Audio measurement is facing its most dramatic shift in years. The familiar benchmarks that once defined success are no longer enough. Advertisers want more than impressions and CPMs. They want proof that campaigns move the needle on awareness, engagement, and sales.
For publishers, that makes this a pivotal moment. Those who can demonstrate audio’s full impact have a chance to reset perceptions and capture a larger share of ad budgets.
A Measurement Reckoning
According to Edison Research’s Share of Ear, Q2 2025, Americans spend about four hours each day with audio. Yet audio continues to receive a disproportionately small share of ad budgets. eMarketer reports that audio accounts for 21% of media time but just 4.5% of total media investment.
Without better measurement tools, publishers risk seeing the medium remain undervalued in an environment where advertisers increasingly demand proof of impact. This growing demand for accountability has set the stage for a new marketing model that bridges the gap between reach and results.
Why Brandformance Matters
Brandformance combines the emotional pull of brand advertising with the accountability of performance marketing. Marketers are moving past the old divide between brand and performance. They’re embracing this hybrid model, which ties long-term brand-building to measurable outcomes.
In short, brandformance means campaigns should not only build recognition but also prompt measurable action. Oxford Road’s Q1 2025 study, The Sound of Growth, found that audio advertising drives an average of 18% of branded search volume, with some brands seeing the number climb above 40% when campaigns are sustained.
In today’s environment of stricter privacy rules and rising consumer expectations, this dual focus is essential. Only measurement that captures both brand impact and direct response can show audio’s full potential. In other words, brandformance proves that what builds your brand can also drive your business, and audio is uniquely positioned to deliver both.
Audio’s Unique Fit
Audio is particularly well-suited to this approach. Its immersive quality allows advertisers to build emotional connections, while its flexibility enables clear calls to action. Nielsen podcast brand lift studies have shown that audio ads can improve brand recommendation by +6%.
For publishers, positioning audio within this full-funnel context is essential. Demonstrating how campaigns build brands while also driving measurable actions strengthens credibility and deepens advertiser trust.
Resetting the Measurement Stack
Meeting this moment requires more than a new mindset. Publishers need systems that link listening to results—without compromising privacy.
Advances in attribution are helping publishers close the loop between audio exposure and listener action. AdsWizz’s AudioPixel allows advertisers to measure performance in real time within an audio-first environment.
AdsWizz has also developed formats like ShakeMe™, which lets listeners interact with an ad by shaking their device, making engagement trackable even without on-screen interaction. Another feature, Second Screen, links audio ads with display campaigns by targeting listeners on the same device or within the same household (where allowed). This reinforces messaging and improves response rates.
Together, these tools show how audio is evolving from a medium long associated with reach and awareness to one that delivers clear, measurable outcomes across the funnel.
Protecting Privacy Provides an Advantage
The advertising industry has spent the past few years adjusting to regulations like GDPR in Europe and CCPA in California. At the same time, consumers have become more aware of how their data is collected and used.
For publishers, acknowledging this shift can often be a strength rather than a setback. Privacy-supportive approaches such as Comscore Predictive Audiences, offered through AdsWizz, make it possible to reach aggregated, contextual audience segments defined predictively from consumption patterns rather than relying on individual-level data. This allows advertisers to stay data-driven while fully respecting privacy requirements. By demonstrating the ability to combine meaningful audience insights with privacy protection, publishers can unlock premium budgets and foster long-term advertiser relationships.
What Publishers Should Do Now
The opportunity is real, but it demands decisive action. Publishers that move now can close the measurement gap and position audio as a core, results-driven channel within the media mix.
Publishers looking to lead the reset should:
- Audit existing measurement practices and identify gaps
- Invest in attribution systems that connect listening to actions
- Educate advertisers about audio’s evolving measurement capabilities
- Partner with a tech platform (such as AdsWizz) that provides transparent tools and works seamlessly within regulatory requirements
Redefining Audio Advertising Through Brandformance
The measurement reset is redefining what success looks like in the audio era. For too long, this medium has been judged by outdated standards that fail to capture its full impact. With brandformance as the guiding framework and modern tools to back it up, publishers can demonstrate that audio drives both brand power and business results.
Those who embrace this shift will not only secure more investment today, but they will shape the next generation of audio advertising built on accountability, creativity, and growth.
This is the moment for publishers and advertisers to work together to prove audio’s full impact.
Reach out today to learn how we can partner on building measurement solutions that prove audio’s full impact.
by Alexandra Ilie, Senior Product Marketing Manager
