Why Digital Audio Deserves More Attention with Larry Rosin of Edison Research

In this episode of the Media Roundtable, we’re joined by a very special guest, Larry Rosin (President, Edison Research). If you’ve been following us, you know that Edison Research has been on the cutting edge of audio insights, and we’re nothing if not data-driven. What’s the data telling us this week? That audio, especially digital audio, doesn’t get the respect it deserves. Our hot take? Listeners and advertisers should be glad that it doesn’t.

Oxford Road founder and CEO Dan Granger and fellow Oxford Road luminaries Neal Lucey, James Ingrassia, and Miranda Romano. Let’s dig in.

On-Demand Demands More Ears  – On-Demand Listening surpassed Linear Audio in 2023. It’s a long-coming shift in the audio landscape, accelerated by the pandemic–and it mirrors the change for video. This doesn’t mean these ears are unreachable, but it raises the bar for ad relevancy and interest since advertisers are interrupting a lean-forward audience.

Podcasting Milestone  – Podcasting now claims 10% of listening time. Even so, there’s an underinvestment in ad spend for podcasting relative to listening habits. That doesn’t make it a free lunch, but with lower ad loads and higher host trust, digital audio is still a great value meal for advertisers and listeners.

AI-Influencers  – Remember that host trust we’ve been toting? Well, AI host-read ads are on the horizon, and with them, the question of authenticity. Benefits: Unmatched efficiency. Downsides: Are we turning the golden goose into a cyborg? Listener preferences for host-endorsed products suggest authenticity still matters. We’ll see if robo-hosts can make real recommendations.

“All of Audio is underfunded.” – Larry Rosin, President of Edison Research

So, what would happen if “Audio” got the investment it deserved? As the industry makes room for more ad dollars, we’re pulling up the cautionary tale of radio. Unrestrained ads compromise the listening experience, and we’d lose the magic we’ve come to expect from intimate host reads. The position shouldn’t just be “Audio’s underfunded, so let’s increase ad investment,” instead, “How can we be sure we’re investing in audio that makes it an amazing investment for decades to come?”

Dive in with us and develop your hot takes from these Edison Research insights, which absolutely deserve a spot in any Chief Audio Officer’s toolbelt. For full breakdowns of these stories and a whole lot more, tune in to the full episode by clicking here.

The Classifieds

Aye, Aye, Aye

After a five-year absence, The Osbourne Family is returning to their well-received podcast once more. Brought to us by Kahn Artist, the 20-week limited season will include all four iconic family members: Ozzy, Sharon, Jack, and Kelly. During their last run in 2018, the phenomenal family interviewed a variety of celebs, including Jim Norton, Sheryl Underwood, and Carnie Wilson. The show promises to cover all their favorite topics, including cults, rock n’ roll, phobias, pets, and family squabbles.
The show should appeal to a variety of advertisers based on the tune-in value of a large celebrity podcast, the diverse demo that the show covers (18-65), its history as a high performer for DTC brands, and the inclusion of YouTube and Rumble viewership.  You don’t need to be crazy to ride this train; you only need to click below to secure the deal.

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True Crime Podcast Gets Personal

True Crime has become the most recognizable podcast genre in the past eight years, but its listenership has fragmented based on recent trends. A growing topic of discussion is the erasure of victims and their families’ POVs when their stories are told. Collier Landry, the sole survivor and witness to a brutal familial crime hosts Moving Past Trauma, a podcast that helps similar listeners work through difficult emotions to move on with their lives.
Landry interviews fellow trauma survivors, academics, advocates, and storytellers to finish the narratives we often let end too soon. This podcast is currently being offered through Untamed River, a network devoted to giving true crime victims a platform to set the record straight. High performers in this Health & Fitness offering are often in DTC or B2C categories and target young professionals.. Become the newest sponsor of this genre-bending selection by clicking the link below.

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In Case You Missed It

On-Demand is In Demand

Summarizing the articles in this week’s podcast, we start with the newest Edison Research Study. Edison Research has been monitoring the share of listening between on-demand and linear platforms since 2014. Over this period, Edison has observed the gap gradually decreasing, from an approximate 40-point difference to the present day, where on-demand has overtaken linear. As mentioned in the podcast, this trend parallels what we see in video consumption.

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Ambition, Scrutiny, and the Road to Profitability – Spotify’s Podcast Empire

Spotify’s ambitious investments in celebrity deals and original content for the promising podcast industry are now under scrutiny due to rising costs and competition challenges. However, with 100 million podcast listeners and a projected 30% ad revenue growth this year, Spotify could very well achieve the goal of turning its podcast business profitable by 2024. We will see.

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Are AI Host Reads – “Host Reads”?

PodcastAI is a new company that empowers creators to use AI for content creation and automation. One of the most noteworthy features in development is a cutting-edge system that generates customized AI hosts mimicking their real-life counterparts in speech, sound, and appearance, even creating and voicing ads. Our view is that perhaps some things shouldn’t be automated, especially when trust & authenticity are foundational to podcast advertising’s success.

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#SaveTheLiveReads

Michael Cohen’s Drawers

This week, Michael Cohen of the “Mea Culpa” podcast’s read for Tommy John is topping our great aircheck charts. To start, the Oxford Road media team found a host who gives ecstatic recommendations for his advertisers.  Michael’s exuberant demeanor and raving personal testimony about wearing his “Tommy John” underwear to the tennis court is the kind of recommendation most brands dream about. When a host goes on about a product for almost three full minutes and says, “I felt like a million bucks”, the audience truly gets the hint that this is the real deal! From the setup to the execution of this advertisement, the folks over at Tommy John can rest assured that this will be a long-time sponsorship!

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