As podcasting enjoys growing mainstream success, new data from Nielsen is showing that podcast ads aren’t just background noise. The 2025 Podcasting Today report shows how effective podcast advertising has become across industries, platforms, and demographics.
The findings, drawn from Edison Research’s Share of Ear Q2 2025 and Nielsen’s Podcast Brand Impact Norms Database, underscore both the reach and advertising effectiveness of the medium.
As previously reported, daily podcast listening accounted for nearly one-fifth of all time spent with ad-supported audio, compared to 64% for radio, 14% for ad-supported streaming, and 3% for satellite radio.
Nielsen’s brand lift benchmarks show that podcast ads continue to perform strongly across key metrics. On average, podcast campaigns generated a 10-point lift in brand awareness, an 8-point lift in information-seeking behavior, and a 6-point lift in purchase intent.
Nielsen’s research also shows that podcast listeners are highly receptive to advertising when delivered by trusted hosts. Seventy percent of exposed listeners recalled the advertised brand, while 66 percent believed the brand was a good fit for the show’s content.
Host favorability remained strong, with 64 percent of respondents rating the host positively. Listeners were also likely to take further action, with 59 percent indicating an intent to seek more information, 62 percent saying they would share the ad, and 53 percent giving the ad an overall positive rating.
The environment in which podcast ads are delivered also plays a critical role. Listeners described podcast advertising as interesting, natural, believable, and authentic. Nielsen found that podcast hosts significantly elevate the impact of a campaign, with 62 percent of listeners describing them as likeable, 42 percent as relatable, and 39 percent as credible.
Podcast advertising also consistently performs across verticals. The report found high brand recall and lift in fit and intent for auto, CPG, financial services, retail, and travel sectors. For example, auto ads generated an average of 8-point lifts in both brand affinity and information-seeking, and 6-point gains in purchase intent.
CPG campaigns produced similar results, with strong gains in purchase intent and recommendation rates. Financial services campaigns delivered notable impact as well, with consistent lifts across brand fit and consumer action metrics.
More data can be found in the full Podcasting Today report.
