Study: Most Podcast Listeners Don't Mind Ads

Far from being an annoyance, podcast advertising may be helping to drive sales, judging by a new study from DISQO titled Proving the Power Of Podcast ads, reports MediaPost.   

Of the daily listeners surveyed, 45% say they pay more attention to podcast ads than to advertising in other channels. Overall, 33% pay notice to ads.. 

People in the 18-44 age group are most likely to notice ads in podcasts—49% do. And males show more interest—36%, compared to 30% of females. 

Overall, 33% give more notice to ads heard in podcasts than to ads in other media. And 33% of listeners like a brand more when it’s advertised within a podcast they enjoy or in one with a host they prefer. This goes for roughly 45% of daily listeners.

Of the consumers polled, 68% listen to podcasts, and 34% partake of them weekly or more.  Consumers aged 65+ are least likely to listen—52% do not. Those in the 25-34 cohort are most likely—only 21% never listen.  

How do listeners feel about podcast ads? Overall, 15% say outright that they like them, and 50% that they don’t mind them. Another 35% dislike them.   Persons with no college are more prone to liking podcast ads—19% do and 50% don’t mind them.   

Of course, podcasts in general face competition for attention. Consumers engage in these activities while listening: 

• Doing household chores—30%
• Driving around—30% 
• Unwinding after a long day—24%
• Taking a walk—24% 
• Working—22%
• Eating a meal/lunchbreak—18%
• Getting ready for the day—17%
• Working out—17% 

DISQO surveyed 34,841 consumers in its audience from April 6-8, 2023.