Nielsen to survey a representative sample of 2,000 Australians aged 18+ who listen to podcasts at least once a month. Focussing on three key areas of consumption, engagement and ad receptivity, the Nielsen data reveals that podcasting is the most engaging audio channel in Australia, driving consumption and ad effectiveness. 

We are listening more 

It’s no secret that Covid has been a contributing factor to the growth of podcasting. In fact, 2020 was a record-breaking year for Acast, as people sought out different content to fill their lockdown days. This meant there was some concern from advertisers about whether or not the audience would stick around when the world started to open back up – but it’s clear that podcasting is here to stay, and so are the engaged listeners. 

Here’s the big picture: Over a third of Australians are listening to podcasts, with 39% of podcast listeners having increased their listening in the last six months. What’s more, 30% plan to increase their consumption in the next six months. 

What’s driving the increase? People are discovering new, relevant and better content than they have before. It’s on-demand audio content that we relate to and feel passionate about.

Compared to all other media, podcasting ranks number one for content associated with learning and expanding personal knowledge, content that is mentally engaging, as well as content that is a good use of my time. Australians have found a platform that meaningfully engages with them.

Podcasting has, therefore, become the media companion for everyday life. It’s listening that’s happening across daily touchpoints and, with 84% of podcast consumers listening once a week or more, it’s naturally affecting the time people spend with other channels. A few stats:

• 78% listen while out and about.
• 76% are listening throughout the home – a place where TV traditionally had a stronghold.
• 62% listen in the car or while on public transport – which has previously been radio or music streaming territory.
• 27% listen while working.

We are really listening 

Everyone’s talking about attention in the media industry at the moment. It’s a hot topic and something we are working to better understand at Acast, with podcast listening providing a unique attention opportunity for brands.

Unlike any other media channel, podcasting provides a truly captivated and engaged audience. Most listening is done alone, with headphones, and immersed in content that genuinely connects with us.

As founder and CEO of Amplified Intelligence, Karen Nelson-Field said:

“Platforms that inherently deliver higher levels of attention drive more mental availability uplift. You can’t change the reality of human attention paid to different platforms, it is a functional reality of each platform.”

Attention is certainly a functional reality of podcasting. Active attention is inherent in podcast listening, with 74% of listeners saying that ‘podcasts provide me with content that I want to dedicate my attention to’. Second only to cinema (with 67%), people are more immersed/focused when listening to Podcasts (60%) than any other media channel, miles ahead of Social Media (42%), Broadcast TV (33%), Music Streaming (33%) and Commercial Radio (22%). 

Podcasting is one of the most immersive media environments and a medium that genuinely captures attention. 

We actually like the ads 

Ads… can’t live with them, can’t live without them. The good news is though, podcast ads are seen as less intrusive, with less clutter than other mediums. Our survey found 76% of people said the number of ads is okay/there are not too many ads when they’re listening to podcasts – and there’s a reason for this. 

In podcasting’s short history, the best ads have tended to be ‘host reads’, where the well-known, trusted voices of the show speak about a product or service in their own unique style. Still today, they’re seen as the bee’s knees of podcast advertising because they work. Really well. 

It’s through these much-loved hosts that you can bring your brand into a community. They speak to listeners in the same voice and manner they’re hearing throughout an episode. They provide a seamless shift from editorial to commercial and back.

And it’s clear this recipe is successful, not just in terms of attention and engagement but also in driving consumers to take action. Podcasting came out as number one with consumers generally believing the hosts when they endorse a brand and they trust advertising on podcasts more than they trust those on other media. 

In short, Aussies are hugely receptive to ads within this environment – it drives action for brands. Almost a third (30%) of respondents considered buying or made purchases of a brand or product after hearing ads on podcasts, compared to an equal 23% for both commercial radio and music streaming. 

So, why is it time for podcasting to be seen as its own player? 

Podcasts have carved out an impactful and influential presence within the media landscape. The 2022 Acast Sounds Smart Report demonstrates how podcasting differentiates not only from other audio channels but across the wider media mix. This is a medium that engages with consumers like no other, connects on a one-to-one level through relevant content and ultimately drives consumer action. 

Understanding these unique attributes of podcasts should help advertisers as they plan their media campaigns. It should no longer be about lumping podcasting in with other audio channels, but the opportunity is there to better inform our decisions around where podcasts will have their greatest effect. 

From the research, we now know podcasts can play a leading role when it comes to engagement, attention and influence. We have shown that it outperforms other media and, especially, other audio channels in these areas. It’s time for podcasting to be recognised as its own channel.