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Todayâs reading time is 5 minutes. - Miko Santos (9 November 2025)
đď¸Today, weâve got the inside scoop on:
Podcasters Match Journalists for Consumer Trust, Acast Study Finds
Political Candidates Embrace Podcast Strategy as Winners Dominate Audience Reach
Podcast Insight: Majority of US Podcast Publishers Post October Gains, Podtrac Reports
PodBusiness : Candace Podcast Surges to Top Episode Rankings as BetterHelp Maintains Ad Spending Lead
Job Board : Podimo - PR Manager
Todayâs issue takes 5 minutes to read.
ACAST
Podcasters Match Journalists for Consumer Trust, Acast Study Finds
Podwires Rundown: Podcasters are now as trusted as journalists for purchase recommendations. REALLY? Let that sink in for a second. While the industry obsesses over video expansion and social reach, 84% of podcast listeners say a host has literally changed their mind about something they once believed â yet three-quarters refuse to call these people âinfluencers.â
This isnât cognitive dissonance. Itâs proof that podcasting cracked a code the rest of media is still trying to understand: resonance beats reach, every single time.
Acast released its annual Podcast Pulse 2025 report this week, developed with research firm Differentology across nine global markets (USA, UK, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Mexico, Norway, Sweden) surveying more than 2,500 podcast listeners. The findings reveal podcasters arenât just competing with traditional media â theyâve fundamentally redefined what influence means in modern marketing.
The Key Points:
Podcasters match journalists for trust (33% each) in purchase decisions, outranking YouTubers (31%), social media influencers (28%), and celebrities (25%) â despite 75% of listeners refusing to categorize podcasters as âinfluencersâ
79% of listeners describe podcasts as feeling like a personal, one-to-one conversation, creating the kind of parasocial intimacy that drives the 84% mind-changing statistic
Audio remains the foundation even in a multi-platform world â while Acast creators command 2.66 billion social followers collectively and 59% of listeners follow hosts on social, 55% say the podcast audio feed is where they form the deepest connection
72% of daily listeners say podcasts significantly shape cultural conversation, with younger demographics (58% of 18-24, 62% of 25-34) choosing podcasts as their preferred medium for exploring complex topics
84% of listeners have taken action after podcast-first omnichannel campaigns, with 60% thinking more favorably about brands and 44% making purchases â numbers that jump to 94% for niche podcast listeners
Why It Matters: This research destroys the tired assumption that podcasting needs to become something else to matter. While everyone panics about video and social extensions, the data proves audio intimacy is podcastingâs actual superpower â the thing that makes everything else work. Podcasters earn trust through sustained, chosen listening experiences that feel personal rather than algorithmic. That trust then extends everywhere the creator goes, making video and social effective because of the audio foundation, not instead of it. For advertisers chasing âinfluencers,â this means the real ROI lives in the medium theyâve been treating as secondary.
The Big Picture: For podcasters and producers, this validates what you already suspected: the intimate audio experience youâre building isnât a limitation to overcome â itâs the entire value proposition. Fair play to those already treating the audio feed as their primary relationship-building tool while using video and social as reach extensions rather than replacements. The strategic takeaway here is clear: invest in audio quality, consistency, and genuine connection first. Your social presence and video clips matter because they amplify trust built through audio, not because theyâre replacing it.
The commercial implications are massive. Brands now have concrete proof that podcast advertising works differently than other channels â not just reaching audiences, but actually changing minds and driving action at rates that crush traditional media. For producers, this means you can confidently pitch podcast campaigns as high-trust, high-conversion opportunities rather than experimental budget line items. The resonance formula is simple: Attention + Trust = Action. Podcasts dominate all three variables.
But hereâs the uncomfortable truth the industry needs to hear: this research only matters if people can actually find and consume podcasts easily. All this trust and conversion data becomes irrelevant if discovery and playback experiences continue lagging behind closed platforms. The Acast research proves podcastingâs superiority as an influence medium â now the technical infrastructure needs to match that value. Otherwise, weâre just measuring the declining relevance of a medium that couldnât get its act together while it still had the advantage.
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PODTRAC
Majority of US Podcast Publishers Post October Gains, Podtrac Reports
Podwires rundown :The podcast industry showed continued momentum in October, with the majority of tracked publishers reporting audience growth across key metrics, according to new rankings released this week by Podtrac, the leading podcast measurement and analytics service.
Podtrac released its October 2025 rankings for top US and global publishers, networks, and individual podcasts, revealing growth patterns that suggest sustained expansion in the medium. The report, available at Podtrac.com, now includes expanded international data with new country-specific rankings covering 35 nations.
The Key Points:
Fourteen US ranking participants recorded increases in Unique Monthly Audience (UMA) in October compared to September, representing the majority of tracked publishers and indicating broad-based audience expansion
Sixteen US ranking participants saw growth in total US downloads month-over-month, suggesting both audience growth and increased listening frequency among existing subscribers
Five of the top global networks posted gains in combined downloads, streams, and views internationally, demonstrating podcastingâs continued expansion beyond US markets
Podtrac introduced new country-specific rankings for 35 nations, providing more granular insight into international podcast consumption patterns and regional market leaders
The October data marks consecutive months of growth for the majority of tracked publishers, indicating sustained momentum rather than seasonal fluctuation in the podcast advertising marketplace
Why It Matters: These rankings provide the podcast industryâs most comprehensive monthly snapshot of audience trends, helping publishers, advertisers, and networks understand market dynamics and competitive positioning. Month-over-month growth across the majority of measured publishers suggests the medium continues attracting new listeners while retaining existing audiences. For advertisers evaluating podcast investments, consistent audience growth across multiple publishers indicates a maturing, stable marketplace rather than one dependent on a few dominant players. The expansion of international tracking to 35 countries reflects podcastingâs evolution from a primarily US-centric medium to a global platform.
The Big Picture: For podcasters and producers, Octoberâs data validates continued investment in content development and audience growth strategies. With the majority of publishers posting gains, the rising tide appears to be lifting most boats rather than concentrating growth among a handful of networks. Producers should note that growth in both UMA and downloads suggests audiences are not only discovering new shows but consuming more content from existing subscriptions.
Publishers can use these rankings to benchmark performance against competitors and identify growth opportunities in specific markets now that country-level data is available. The international expansion of Podtracâs rankings is particularly significant for networks evaluating global distribution strategies or considering partnerships with international publishers.
For the advertising community, consistent month-over-month growth across multiple publishers reinforces podcastingâs position as a reliable reach vehicle. The combination of audience expansion and increased consumption provides advertisers with both scale and frequency opportunities. Networks posting international gains offer particularly compelling opportunities for brands pursuing global or regional campaigns.
Registration for monthly ranking updates is available at Podtrac.com, allowing industry stakeholders to track competitive dynamics and identify emerging trends as they develop.
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EDISON RESEARCH
Political Candidates Embrace Podcast Strategy as Winners Dominate Audience Reach
Podwires Rundown: Podcasts arenât just part of the political playbook anymore â theyâre becoming the entire game plan. Tuesdayâs elections in New York City and New Jersey prove it, with both victors massively outgunning their opponents in podcast audience reach. And the numbers from Edison Podcast Metrics tell a story the political establishment canât ignore: go where the listeners are, or lose.
Edison Podcast Metrics analyzed podcast appearances from the four major candidates in Tuesdayâs marquee races â NYC mayoral candidates Zohran Mamdani and Andrew Cuomo, plus New Jersey gubernatorial candidates Mikie Sherrill and Jack Ciattarelli. The team scoured the internet from January through October 2025 to document every podcast episode featuring these candidates. What they found should terrify any political consultant still treating podcasts as optional.
The Key Points:
Mamdani appeared on 31 podcasts reaching approximately 12.5 million weekly U.S. podcast listeners, compared to Cuomoâs 18 appearances reaching just 1.2 million weekly listeners â a tenfold difference in potential audience exposure
Sherrill made 18 podcast appearances reaching an estimated 4.1 million weekly listeners, while Ciattarelliâs 16 appearances reached only 972,000 weekly listeners â a 4-to-1 audience advantage
Both winners achieved decisive victories and blowout margins among younger voters, the demographic most likely to consume podcast content regularly
The volume of appearances exceeded 2024 presidential candidates, with Mamdaniâs 31 appearances surpassing both Kamala Harris (8 podcasts) and Donald Trump (20 podcasts) from the presidential race
Edisonâs reach estimates measure national weekly audience by show, not individual episodes, meaning the actual voter exposure in NYC and New Jersey likely represents a fraction of the total reach â yet the strategic advantage remains clear
Why It Matters : Last November, Edison captured how podcasts connected with voters during the 2024 Presidential election through appearances on shows like Call Her Daddy, This Past Weekend with Theo Von, and The Joe Rogan Experience. Tuesdayâs results prove that strategy has cascaded down-ballot with devastating effectiveness. The candidates who booked bigger podcasts won bigger races. Period. This isnât correlation â itâs causation playing out in real time. Political campaigns now face a harsh reality: podcast audience reach is becoming a proxy for media sophistication, and media sophistication wins elections.
The Big Picture : For podcasters and producers, this represents validation and opportunity in equal measure. Political campaigns are treating podcast appearances as essential voter outreach, not experimental side projects. The sheer volume of appearances â 83 combined podcast episodes across four candidates in just ten months â demonstrates podcasts have become mandatory stops on the campaign trail, not novelty bookings.
Producers should recognize what this means for show positioning and monetization. Political campaigns bring budgets, urgency, and measurability to podcast advertising in ways few other categories can match. Shows that cultivated politically engaged audiences now have quantifiable proof their listeners matter to the most consequential decision-makers in American democracy. Thatâs leverage.
The Edison data reveals an uncomfortable truth for political strategists: booking volume isnât enough. Cuomo made 18 appearances â respectable by any standard â but reached an audience ten times smaller than Mamdaniâs 31 appearances. Ciattarelli appeared on 16 podcasts yet reached less than a quarter of Sherrillâs audience. The winners didnât just hustle harder â they hustled smarter, securing appearances on shows with larger, more engaged audiences.
This creates a new dynamic for podcast hosts and networks with substantial reach. Youâre no longer just content creators â youâre kingmakers. Political campaigns will chase access to your audiences with the same intensity they pursue television appearances and rally crowds. The question becomes: how do you leverage that influence while maintaining editorial credibility?
The comparison to presidential candidates adds crucial context. Mamdani appeared on more podcasts than Trump or Harris, despite running for a municipal office. Let that sink in. Down-ballot candidates are now out-podcasting presidential nominees because they understand the mediumâs power. This isnât a trend â itâs a fundamental realignment of political media strategy.
For the podcast industry, Tuesdayâs elections provide empirical evidence that podcast audiences drive real-world outcomes at scale. Edison Podcast Metrics has handed podcasters the ultimate case study: larger audience reach through podcast appearances correlates with electoral victory, especially among younger voters who are reshaping the electorate. The medium that struggled for advertiser respect now commands the attention of the most sophisticated political operations in the country.
Fair play to Edison for documenting this with actual data instead of vibes and speculation. The podcast industry needed receipts to prove political impact, and now we have them.
PODSCRIBE
Candace Podcast Surges to Top Episode Rankings as BetterHelp Maintains Ad Spending Lead
Podwires Rundown: The Candace Owens podcast claimed the top position in downloads and views per episode during October, surging from sixth place the previous month with 3.5 million per episode, according to new industry rankings released this week by Podscribe, a podcast measurement and advertising intelligence firm.
The October 2025 Industry Ranker, which Podscribe notes is the most comprehensive tracking of podcast shows, publishers and advertisers, revealed shifts in both content popularity and advertising investment patterns as the medium continues its growth trajectory.
While Candace dominated per-episode metrics, The Daily from The New York Times, Crime Junkie, and The Joe Rogan Experience maintained their positions in overall audience reach, drawing 11.1 million, 10.8 million and 6.2 million listeners respectively during the month.
The Key Points:
The Daily, Crime Junkie and The Joe Rogan Experience held the top three positions for total audience reach at 11.1 million, 10.8 million and 6.2 million listeners, demonstrating continued dominance by established shows in overall listenership
Candace jumped from sixth to first place in downloads and views per episode, reaching 3.5 million per episode in October and representing one of the monthâs most significant ranking movements
Spotify, SiriusXM Media and iHeartMedia maintained the top three publisher positions with 53.9 million, 41.9 million and 32.2 million audio reach respectively, reinforcing concentration among major media companies
Acast held fourth place in audio reach at 26.3 million while breaking into the top 10 for monthly downloads and views, ranking eighth with 120.9 million and demonstrating growth across multiple measurement categories
BetterHelp remained the top advertising spender at an estimated $5.6 million, while Americaâs Beverage Companies debuted at second place with approximately $4.3 million in estimated October spend
Why It Matters : The Podscribe rankings provide the industryâs most detailed monthly view of podcast performance, including simulcast support, growth trends, sponsor data and real-time metrics unavailable in other measurement systems. For publishers and advertisers, these rankings offer competitive intelligence on content performance and spending patterns across the ecosystem. The maintenance of top positions by established shows alongside rapid movement by newer entries like Candace demonstrates both the stability of audience favorites and the potential for swift audience growth when content resonates with listeners.
The Big Picture : For podcasters and producers, Octoberâs rankings reveal two distinct pathways to success in the current landscape. Established shows from major publishersâThe Daily, Crime Junkie, Joe Roganâmaintain massive audience reach through consistent quality and institutional distribution advantages. Meanwhile, personality-driven shows like Candace demonstrate that individual creators can rapidly climb rankings through timely content and audience engagement, even competing against well-resourced media organizations.
Publishers should note the continued dominance of major media companies in overall reach metrics, with Spotify, SiriusXM Media and iHeartMedia commanding the top three positions. However, Acastâs simultaneous strength in both audio reach and total downloads suggests independent publishers can compete effectively across multiple measurement categories without the scale of platform-owning competitors.
For the advertising community, BetterHelpâs sustained position as the top spender reflects direct-to-consumer brandsâ continued confidence in podcast advertisingâs return on investment. The debut of Americaâs Beverage Companies at second place with $4.3 million in estimated spend represents a notable entry by a trade association into podcast advertising, potentially signaling growing sophistication in how industry groups view the mediumâs advocacy and public relations value.
Podscribe noted it has updated its naming convention for monthly rankings to reflect the measurement period rather than release date. The October 2025 ranker captures performance from October 1-31, 2025. Additional insights and detailed rankings are available through Podscribeâs platform, with demonstration access available by request.
đď¸ EVERYTHING ELSE IN PODCASTING TODAY
âď¸ ATP Tour and Spotify Announce Major Content Partnership for Tennis Fans Through 2026. The ATP Tour and Spotify have unveiled a groundbreaking global content collaboration designed to revolutionize how tennis fans engage with the sport through compelling original programming and exclusive behind-the-scenes access.
âď¸ Apple Podcasts to Launch Auto-Generated Chapters and Timed Links in iOS 26.2 Developer Beta. Apple Podcasts will introduce automatically-generated chapters for English-language podcast episodes and timed links allowing creators to add timestamped connections to Apple Music, Apple News, Apple Podcasts, and Apple TV content when iOS 26.2 launches from developer beta testing, with both features offering creator opt-out options and auto-generated chapters only appearing when creators donât provide their own, following Spotifyâs similar feature rollout earlier in 2025.
âď¸ Magellan AI Q3 2025 Report Shows Podcast Ad Spending Up 26% Year-Over-Year Across 94,724 Episodes. Magellan AIâs Q3 2025 Quarterly Benchmark Report analyzed 94,724 podcast episodes and found podcast advertising spending increased 26% year-over-year with 1,689 new brands entering the market and gaming industry ad spend jumping 59%, while the company will host a free webinar on November 18, 2025 to discuss the findings.
âď¸ Spotify for Creators Leads October 2025 Podcast Hosting Market with 29.5% Share of 1.5 Million New Episodes, Livewire Labs Reports. Livewire Labsâ October 2025 podcast hosting analysis of 1.5 million new episodes (up 0.2% month-over-month) found Spotify for Creators maintained the top position with 29.5% episode share, followed by Spreaker at 18.1% and Buzzsprout at 10%, while other notable platforms included Podbean (3.5%), Simplecast (3.4%), Megaphone (3.1%), RSS.com (3.0%), Transistor (2.8%), and Libsyn (2.7%) in the independent verification study by analyst John Spurlock.
âď¸ RSS.com Hosts Free Podcast Legal Webinar with Gordon Firemark on November 13, 2025 Covering Copyrights and Trademarks. RSS.com is hosting a free YouTube Live webinar on Thursday, November 13, 2025 at 10 am PT featuring entertainment attorney Gordon Firemark, known as The Podcast Lawyer, and Greg Wasserman to teach podcasters about copyrights, trademarks, contracts, monetization disclosure rules, libel and defamation risks, and LLC formation to help creators protect their shows and avoid legal mistakes.
âď¸ AIR Hosts Free Social Impact Podcasting Panel on November 18, 2025 with Leaders from The Podglomerate and Hueman Group Media. The Association of Independents in Radio (AIR) is hosting a free recorded Zoom panel on Tuesday, November 18, 2025 at 3pm ET featuring moderator Ayo Oti and panelists from The Podglomerate, Hueman Group Media, and Podcasters with Impact to discuss how social impact podcasters can navigate industry challenges including studio closures, nonprofit funding volatility, and marketing strategies for investigative journalism and mission-driven shows beyond financial ROI.
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