A growing body of research continues to show that audio delivers levels of attention, engagement, and effectiveness that rival, and in some cases exceed, video, even when audiences believe video is more immersive. Take Game of Thrones, for instance.
A peer-reviewed study published in Scientific Reports found that listeners of audiobook scenes from George RR Martin’s Game of Thrones series experienced stronger physiological responses than viewers of the same scenes on television. Using biometric measurements including heart rate, body temperature, and galvanic skin response, researchers determined that audio audiences demonstrated higher emotional and cognitive engagement despite reporting that video felt more engaging.
Those findings align with newer attention-based measurement frameworks now being adopted by advertisers, per Cumulus Media’s Audio Active Group in response to recent headlines about audio podcast ads outperforming their YouTube counterparts.
According to the 2024 Adelaide Outcomes Guide, audio placements generate attention levels nearly equal to television, despite lacking visual elements. Average Attention Units, an omnichannel metric measuring the probability of attention and impact, placed terrestrial AM/FM radio and streaming audio close to linear TV and ahead of many digital video and social platforms.
The attentiveness advantage carries economic implications. Adelaide’s analysis shows that achieving the same level of attention delivered by a $1,000 AM/FM radio investment would require more than $2,600 on Facebook and more than $1,100 on online video. Streaming audio and podcasts required less spend than broadcast radio to achieve comparable attentiveness.
Research from Dentsu and Lumen found that audio generates higher attentive seconds and greater brand recall than industry norms for visual media, while delivering the lowest attention cost per thousand impressions. Audio placements also produced stronger short-term profit return on investment than most other media categories, including online video and linear television.
The findings suggest a consistent theme: while video may feel more immersive, audio demands active mental participation, driving deeper cognitive processing, emotional response, and memory formation, which is just what the advertiser ordered.
