In This Week’s Influencer: What’s a Podcast - Insider Edition; Is Radio Listenership Growing?; Owl & Co. Shakes it Up with New Global Podcast Estimate

Ah, podcasts–those “little masterpieces for your ears.”

We’re back with another episode of our limited series, ‘What’s a Podcast? – The Extended Interviews.’ We have an all-star panel of industry insiders to debate what a podcast is — and what it could be.

Dan Granger (CEO, Oxford Road) hosts:

⭐️ Larry Rosin (President, Edison Research)

⭐️ Hilary Ross Shafer (VP, Podcast and YouTube Influencer, Oxford Road)

⭐️ James Cridland (Editor, Podnews and Podcast Business Journal) and 

⭐️ Nick Giorgio (Director, Media and Customer Acquisition, SimpliSafe)

The team’s talking: Podcasting’s Identity Crisis, Podcast Growing Pains, and CAO ad outlook. Let’s dive in.

 ”Podcasting’s unique selling point has always been that it’s something for your ears when your eyes are busy.”

• James Cridland (Editor, Podnews and Podcast Business Journal)

It’s Complicated – The panel agrees: at its core, a podcast is longform, on-demand, narrative-driven audio. But it gets murky when you factor in video, platform exclusives, and a shift away from RSS feeds. Why does this matter? As Dan notes, ‘brands need definitions’ to allocate budgets wisely. CAOs, make sure your definition aligns with your partners’—or risk paying for something you didn’t intend to buy.

Ch-ch-ch-changesss – Podcasting’s transforming–from incorporating video to distribution consolidation. The big question: Will podcasting remain an open meritocracy or shift towards exclusive platforms with larger budgets and more constraints? One sign of the indie spirit–Steven Bartlett’s $100M choice to stay independent. If you want to keep that spirit alive, consider the shows you’re supporting and continue to carve out a budget for your favorite independent podcasters as well.

Make Sure the Math Maths – As podcasts grow into video, evaluating ad buys becomes more complicated. How do you value-in the different elements? Nick’s approach at SimpliSafe: look for B-roll footage, a logo or promo code on screen, and if it’s baked-in or DAI. Accurately pricing the elements that drive the most value for your brand means jumping on the right deals and saying no to the wrong ones.

Paraphrasing Ferris Bueller, podcasting moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and tune in, you might miss it. To keep up, catch the full episode below.

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The Classifieds

Senior Leadership Gets a Makeover

Network: Westwood One /  Monthly Downloads: 200k

It’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, and we’re extremely happy that it coincides with this week’s trending podcast opportunity. Produced by the Bleav Network, and distributed by Westwood One, Vince Chan’s Chief Change Officer is a well-regarded Business podcast that pushes for career growth at all professional stages. Chan previously worked at TCW Asset Management, managing billion-dollar funds for Fortune 100 companies, as well as many other storied institutions. While his guests draw a substantive audience of decision makers and business leads, Chan’s insights and ingenuity are just as lauded, often focusing on exceptionalism and personal goals. Many of the discussions featured center around international business practices and ongoing trends, but the central theme is always self-improvement. This is a great option for B2B advertisers looking for fresh testing options in Q3. Be the change you want to see at the water cooler by clicking below.

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Stuck in Traffic but Happy to Listen

Network: CompanionCast / Monthly Downloads: 400k / Current Civility Score: 89, HIGH

Who has the time? This is a question we likely ask ourselves at least once a day. This week we’re highlighting a podcast that helps deliver your pop culture download that much faster. Dave Neal is a stand-up comedian devoted to getting you this desired content twice a day, every weekday, just in time for your commute. Though Neal takes lots of notes from morning radio formats, his production, research, and commentary are podcast staples many people know and love. Dave’s podcast started out as a Bachelor mainstay from CompanionCast, a network devoted to watchalong content that caters to a female audience. The show quickly rose in popularity and is now considered a must-listen for reality TV lovers. Due to Neal’s consistency and superb ad delivery, he has amassed many longtime advertisers who target a wide range of demos. If you wanna beat the rush hour traffic, simply click below for the expressway to more info.

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In Case You Missed It

Radio Scores Move the Goalpost?

James Cridland digs into how Nielsen has revised its radio listening from January in PPM markets, counting anyone as a listener who listens to a radio station for just three minutes (rather than the previous five). This change led to a reported 15% overall increase in U.S. radio listening. Canadian radio listenership also grew. While the update increases impressions (and as a result, supply), it risks misleading advertisers and potentially reducing ad spend. Most radio is still planned around impressions/TRPs. With the new ratings, planners and marketers are likely to see an opportunity to buy fewer spots to hit their goals. Radio may have just scored an own goal.

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Reality Check for Ad-Supported Audio

Edison Research’s Q1 2025 Share of Ear study shows that U.S. population aged 13+ spend 64% of their daily audio time with ad-supported audio sources and 36% with ad-free audio sources. Americans aged 55+ favor ad-supported audio significantly (75%), while younger Americans 18–34 split their time more evenly. The 18–34 numbers should be a wake-up call for the audio industry. If ad loads keep climbing, we shouldn’t be surprised when more listening shifts to ad-free or ad-light platforms.

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Hot Off The Press: Owl & Co. Global Podcasting Estimate

The global podcast industry generated $7.3 billion in revenue in 2024 according to research firm Owl & Co. This figure includes global advertising on audio, video, and subscriptions but excludes live events. Unlike prior estimates from the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB), which focused only on U.S. audio ads, Owl & Co. included revenue from platforms like YouTube and China’s Ximalaya. The study highlights podcasting’s underestimated profitability and global reach, while underscoring the medium’s growing cultural and commercial influence beyond traditional audio advertising. We’ve suspected podcast ad spend was undercounted—now we know. The IAB pegs 2024 U.S. spend at $2.4B, while eMarketer puts global at $4.8B. That means the real market is at least 50% larger than what’s typically reported. Shout-out to Oxford Road’s activation teams for contributing to the Owl & Co. analysis.

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#SaveTheLiveReads

MasterClass + Italian Cooking = Deliziosa!

Listeners of the Financial Feminist podcast, hosted by money expert Tori Dunlap, are in for a deliziosa treat this week as she climbs the #STLR charts with her molto bene MasterClass read! Tori grabs attention with a standout hook—her dream of attending a once-in-a-lifetime cooking intensive in Italy. She smoothly introduces MasterClass as her go-to learning tool for sharpening her knife skills. Tori then also skillfully connects her personal goals to the values the platform offers: learning from top experts for just $10 a month, having versatility across devices, making listeners feel empowered to elevate their own skills and more. She wraps it all up with a clear exclusive discount incentive in the call to action, to drive her enthusiastic followers to sign up for MasterClass. Andiamo!

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OXFORd In The News

Will You Do The Fandango?

Scaramouche, Scaramouche! We can’t resist a Bohemian Rhapsody nod when “The Mooch” makes headlines—and yes, Anthony Scaramucci will be at this month’s Podcast Show in London May 21-22. But the real reason we’re highlighting? Oxford Road’s own Steven Abraham will join 200+ leaders from across the global podcasting landscape to explore the unique trends, innovations, and regional insights shaping the medium. Can’t make it to London? Don’t fret—we’ll bring the highlights to you right here, in an upcoming edition of The Influencer.

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