Podcast Ads Called Best Way to Reach 'Super Listeners'

According to the latest Super Listeners Study, podcast “Super Listeners,” Americans 18+ who listen to five or more hours of podcasts weekly, see podcasts as the best way to reach them despite a perceived increase in ads. 

Edison Research, the global authority in audio research, along with Ad Results Media, an audio industry leader in branded personality-driven advertising, and PodcastOne, a subsidiary of LiveXLive, the leading podcast network, have announced the results of the second-annual study on podcasting’s “Super Listeners.”

Advertising on a podcast is the best way for a brand to reach Super Listeners. Almost half, 49 percent, of podcast Super Listeners agree that “Advertising on a podcast is the best way for a brand to reach you.” This finding was up from 37 percent in 2019 – the biggest mover in the survey. Podcast Super Listeners are exposed to the most amount of podcast advertising and provide invaluable insight as to how ads are perceived in podcasts.

Over half, 54 percent, of Super Listeners, said that hearing an ad on a podcast (compared to other places) makes them more likely to purchase a product, up from 46 percent from last year.

Super Listeners are noticing an increase in the number of commercials and ad breaks. Fifty-six percent of podcast Super Listeners believe that the number of ads in podcasts are going up, compared with 49 percent who said the same thing last year. The study also found an increase in those who believe there are “too many” ads in podcasts, 38 percent of respondents felt this way, compared with 24 percent last year. In addition, 41 percent of podcast Super Listeners believe that ad breaks are getting longer, compared to 35 percent last year. Self-reported ad-skipping behavior, however, did not increase substantially.

While quantity and length of ad breaks increase, the positive impact of podcast advertising continues to rise year-over-year. Testament to the positive impact of podcast advertising is seen in the percentage increase of Super Listeners that agree with the following statements:

• “Your opinion of a company is more positive when you hear it mentioned on one of the podcasts you regularly listen to” increased from 44 percent in 2019 to 49 percent in 2020.
• “When price and quality are equal, you prefer to buy products from companies that advertise on or sponsor the podcasts you regularly listen to” increased from 43 percent in 2019 to 46 percent in 2020.
• “You pay more attention to advertising on podcasts than on other forms of media” increased to from 44 percent in 2019 to 48 percent in 2020.
• Host-read ads provide tremendous value. Thirty-three percent of Super Listeners say they pay more attention to host-read ads than other types of ads in podcasts.
• Super Listeners are consuming more podcast content than ever before. In last year’s survey, Super Listeners reported consuming an average of 9.8 hours of podcasts per week, this year the average increased to 10.5 hours per week.

“We are so pleased that Ad Results Media and PodcastOne have partnered with Edison Research to continue our Super Listeners Research Series,” said Tom Webster, Senior Vice President at Edison Research. “With the quantity of podcast advertising increasing, and the character of those ads changing, it is imperative to take the temperature of podcasting’s best customers regularly. Super Listeners 2020 very clearly shows that while podcasting continues to enjoy advantages as an advertising platform, listeners are noticing more ads and longer ad breaks.”