Podcast advertising is scaling fast, and so is the complexity of monetizing it. If you’ve spent any time talking to publishers and networks lately, you’ve probably noticed the conversation has changed. The numbers explain why. According to the IAB, US podcast ad revenue reached $2.9 billion in 2025, up 17.6% year over year. But the...
Podcast advertising has reached a level of maturity that demands more advanced infrastructure, but some of the systems supporting it still haven’t caught up. Global podcast ad spend is forecasted to reach roughly $5.5 billion by 2026, making podcasting one of the fastest-growing advertising channels. Yet many brands still struggle to scale podcast investment because...
Monetizing audio, whether it’s podcasts, streaming, or live, increasingly runs on programmatic infrastructure, with audio supply-side platforms (SSPs) acting as the bridge between publishers and advertisers. As that shift accelerates, understanding how they work becomes essential to understanding programmatic audio monetization. What is an audio SSP? An audio SSP allows publishers to monetize their audio...
Digital audio is growing fast. In the US, digital audio ad revenue is projected to approach $8 billion in 2026, underscoring how central streaming and podcast advertising have become to modern media plans. For many marketers, though, how ads move from planning to meeting a listener’s ears still feels like a black box. Behind every...
Advertisers aren’t questioning the value of audio anymore. This channel works, and everyone knows it. Recent insights from Edison Research show that digital and streaming audio now reaches 76% of Americans aged 12 and up, and 158 million people in the US listen to podcasts every month. With an audience that large, the real challenge...
Audio plays a different role in people’s lives than most media. Listeners bring streaming music, podcasts, news, and talk shows into their routines. A drive across town. A morning run. A few quiet minutes before bed. Beyond just entertaining, audio accompanies people. And it works: a 2025 Sounds Profitable study found that podcast advertising drives...
Podcasting has always been a medium built on intention. Listeners choose voices they trust, stay for full stories, and engage with a level of focus that most digital formats struggle to capture. That depth of attention continues to drive the growth of podcast advertising around the world. NumberEight’s new report, Global Podcast Advertising Compass, supported by...
When I stepped up to the microphone at The Hoxton Holborn to welcome our guests to Audio Days London 2025, the energy in the room was undeniable. Ninety-plus digital audio leaders, experts, and enthusiasts had gathered, coffees in hand, ready to dig into the future of audio. To break the ice, I asked a simple...
Programmatic advertising has taken over the digital world. It’s fast, automated, and helps advertisers stretch their budgets further. Globally, programmatic now dominates display ads, capturing nearly 90% of all spend in 2025 and accounting for more than 96% of new growth in the category. It also represents nearly three-quarters of connected TV buys. Now advertisers,...
Confidence in digital advertising comes from control—control over where ads run, how they perform, and whether they align with brand values. As audio advertising surges in popularity, advertisers and agencies seek greater transparency, stronger brand safety measures, and more refined tools to combat fraud and ensure their message reaches the right audience in suitable environments....