Here’s What We Need to Do in 2022

By: Dan Granger

A neon sign hangs in our office that reads, “Here’s What We Need to Do.” At Oxford Road, our agency business depends on us being a consultancy as much as a service provider. So the quality of our recommendations is the most valuable asset we bring to the market. Besides, everyone has already put out their ’22 predictions, and predictions are only as good as the action they spark. We’re in the performance business and much more concerned with outcomes, so let’s try something new.

These are the seven key initiatives that would demonstrably expand and optimize the podcast industry in 2022 presented as headlines we wish would be published before this time next year:

Top Podcast Networks Join to Create Standard Disclosures for the advertising community

With hundreds, if not thousands, of shows and networks all making up their ad policies and few actually publishing what they have for the advertising community, media planning is much more arbitrary than anyone would like to admit. Several major networks create policies and do not notify their ad partners until an Insertion Order has been rejected for reasons never disclosed. How do you value a program based on CPM when there is still no consistency in reporting features like unit load, unit type, unit length, or talent engagement? Networks would benefit from a more informed buying community and justify premiums applied to different content and ad units. Here are some of the items we’d like to see uniformly published for media buyers:

Standardized unit classification between produced ads, producer voiced, Talent Voiced, Talent Endorsed, Baked-in, and Dynamically inserted
Ad Load disclosures sharing unit length of ad units per hour
Separate pricing schedules for pre-rolls and mid-rolls, respectively
Clear lines of Demarcation between shows that focus on News vs. Opinion
Talent levels of involvement in ad campaigns (e.g., “Approves sponsors, willing to use advertiser offerings personally, joins onboarding discussion, wants campaign feedback…”)
Standardized exclusivity policies, so advertisers know if you allow competitors to have ads voiced by the same talent on the same program

2. Host Read Ads Include Category Exclusivity as Standard Feature

Host has a credible relationship with their audience. Host refers products and services to this community of trusted followers. Trust is transferred while ad resonance and response rates soar. This is nothing more than a feature in Radio, but host endorsements are the whole ballgame in Podcast. This is what propelled the business from zero to $1B+.

Now leading networks are trying to walk this back and not in a clever way.

In many cases, you can now purchase a Host-read ad placement. Want category exclusivity? You’re gonna pay extra for that. That effectively means that networks are willing to rent out the credibility of talent. Still, if you don’t pay an additional premium, they might just endorse your direct competitor in the following episode. Never mind how frustrating this is for advertisers; just think about how destructive this is for the hosts they represent. If I tell you to take my recommendation and purchase a Moink Box in one breath and Butcher Box in the next, what does that say about my integrity and trustworthiness as a recommender of goods and services?

We have forecasted for years that Radio and Podcast would morph into one another. Indeed, there will continue to be a greater emphasis on courting large brands to place big buys using only produced ads, without the risks associated with Influencer marketing. But as a performance marketing agency, we know empirically that the best-produced ads can only perform at a fraction of what a host endorsement can provide. Host endorsements should cost more and often justify the $40+ CPMs we currently see in the marketplace. But you cannot cheapen the golden goose. You must protect categories for a reasonable period (think 90 days+) for talent to maintain credibility. The new dominating forces in this industry have not yet accepted that you cannot scale double-digit CPMs for ads that are not host read. So the alternative to the endorsement ad is overpriced by hundreds of percentage points. Until this gets straightened out, large companies who paid hundreds of millions to acquire buzzy networks will continue to undermine trust in the marketplace by allowing talent to self-sabotage the relationships they have built with their audiences, imagining that trust can be diluted without consequence. It cannot.

3. Networks Drop “Forced Combo” on All Ad Buys

How would you like if all restaurants required that you purchase a pre-set menu or nothing at all? How would you like if Amazon would not allow you to buy individual items unless you bought a bag of other goods they want you to purchase, even if you don’t want them? Unfortunately, this is now standard practice for leading networks refusing placements on individual shows unless you also buy their leftovers. In some cases, smaller shows are not allowed to be purchased ala carte unless accompanied by a more considerable buy across a network. Worse, struggling creators are being denied monetization because some sponsors desirous of their offerings are required to purchase other shows, even if unwanted. Friends, this is crazy. As a buyer, it makes good sense that volume placements unlock discounts, while one-off purchases command a premium. However, to require customers to buy more than they need or want is bad business and entirely unsustainable. Networks would do well to proactively change these abusive policies before more press, and more of the market takes note of it, as this current fad is greedy and shortsighted, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of would-be purchasers.

4. Local News Outlets Join Together to Form Regional Podcast Networks

With the rise of digitally native publishers like Axios launching local news initiatives and movements like Protect Our Press advocating for efforts to save the industry, local media publications should band together, even with competitors, as a joint venture to launch regionally focused podcasts. Local didn’t make sense for many years when Podcast reach was too small to succeed in local markets. Still, as we go from being a newly minted Billion Dollar Industry to becoming a Multi-Billion Dollar Industry, these efforts will become much more viable. Either local news brands will create it themselves, or national brands will launch local initiatives. Of course, enough infrastructure already exists through local radio. Still, there does not seem to be a cohesive strategy binding together regional voices and providing more significant opportunities for scale among local advertisers, who are still holding their dollars on the sidelines. Legacy radio companies were slow off the starting block with podcasts and are now working feverishly to transition into the new world. It’s not too late for them to leverage their success in amassing local resources yet, but it will be soon.

5. Meta launches Promotion Tools, Allowing Creators to Grow Audience Through Facebook Ads

Whatever you may feel about Meta (Facebook/Instagram), its advertising policies, or the privacy challenges that are crippling ad spending, it’s still Podcasts’ most viable potential growth channel. With more than half a million creators actively making shows, there is a robust and fertile market desperate for new ways to grow their audience. New reports are sharing that even the frenzy of large shows and network acquisitions over the last few years is not yielding enough hits to satiate creators and investors. Facebook has the potential to stay in their wheelhouse by doing what they do best; making it easy for marketers to efficiently deploy significant ad dollars to produce measurable outcomes. While it’s interesting to watch them get into the Podcast game as a distribution platform, to break into the platform wars and stand out from Spotify, YouTube, Amazon, and Apple, they’ll need a competitive advantage. Ease of promotion would do just that. Meanwhile, it would significantly expand the industry’s addressable market by helping slower adopting users engage with the channel. All this would open up massive new and diversified revenue streams as networks, and independent creators outspend each other to build their audience and create an edge over the competition. YouTube has similar capabilities, except that Facebook’s ability to embed shows that you can listen to while scrolling through your feed allow for a level of scale that would be transformative for the industry.

6. Top Podcast Companies Offer Airchecks and Transcripts Standard for All Advertisers

Perhaps I am biased because I started my career in local radio sales and had to manually pull and share all airchecks with paying advertisers as proof of purchase and quality control. But when you buy something, there should be a receipt. And when you purchase something bespoke, there should be quality control measures in place to make sure your widget was delivered as ordered. So why do our industry manufacturers largely leave it to their customers to provide quality insurance for the items they purchase? I am confident this is too obvious an issue to belabor, and that reason will prevail over time. But these are the types of problems that make the industry less user-friendly than expected and receive elsewhere in the advertising community. The fact that most ads are customized with each insertion introduces a level of complexity that many may choose to ignore but cannot ignore forever. Creators and networks would do well to agree on a transcription and aircheck process. This process should include a quality report showing that expected language was delivered properly in purchased ads and that excluded language was not. To get a jump on this, you can reach our transcription partner here.

7. Podcast Industry Gets Serious About Brand Safety, Releases Content Ratings

It’s enough that Podcast is another user-generated media Ecosystem with no FCC involvement, no standards and practices, and virtually no known corporate policies allowing brands to take comfort (or at least shift blame in times of controversy). While we’ve written, spoken, and created protocols ad nauseam to help brands navigate the terrain, it’s time for the creators, networks, and platforms to start getting serious if they want to continue courting larger ad spenders. How can blue-chip advertisers feel safe trafficking ads on content recorded on a computer and uploaded without any content filters whatsoever?

Networks could band together and create our industry’s version of the Motion Picture Association Ratings. Hopefully, something even more robust so that brands could match their standards and values with like-minded content. Even better would be meaningful tools to offer a Values-based planning approach to brands based on things like the GARM Brand Safety Floor and Suitability Framework. With so many available transcription tools and advancements in AI and Sentiment Analysis, technology exists to make this a reality in 2022.

Through Oxford Road, we have already created or are in the development of some of these solutions for our clients and will have updates to announce throughout the year. Others are of high interest but not yet on our road map for development and execution. If you read something that connects, I invite you to reach out to me to discuss. We’re happy to collaborate with anyone who wants to protect and evolve our industry.

Dan

P.S. Disclaimer: The recommendations above include industry developments that may financially benefit Oxford Road, the ad agency which publishes, The Influencer, and its interests in companies that provide solutions to the podcast industry.

This Week’s Influencer: Faith-Based Creators Share the Strange Secret to Success; Retire the Word “Podcast?”; Podcast’s Next Era, and More…

What’s one podcast genre that’s successful for advertisers but is often overlooked?

Find out in a creator spotlight episode of Media Roundtable: Special Edition.

Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) welcomes the co-hosts of the hit, faith-based podcast Girls Gone Bible, Angela Halili & Arielle Reitsma.

They’re talking: A Meteoric Rise, Brand Love, and Marketing with Faith. Let’s dig in.

“There’s no dollar amount that’s worth doing anything that goes against our core mission.” – Angela Halili (Co-Host, Girls Gone Bible)

By Popular Demand – Video had a large part in creating these podcast stars. After a messy first episode, Arielle and Angela decided not to scrap the whole recording. Instead, they released some of the best clips, which promptly blew up with 20M views. The unfiltered rawness on display connected with their audience and fueled a subsequent meteoric rise. Clips can reveal what audiences want. Podcasts are where creators deliver.

Only Promote What You Love – You know when hosts phone in the ads? Not on GGB. Arielle and Angela are so protective of their audience that they pick brands they love enough to promote them. This should be a must for your campaigns: work with engaged hosts. They’re the creators who maintain the highest audience trust.

Marketing with Faith – Recent ORBIT insights showed that the Faith genre is a strong performer, but lags in investment. Brands are growing more comfortable supporting faith-based shows, but some hesitations prevent further investment. That means there’s a fantastic opportunity for smart brands to invest before the market catches on.

Want more insights into an overlooked, overperforming part of the industry? Tune in to the full episode by clicking any of the links below.

The Classifieds

May Your Days Be Merry and Bright

Network: Cloud10 / Monthly Downloads: 15k

With Q4 drawing to a close, we’re soon entering the industry’s quietest period of the year. For those able to rest and reset ahead of a bright new year, now is the time to start planning for better, healthier habits. Our first classified has recently joined Cloud10, a network that merrily promotes female-focused shows, many of which are self-improvement-based. Host Grace Bithell, LCSW, spends each episode working through toxic examples of guilt, stress, and shame to help her listeners find their joy.

For those looking for honest advice from an industry professional with the levity of a casual conversation with a new friend, this scratches that itch. This is an excellent opportunity for advertisers in the Mental Health or Wellness space, or any DTCs that focus on self-improvement or efficiency. So head down to the link below to add a guilt-free test to your Q1 plans.

Get The Deal

Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot

Network: Acast / Monthly Downloads: 30k

While “doing more reading” was not one of the most popular New Year’s Resolutions, there have been many literary podcasts seeing performance boosts in 2025, especially with the rise of “Booktok”. Fiction-based work has seen sizable growth in recent years, which has led to the rise of our second offering. Sisters Nicole and Lexi have been hosting Fantasy Fangirls for several years, and in that time, they have covered series such as Empyrean, A Court of Thorns and Roses series, and the Kindred’s Curse Saga. The podcast has built an impressive online community through its imaginative show structure, sassy jokes, and genuine enthusiasm. For those who balk at the constraint of book clubs but love finding kinship with their fellow readers, this is a great middle ground. For advertisers who find success in male-skewed genres such as Leisure, this female-skewed opportunity offers balance and a chance to diversify your audience. One does not simply walk into Mordor, nor do they find information anywhere but the link below.

Get The Deal

In Case You Missed It

Retire the Word “Podcast”? No Thanks.

The Verge’s Andru Marino argues “podcast” has become meaningless in 2025 as video dominates. YouTube’s podcast tab now shows late-night clips, video essays, food reviews, and cable news alongside traditional audio shows. Marino suggests retiring “podcast” as an outdated term in her latest article, similar to “web series,” proposing we repurpose older terminology instead. We say no, thank you. In 2025, podcasts reached mass consumption. Like it or not, the term is going to stick around. People know what podcasts are, and one look at the comments on the article confirms it. Yes, the iPod no longer exists, but by the same token, we still call a phone a phone even though it is no longer attached to your wall… It’s time, however, to recognize that podcasts have evolved beyond audio. The trick is evolving our understanding and measurement to capture the differences in delivery.

Podcasting’s Next Phase – Flexibility Will Be Key

Amplifi Media’s CEO Steve Goldstein declares podcasting has entered a new phase: the “Liquid Content” era. Following the intimate “MeUndies Era” (~$750K industry revenue), the investment-heavy “Spaghetti-Against-the-Wall Era,” and the “What Is a Podcast?” identity crisis, content now flows freely across YouTube, clips, newsletters, livestreams, and events. Goldstein has been involved since the beginning, so if he says we’re in a new phase of podcasting, he’s probably right. The key implication, as noted above, is that as podcasting continues to evolve, it may become harder to fully measure performance across new platforms. That said, this industry has a way of adjusting. If you want a virtually foolproof measurement, consider a HDYHAU survey with a second layer that captures specific podcast titles. We can help you set it up.

The Drama is Over: Howard Stern Renews with SXM

Howard Stern announced a new three-year deal with SiriusXM through 2028 on his final show of the year, ending months of speculation after reports suggested the platform might not renew his previous $100M/year contract. Terms of the new “more flexible schedule” deal weren’t disclosed. There was a lot of buzz this summer about whether Stern’s run at SiriusXM was coming to an end. While we know he’s sticking around through at least 2028, this might be the last long-term contract for Stern, given he’s in his 70s. It’s good news for Stern, SiriusXM, and advertisers who’ve continued to see real performance from his host-read ads.

A Stoic Take on Giving That Works

As the year winds down, this #STLR from The Daily Stoic is a timely reminder of why one of our advertisers, GiveWell, matters. Host Ryan Holiday starts with a very stoic question: “What are you actually going to do about it?” His read for the philanthropic-focused brand works because it is not preachy; It’s practical, empowering, and grounded in real impact. It also highlights GiveWell’s 18 years of research, its massive donor trust, and Ryan’s personal contributions every year. In a season focused on meaningful gifts and real outcomes, the message lands perfectly: generosity can be intentional and effective, turning good intentions into action that genuinely saves lives. This is a personal endorsement at its best, and is guaranteed to inspire even the stingiest of Scrooges this holiday season. Listen to this final gift of a read at the link below.

Listen Here

If you’ve read this far, thank you!

The Influencer is a production from the team at Oxford Road.
If you like our sometimes sassy, mostly informed POVs on the wonderful world of audio advertising, you should see what we do for our clients.

Interested in seeing how we could help your business?
Contact us at influencer@oxfordroad.com!

Thank you to the team that puts The Influencer together each week:

Ezra Fox – Media Roundtable & Ad Infinitum recap
Spencer Semonson – Classifieds
Neal Lucey – In Case You Missed It
Hannah Lloyd – Save The Live Reads

Editors:
Kyle Jelinek
Kristen Larson
Haley Wiese

This Week’s Influencer: Dismantling the Black Box of Video Measurement, Programmatic’s Rise in Popularity, ORBIT’s Making Waves, and More…

Does video perform better than audio? That is a question the market has been trying to answer for years, especially now that many podcasts feature video.

The industry has pivoted hard to video. It offers massive scale and new discovery opportunities. But for years, we’ve operated inside a measurement “black box,” forcing marketers to assume that a YouTube view is worth the same as a podcast download.

We now know that assumption is potentially costing brands millions.

In this Media Roundtable: Special Edition, Giles Martin (EVP, Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road) welcomes Pete Birsinger (CEO & Founder, Podscribe) to reveal the results of our industry-first report, “Re-Thinking YouTube: Why Your YouTube Ads Are Converting 25% Worse Than Audio.” After analyzing over 1,000 campaigns across 100+ brands, the data has revealed a shocking performance gap.

“The biggest unlocker of revenue is some way to measure the host-read embedded ads on YouTube.” – Pete Birsinger (CEO & Founder, Podscribe)

Pete and Giles are talking: The Black Box, Smart Methodology, and Lean-In Audiences.

The Classifieds

TL;DR:
It’s a Classified

Network: Big Little Media / Monthly Downloads: 155k

Podcasts, like birds, migrate during Q4, and this year is no different. This week, we have two top-performing podcasts with new networks that may still be available for rebooks. Our first is a brilliant melange of comedy, news, and internet hijinks. Hosts Ricky Hayberg and Eliot Morgan> cover a mix of global, national, and internet news, often peppering in their own brand of witty critique and bold reporting.

This is a video-heavy show with strong content alignment with similar nerd-driven YouTube channels, such as Funhaus and GameGrumps. Their content attracts a loyal, engaged audience of high-value consumers seeking effective updates on trending topics. They have amassed many DR advertisers with a strong male demo and a penchant for efficiency. Don’t allow a lag in your decision; sprint through your backlog by clicking below.

Get The Deal

Your Download For the Cultural Trends of Today

Network: Nativ.ly / Monthly Downloads: 50k

Creativity doesn’t have a strict standardization and is therefore a boundless topic of conversation. Sam Fragoso knows this well, as the idea fuels his long-running podcast, Talk Easy with Sam Fragoso. As a writer and cultural critic, Fragoso has explored complex ideas around the human condition for over a decade, and in his sit-down interviews, he deconstructs that creative process with a wide variety of industry professionals. Whether waxing poetic about The New Yorker’s 100th anniversary or walking through the production of a director’s new film, Fragoso creates welcoming, curious spaces for his listeners, and they happily walk through them. This has become an efficient top performer for several internal clients, especially those looking for a consumer base interested in high-end DTC products. Put the pen to paper, or the arrow icon on the link below, and learn more about this key offering.

Get The Deal

In Case You Missed It

Programmatic Audio: It’s the Next Big Thing

Madison & Wall projects digital audio will capture $1.2 billion of the $36 billion US programmatic market in 2025, with programmatic representing 73% of all open web transactions. Programmatic automation in audio is forecasted to climb from 22% in 2025 to 46% by 2030. eMarketer projects that 183.3 million of 239.6 million US digital audio listeners will be ad-accessible by 2026. iHeartMedia recently joined Spotify and SiriusXM in selling inventory through Amazon DSP. Madison & Wall is more conservative than eMarketer’s $2.3B forecast. Go figure, eMarketer is known to be optimistic. Either way, programmatic still represents only about 10–20% of digital audio spend, which says we are still in the early stages of growth. That will change, as access to inventory expands. If you want to enter this space, talk to us. We have the experts.

Podcasting’s Adult Years

Edison Research Share of Ear Q3 2025 shows podcasting’s median age has jumped to 39, up from 34 in 2023 and 29 in 2017—a “10-year increase in just eight years.” Biggest growth came from the 45-54 and 55-64 demos. Podcasts now hold 20% share of ad-supported audio vs. AM/FM’s 64%. 2025 is the year Edison Research showed podcasting hitting 55% in monthly consumption, helped by a broader definition that better captures video. It stands to reason that the median age would rise as well. As the podcasting tent gets bigger, there are more opportunities to reach a wider range of demographic segments, including older listeners with significant disposable income and purchasing power.

Podcast Ads Reward Smart Buyers

Acast reports 41% Q3 sales growth driven by big brands like Capital One and Coca-Cola flooding into podcast ads. Startups are struggling to compete. One brand (Asset) spent $60K on podcast ads with poor conversion on large shows, but found that smaller niche shows delivered better ROI. Acast CEO Greg Glenday admits the core problem: “Everybody is interested in podcasting ads, nobody has gone all the way in because it’s hard to buy and measure the ads.” If you’re a marketer working through a holdco, then yes, podcasting might be hard to buy and hard to measure. That’s not the case for specialist agencies that live in this space. Don’t overlook the insight that smaller shows often outperform big shows on ROI. Just don’t misinterpret it as a strategy to only buy niche shows. If you buy small, you’re likely to stay small.

A Wickedly Good MasterClass on Ad-Reads

Hollywood is abuzz about this week’s #STLR from Tactful Pettiness hosts Cody Rigsby and Andrew Chappelle, turning what could be a standard ad into an engaging, story-driven moment perfect for MasterClass. By opening with a personal, glamorous anecdote about attending the Wicked: For Good premiere, the listener is instantly hooked. This cultural moment connects that sense of access and aspiration to what MasterClass offers, making the transition feel organic rather than salesy. The tone is conversational, curious, and confident, with genuine enthusiasm that comes through in thoughtful name checks of instructors like Shonda Rhimes, Martha Stewart, Kris Jenner, and Annie Leibovitz. Key product details, pricing, flexibility, variety, and guarantees are delivered clearly without disrupting the flow, while the call to action feels friendly and on brand rather than scripted. The ad’s common theme is authenticity, energy, and trust, making it possible to learn from the biggest and boldest names in showbiz and beyond!

Listen Here

OXFORd In The News

Oxford Road Reveals That “OGs” Dominate New Podcasts In Ad Performance

Last week, we released our ORBIT Top 15 Performing OG Podcasts report, and the industry is taking notice. Outlets including Sounds Profitable, Podnews, Podcast Business Journal, and Podcasting Today are covering how ORBIT continues to challenge conventional wisdom about podcast advertising. This month’s rankings reveal that shows launched before March 2020 (before the podcasting gold rush) consistently outperform newer shows in driving ROI. In fact, 75% of today’s top performers launched before the pandemic, and OG shows carry a 12% efficiency premium thanks to multi-year listener relationships that newer entrants simply can’t replicate. The findings span 9 different genres, proving once again that there’s no single winning category, only shows that have built high-trust environments over time. For advertisers still chasing the latest celebrity launch or chart-topper, the data offers a clear message: execution outlasts hype. To see which veteran shows are delivering the strongest advertiser results, check out the full ORBIT Top 15 Performing OG Podcasts list here

Understanding The Science Behind What Makes a Radio Ad Stick

Our award-winning podcast Ad Infinitum is making waves beyond the podcasting world. Radio Ink picked up the latest episode, “Human Hacks,” featuring best-selling behavioral science author Richard Shotton, and transformed it into a deep dive on the science of audio persuasion. The piece explores Shotton’s insights from his book Hacking the Human Mind and how Oxford Road’s Executive Creative Director, Stew Redwine, applies them to audio advertising. The takeaway? Abstraction is the enemy of memorability. As Shotton explains, people remember just 9% of abstract phrases but 36% of concrete ones, a fourfold difference that makes or breaks audio creative. It’s why Red Bull says “gives you wings” instead of “gives you energy.” For advertisers looking to understand why some audio ads stick while others dissolve on-air, this is required listening. Check out the full episode h ere.

If you’ve read this far, thank you!

Interested in seeing how we could help your business?
Contact us at influencer@oxfordroad.com!

Thank you to the team that puts The Influencer together each week:

Ezra Fox – Media Roundtable & Ad Infinitum recap
Spencer Semonson – Classifieds
Neal Lucey – In Case You Missed It
Hannah Lloyd – Save The Live Reads

Editors:
Kyle Jelinek
Kristen Larson
Haley Wiese

This Week’s Influencer: 2025 Media Lookback on MRT; ORBIT’s December Results May Have You Update ‘26 Plans; ChatGPT Goes Ad Supported?; and More…

Video podcast wars, reaching critical masses, or radio’s reckoning… or reinvention: what was the biggest story of 2025, and how will it shape 2026?

Find out as we look back on all the major news stories of 2025 in a new Media Roundtable: Industry Edition.

Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) breaks down the stories that shaped the year with fellow audio luminaries:

Hernan Lopez (Founder of Owl & Co & Wondery, former CEO of Fox International)
James Cridland (Editor, Podnews & Podcast Business Journal)
Kyle Jelinek (VP, Client Services, Oxford Road)
Neal Lucey (EVP, Strategy & Product, Oxford Road)

The team is talking: Video Everything, Critical Mass, and Radio’s Next Act. Let’s dig in.

“ Video is definitely the big story for 2025.” – Neal Lucey (EVP, Strategy & Product, Oxford Road)

Video Podcast Wars – While YouTube still holds the crown, Spotify and Netflix came for it in 2025. We don’t know who will rule video next year (okay, probably still YouTube), but advertisers can’t ignore the video part of podcasts. Measurement is messier, but 100% doable. It’s time to get off the sidelines, and for the industry, we need to count impressions the same way. No more random combinations of views/downloads/instant plays/vibes. Standardize measurements to create confidence and growth.

Critical Mass – 73% of Americans have consumed a podcast. This is proof that our little industry’s all grown up. But James says the important number is 773, as in 773 million podcast hours consumed each week. Going from 73% to 100% is harder and less fruitful than increasing consumption. In 2026, industry expansion will come from both deepening relationships with existing deals, while expanding reach.

Radio’s Reckoning – Radio remains a contradiction. It’s still shrinking (~1% a year), and it’s still big (74% of audio use in cars). It has a massive reach, but the median age is ~59. This year saw Nielsen juicing ratings, local radio scoring in trust, and Tesla planning to drop FM from lower-priced models. Still, we think Radio is more overlooked than overrated, making it a smart channel for advertisers to invest in.

Want more insights from what was a wild year for the industry? Tune in to the full episode by clicking the link below.

Your Monthly ORBIT Report – Dec 2025

This month, we used ORBIT (Oxford Road Benchmark Intelligence Tool) to analyze the staying power of the “OGs.” We looked exclusively at podcasts that began publishing before March 2020 to see if “new” really means “better.”

The data suggests otherwise. Big congrats to our top performers: #3 Monday Morning Podcast, #2 Explain It to Me, and #1 Critical Role.

While the industry often chases the latest chart-toppers, ORBIT reveals that long-term loyalty is where the ROI lives. Here are a couple of quick insights:

The Brand Tax Is Real: Buying fame is expensive. We found a massive efficiency gap between high-profile “celebrity” shows and niche fan favorites. One major brand-name show costs nearly 19x more per drop than our #1 performer, yet delivers lower conversion results. Smart buyers stop paying for the host’s name and start paying for the host’s relationship with the listener.
Execution Outlasts Hype: 75% of today’s top performers are OGs. Their success isn’t due to the “heat” of their genre; it comes from years of consistent development. These shows carry a 12% efficiency premium over newcomers because they have built a defensive moat of listener loyalty that new entrants can’t replicate quickly.

For the full December ORBIT Rankings and Insights, check out our newest report here.

The Classifieds

Your Honor, Let Her Cook

Network: TMG Studios / Monthly Downloads: 30k

It is the tail end of the Decade of the Female Lawyer, a historic period in which women overtook men in law school admissions and enrollment. In this period, social media adoption has skyrocketed, and at that intersection sits lawyer and TikTok creator Reb Masel. Masel is a practicing attorney and author who will join TMG Studios in 2026 to launch a video-forward podcast. Each week, she details crimes and precedent-defining court cases. The stories are unbelievable and perfectly bolstered by Masel’s succinct coverage. Though Masel is sure to say her show doesn’t provide personal legal advice, some of the information she details could someday come in handy. Advertisers focused on personal/network security, or on legal representation, are highly recommended, as are female-skew Gen Z DTCs. The burden of proof will be fulfilled once this show premieres, but to file a motion, click the link below.

Get The Deal

Self-Care Never Goes Out of Style

Network: AMP House / Monthly Downloads: 60k

Our selection isn’t new, but it is part of a new network launch. Host Dr. Alison Cook is an accredited therapist who combines her acumen and expertise with spiritual wisdom to offer a nuanced perspective on self-care. This framework offers a more holistic perspective on growth and healing while providing a safe, intimate space for self-discovery. Recent episode topics have included pattern recognition in negative thinking, the abject downside of people-pleasing, and building tools for anxiety relief. Dr. Cook is an extremely appealing host with a warm disposition, and this carries over to her ad reads for a perfect blend of information and warm sentiment. Over the years, the show has amassed multiple female-skewing top performers across a wide array of categories, all of which include a strong consumer base with a high household income. Be your best self by clicking below for more information.

Get The Deal

In Case You Missed It

Creator Content Serves Results on TikTok

TikTok reports creator-led content drives 70% higher clickthrough rate and 159% higher engagement vs. non-creator ads for the same CPM. The average skip time for influencer content is 17.8 seconds, compared with just 7.9 seconds for traditional branded content. However, 64% of consumers distrust influencers who don’t disclose brand relationships. Another data point to give marketers confidence: creators drive results, even if this source has a vested interest in saying it. The other part that matters is consumer expectations. Great news for creators, but transparency is the safe path. Better to disclose upfront before you damage your brand’s reputation.

ChatGPT Wants to Be in Ad Sales?

Code discovered in ChatGPT’s Android app reveals references to “search ad” and “search ads carousel,” signaling imminent advertising despite CEO Sam Altman previously calling ads a “last resort,” with OpenAI posting a job listing for ad infrastructure in September. While ChatGPT’s massive user base and high-intent queries present opportunities, introducing ads risks reducing user trust levels (currently 67%+ trust the information provided) and driving users to ad-free alternatives if integration feels intrusive or diminishes response quality. We already know AI is reshaping search. If ChatGPT starts taking ads, brace yourself for a period of disruption. Marketers who rely on capturing demand will feel it first. The safer move is to create demand, with audio, for example, so you are less exposed to whatever happens to the SERP or an AI-driven results page.

2026 Ad Outlook: Ask Again Later

WARC’s Voice of the Marketer report (1,000+ respondents) finds optimism cooling for 2026, with 59% expecting improved conditions, but only 19% anticipating higher budgets. Short-termism concerns have spiked from 25% (2022) to 55% today. Budget-squeezed marketers are prioritizing performance marketing (42%) over brand-building (29%), which WARC warns could fuel a “doom loop” of faulty metrics and diminishing returns. We expect podcasting to be a seller’s market in 2026, but the broader ad outlook is less clear. WARC’s data shows what happens when budgets tighten: performance gets protected and brand-building gets cut. That shift may seem rational, but it carries risk. Over-prioritizing performance makes it harder to drive future growth.

Random Acts of Kindness Are on the Upside This Holiday Season

If you’ve ever felt inspired by the holiday merriment to do good, you’re in great company with TK Lawns. TK wins over his YouTube audience with his FREE lawn care services and now offers the best cashback recommendations with Upside. In between comedic “vrooms” of his lawn tools, they keep it real, relatable, and visually interesting. Right from the start, they tap into a universal truth: the holidays are expensive. So the promise of real cash back on things they’re already buying? Instantly compelling. His tone is relaxed and trustworthy, like a friend giving you a money-saving tip, as well as how they use the Upside app every time they fill up their truck. The breakdown of how the app works is clear and approachable, and their emphasis on no weird points, just real cash back, helps eliminate any listener hesitation. It’s helpful, it’s honest, and it’s perfectly timed for listeners who want to save during the spendiest season of the year. Some could even say they can look forward to the TK random act of kindness best with these cashback specials!

Listen Here

If you’ve read this far, thank you!

Interested in seeing how we could help your business?
Contact us at influencer@oxfordroad.com!

Thank you to the team that puts The Influencer together each week:

Ezra Fox – Media Roundtable & Ad Infinitum recap
Spencer Semonson – Classifieds
Neal Lucey – In Case You Missed It
Hannah Lloyd – Save The Live Reads

Editors:
Kyle Jelinek
Kristen Larson
Haley Wiese

Here's What We Need to Do in 2022

This Week’s Influencer: Faith-Based Creators Share the Strange Secret to Success; Retire the Word “Podcast?”; Podcast’s Next Era, and More…

The Classifieds

May Your Days Be Merry and Bright

Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot

In Case You Missed It

Retire the Word “Podcast”? No Thanks.

Podcasting’s Next Phase – Flexibility Will Be Key

The Drama is Over: Howard Stern Renews with SXM

#SaveTheLiveReads

A Stoic Take on Giving That Works

This Week’s Influencer: Dismantling the Black Box of Video Measurement, Programmatic’s Rise in Popularity, ORBIT’s Making Waves, and More…

The Classifieds

TL;DR:
It’s a Classified

Your Download For the Cultural Trends of Today

In Case You Missed It

Programmatic Audio: It’s the Next Big Thing

Podcasting’s Adult Years

Podcast Ads Reward Smart Buyers

#SaveTheLiveReads

A Wickedly Good MasterClass on Ad-Reads

OXFORd In The News

Oxford Road Reveals That “OGs” Dominate New Podcasts In Ad Performance

Understanding The Science Behind What Makes a Radio Ad Stick

This Week’s Influencer: 2025 Media Lookback on MRT; ORBIT’s December Results May Have You Update ‘26 Plans; ChatGPT Goes Ad Supported?; and More…

Your Monthly ORBIT Report – Dec 2025

The Classifieds

Your Honor, Let Her Cook

Self-Care Never Goes Out of Style

In Case You Missed It

Creator Content Serves Results on TikTok

ChatGPT Wants to Be in Ad Sales?

2026 Ad Outlook: Ask Again Later

#SaveTheLiveReads

Random Acts of Kindness Are on the Upside This Holiday Season

Here's What We Need to Do in 2022

This Week’s Influencer: Faith-Based Creators Share the Strange Secret to Success; Retire the Word “Podcast?”; Podcast’s Next Era, and More…

The Classifieds

May Your Days Be Merry and Bright

Should Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot

In Case You Missed It

Retire the Word “Podcast”? No Thanks.

Podcasting’s Next Phase – Flexibility Will Be Key

The Drama is Over: Howard Stern Renews with SXM

#SaveTheLiveReads

A Stoic Take on Giving That Works

This Week’s Influencer: Dismantling the Black Box of Video Measurement, Programmatic’s Rise in Popularity, ORBIT’s Making Waves, and More…

The Classifieds

TL;DR: It’s a Classified

Your Download For the Cultural Trends of Today

In Case You Missed It

Programmatic Audio: It’s the Next Big Thing

Podcasting’s Adult Years

Podcast Ads Reward Smart Buyers

#SaveTheLiveReads

A Wickedly Good MasterClass on Ad-Reads

OXFORd In The News

Oxford Road Reveals That “OGs” Dominate New Podcasts In Ad Performance

Understanding The Science Behind What Makes a Radio Ad Stick

This Week’s Influencer: 2025 Media Lookback on MRT; ORBIT’s December Results May Have You Update ‘26 Plans; ChatGPT Goes Ad Supported?; and More…

Your Monthly ORBIT Report – Dec 2025

The Classifieds

Your Honor, Let Her Cook

Self-Care Never Goes Out of Style

In Case You Missed It

Creator Content Serves Results on TikTok

ChatGPT Wants to Be in Ad Sales?

2026 Ad Outlook: Ask Again Later

#SaveTheLiveReads

Random Acts of Kindness Are on the Upside This Holiday Season

TL;DR:
It’s a Classified