Sounds Profitable

Didn't make SXSW this year? Our brief 10-minute presentation, Podcast Advertising Grows Up: Smarter Metrics, More Impact, is now available on YouTube, thanks to the team at Sounds Profitable: https://lnkd.in/eU3W7fBW This session explores how podcast metrics have become as trackable and actionable as social and CTV, with programmatic buying and precise audience targeting. Beyond downloads, brands gain deep insights into who’s listening, what they care about, and how to reach them effectively. Learn more about Magellan AI measurement or book a customized demo: https://lnkd.in/e5_rmJ9b

Social media fuels trends, but the latest one isn’t happening on your feed—it’s happening in #audio. With 64% of #consumers saying social spreads misinformation, #brands are turning to #podcastadvertising for stronger connections and deeper trust. ?? No one understands this shift better than Tom Webster of Sounds Profitable. Catch all the insights from our live chat with Tom, Sophie Anderson and Casey Fandacone. ??? https://bit.ly/3DNQ21z #socialmedia #advertiserinsights #podcasts #influencermarketing

?? Beyond Format Wars: Finding Success in Audio's Fragmented Future Just published my February research roundup for 'Spoken Word Audio'! This month's analysis reveals how audio boundaries are blurring across formats, platforms, and even national borders. February 2025 key findings include: ?? Political content is transcending borders - US podcast trends are directly influencing UK listening habits ??Australia shows the way forward with 81% radio reach AND 20% podcast growth, proving these formats can thrive together ??Three distinct listener mindsets are emerging beyond demographics: Indulgence, Inspiration, and Interconnection ??Major players like Wondery and SiriusXM are challenging traditional measurement as platforms converge For creators and industry professionals navigating this fragmented landscape, understanding what listeners want next has never been more complex - or more crucial. Full analysis in the comments below. ?? This month's post includes recent work from Edison Research Sounds Profitable Triton Digital Signal Hill Insights MAGNA Global Vox Media

Our partners at Sounds Profitable recently released The Business Podcast Consumer Report! According to their findings, The Business podcast consumer:? ??Listens to roughly 7.3 hours of podcasts per week!? ??78% report podcast consumption in the past week!? ??Listen to nearly 1.2 hours compared to other podcast users! If you want to reach this highly educated and attentive audience with a higher listenership, you will find them listening to podcasts! ?? #BrandSuitability #BrandSafety #PodcastAdvertising #AdTech

?????????????? ???? ?????? ?????????????? ???????? ???? ???????????????? ???? Getting ahead of the curve with Bryan Barletta. Our 2025 predictions series checks in with the Sounds Profitable Founder. Are these two areas going to see a lot of action this year ???? ?? ???????????????????????? + ?????????????????? ?? Join Bryan at ?????? ?????????????? ?????????in May, First Release passes closing soon... the clock is ticking! #Podcasting | #PodShowLDN

Our Q4 update to the 2024 Podscape is out! In partnership with Sounds Profitable, we’ve mapped out the leading companies, agencies, and services shaping the podcasting industry. From content creation to hosting services to media planning, agencies, and media sales, grab a copy to see how the biggest players fit together on one page: https://lnkd.in/e2-mbMiy

Consuming my daily dose of The Download by Sounds Profitable and came across this article "The podcast middle class will continue to shrink" by Alex Sujong Laughlin and I must disagree. Depending on what network you are working with "The Middle Class", defined here as "$100,000 to $500,000 budget range" is thriving and will continue to thrive. But, this means you need a monetization method that treats all shows as equal and not as impressions on a network. Here at QCode and other publishers in the space that do rely on a mix of baked-in ads (for 60 days) and DAI, you are seeing many shows hit this revenue mark, with smaller per episode numbers than you would think. We have shows that are doing 45k-58k per episode that are hitting $230k-$280k a year. For, DR brands and brand advertisers, can see these smaller audiences as being more passionate at times to support the hosts and the brands they endorse. The examples above, are hosts who have quit their day jobs and do this for a living. Plenty of room still for individual shows to go to a network, in the 35k-100k per ep, to be treated like it's own small business entity.

Don’t miss out! Join us tomorrow, December 11, at 2pm EST for an exclusive webinar on the 2024 True Crime Podcast Listener Landscape. Featuring insights from Sounds Profitable's Tom Webster, and Mandy & Melissa of Moms & Mysteries, this session will explore: ?? Overlooked audience segments ?? How sponsors connect with listeners ?? The unique bond between hosts and their audience Discover which listener groups are driving true crime’s popularity—and how these insights can supercharge your podcast advertising strategy. Register now: https://bit.ly/3ZpMsl6 #TrueCrime #Podcast #Advertising https://bit.ly/3ZpMsl6

“The future of Podcast is video!” “The future of Podcast is audio!” Why not both? ?? If you haven’t heard, there’s been some hand-wringing with Spotify's recent video push. Let’s get you up to speed: 1?? We broke it down on a recent episode of The Media Roundtable. 2?? Sounds Profitable's Tom Webster shared his thoughts (?? in comments) 3?? Per a great Podcast Business Journal Interview with Neil Mody (CEO, Headliner), audio and video actually have two strengths that work well together?? Video = discovery & Audio = retention. Audio vs. Video doesn’t have to be a battle ?? Meet your audience where they are. They’re on YouTube and TikTok? Great, make clips for YouTube and TikTok. If you show value, they’ll want more and find the full show. Our hot take? ?? To grow and stay relevant, the podcast industry should focus on accessibility, discoverability, and creating value for the audience, rather than being confined by definitions. Sound off in the comments: can audio and video play well together??? – #AudioAdvertising #Podcast #Video

The Future of Podcasting is here, pay attention: In Tom Webster's latest Sounds Profitable post he shares his thoughts on the future of RSS and what it means for podcasting, especially in light of new updates from Spotify and YouTube. In his book ?????? ???????????????? ???? ??????????????????, which I recommend to all new podcasters, he writes about the MiniDisc. It was audio tech magic—better compression and swappable batteries. But MiniDisc’s story is a lesson about clinging too tightly to a single tech spec. Here’s why this matters now: Podcasting is evolving, moving beyond its RSS roots. Today, the big players are ??????, ??????????????, and ??????????????. If you’re a purist, this might feel like a threat. But as a creator? It’s a time of ?????????????????? ??????????????????????. ?? ?????? ?????????????????? ?????? ???????????????????? ?????? ????????????????: 1?? ??????’?? ?????????????? ???????????????????? ???? ?????? RSS is magic for creators, but most listeners don’t care how their podcast reaches them. They just want it easy to find, consume, and share.? 2?? ???????????????? ?????? ?????? ???????????????? Dave Winer, the creator of RSS, is right: podcast clients need innovation. But not for creators—for audiences. YouTube wins because it’s easier to navigate, discover, and engage. Podcast apps? Too often they feel like empty rooms.? 3?? ?????????? ???????? ?????????????? ???????????????????? Don’t fear “rented land.” Louis Vuitton built its NYC flagship on land they don’t own because ????????’?? ?????????? ?????? ???????????? ??????. Spotify and YouTube may feel like walled gardens, but those gardens are vast, buzzing, and fruitful. Until you’re the IKEA of podcasts, you need to hustle where the audience already is. 4?? ???????????????? “??????????????” To the average listener, a podcast is simply a talk show. Live, recorded, audio, video—it’s the experience, not the delivery method. The audience has already defined it.? ?? ?????? ?????? ??????????????: Stop limiting podcasting with rigid definitions or clinging to nostalgia. Instead, innovate, adapt, and focus on where the people are. That’s how you grow—whether it’s on YouTube, Spotify, or the next big thing. Let’s build a future where podcasting thrives everywhere—because the walls? They’re all in our heads. Read Tom's full post at soundsprofitable [dot] com