Protecting Human Connection: Audio’s ROI, AI Slop, & Netflix Moves

How can audio ads break through in a world of AI ads and boring reads? By being relentlessly real.

The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads strikes back against AI! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 3, Episode 14: “This is My Real Voice.”

Host Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road) welcomes Brandon Beville (Producer, Morning Wire). They get to the root of authenticity, tapping into Brandon’s special insight as both producer and ad-reader (according to one commenter, his voice sounds like “ a frat guy from Boston”). Together, they put up Brandon’s spot against top-spending podcast ads from Google, ParkWhiz, LG, and Wells Fargo using our Audiolytics™ framework. Which spot will come out on top? Guess you’ll have to dial in to find out.

Stew and Brandon talk The Real You, The 3-4 Rule, Active Listening, and more. Let’s dig in…

“Make it as much you as you can.” – Brandon Beville (Producer, Morning Wire)

Bring Your Full Self — Whether you’re writing copy, setting strategy, or voicing an ad read, none of it will work if it feels inauthentic. To make the words land, it has to feel real. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but it does need to be genuine. For ads, that means tapping into why you actually care about the product you’re selling. CAOs, for hosts to give honest endorsements of your brand, it helps if you can show why you care, too, even by sharing personal anecdotes.

The 3-4 Rule — Ads that break through don’t sound like ads. To get those kinds of performances, Brandon aims for 3-4 takes. That’s enough to dial it in, get comfortable with the words, and have a natural read in one go before it turns stale. CAOs, listen to your airchecks. If the reads are awkward, it might be their first time with the material. Raise your hand to encourage them to put in more effort. And meet them halfway! If they’re stumbling on a line that sounds like jargon, change it and write it more like how you’d tell a friend instead of how you’d pitch to a boardroom.

Listening Ears On — Brandon took his inspiration for his Ollie ad when he heard his dog growling at dinner time. When we’re open to it, the world is rich with sound… but most ads only use the spoken word. CAOs, if you want your ads to sound like no one else, start by listening like no one else. Whether your product is digital or physical, using it will leave some audio fingerprints that only you could create. Capture them to create richer experiences for listeners.

Want more insights on making the realest audio ads you can? Tune in to the full episode here:

Your Monthly ORBIT Report – Nov 2025

Last month, we introduced Influencer readers to ORBIT (The Oxford Road Benchmark Intelligence Tool).

This week, we’re putting the tool to use to examine real advertiser performance, this time in the Comedy genre’s Top 15 Performing podcasts. Big congrats to #3, Emergency Intercom, #2 Soder, and #1 Monday Morning Podcast.

While the Comedy genre is #1 in advertiser investment in the space, the ORBIT analysis shows some funny business. Here are a couple of quick insights:

• Laughter Is Not the Best Medicine: Comedy claims the most ad spend, but as a genre, performance is in the bottom tier. So why the outsized investment? It may be brand safety concerns–Comedy looks like a safe place to scale over more controversial categories like Politics and Government. Instead, shift Comedy dollars from a “safe default” to a “sophisticated category requiring strategic expertise.”

• The Best vs. The Rest: While the genre is soft overall, the top 15 Comedy podcasts boast elite-tier performance. These shows represent distinct comedy styles and formats, from advice-based to game shows. The takeaway? There are no guarantees in Comedy performance, but there are lots of ways to turn funny into money.

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

The Classifieds

They’re All Talk, But That’s Exactly What We Want

Network: Your Mom’s House Studios / Monthly Downloads: 25k

“Classifieds?” you ask, “Are there any podcasts that still have open dates to test in Q4?” What an amazing question! The answer is yes, and we have two for you this week. The first is a humorous podcast from two TikTok comedians. Sydney Heller and Olivia DeLaurentis (@sydandolivia) have cultivated a brand of improvisational satire that blends surrealism with women’s lived experiences. Every week, they sit down with like-minded internet comedy icons to riff,  ad-lib, and babble about any wacky thing that comes to mind.
Since its formal relaunch last fall, the show has consistently been adding a roster of DR top performers. Their audience is made up of progressive, self-improvement-conscious Gen Z listeners, so app-based advertisers or those looking for lifelong learners are highly encouraged to test. If you’re ready to tell your truth, no matter how hot it may be, head right on down to the link below.

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This Southern Classic is Great For Breakfast and For Entertainment

Network: Cake Media / Monthly Downloads: 300k

Podcasts can often be distilled down to basic details that can work regardless of who the host is. Few’s success depends entirely on the personality attached. Deante’ Kyle is the soul, lifeblood, and main creator of the scrumptious Grits and Eggs Podcast, a part of the equally delicious Cake Media. Kyle rose to prominence as a critic of burnout work culture and easily transitioned into the role of cultural critic. His loyal followers tune in every week to hear his take on trending topics, notable pop culture moments, and music critiques. He often correlates his responses in historical terms, drawing from the socio-political environment that inspires African-American art forms. Kyle himself is a likeable, blunt individual with a sense of humor that cannot be beat. This opportunity has only just landed with their seller but has already become a top performer for several B2B-focused male-skew advertisers. These grits are about to see the gravy train, so slide on up and grab a plate at the link below.

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In Case You Missed It

The Indie Podcasting Gap: Creative Drive vs Commercial Returns

Alitu’s survey of 558 indie podcasters reveals 85% generate no revenue. 9% measure success by profitability, 31% are motivated by helping others, and 72% cite audience discovery as their biggest challenge. Unsurprisingly, one in four has considered quitting due to financial difficulties or burnout. ​​To us, this is one of the biggest reasons indie podcasts should work with agencies if they’re struggling to find support on their own. Oxford Road helps marketers find performance in the indie podcast ecosystem, something the traditional agencies rarely bother to explore.

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Australia Gets A Unified Audio ID

Australia’s Commercial Radio & Audio launched CRA Audio ID, a unified identity solution on Google’s DV360 that consolidates 14.7M monthly listeners across four major networks, offering frequency management and audience de-duplication for streamlined digital audio buying at scale. Competitors aligning on a shared identity tag is a step toward audio closing the gap with digital channels. If the U.S. audio industry wants to level up, this is a good model to follow.

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Cumulus: Podcasts Still Lean Audio-First, Despite Video’s Rise

The Fall 2025 Podcast Download Report from Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights finds that despite the rise of video formats, podcasts remain an overwhelmingly audio-first medium. 92% of weekly podcast consumers primarily listen rather than watch. While YouTube continues to dominate as the most-cited podcast platform, actual listening behavior shows Spotify and YouTube are nearly even in time spent, with Apple close behind. YouTube plays a significant role in discovery, but its audience remains fluid, with 70% saying they’d switch platforms if content moved elsewhere.
Smart TVs have surpassed smart speakers for podcast listening, signaling broader shifts in how people consume podcasts. There’s good stuff in this research, but remember, the David Ogilvy quote: “People don’t think what they feel, they don’t say what they think, and they don’t do what they say.” If YouTube leads podcast consumption, viewership is likely higher than respondents admit. And while 70% claim they’d switch platforms, betting against YouTube seems risky to us.

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#SaveTheLiveReads

Beauty Queen Crowns Shopify As the Belle of the Merchandise Ball

Beauty guru, Shopify merch, and host of the hit podcast Noche de Pendejadas with Alannized, Alan, better known as Alannized, delivers a stellar live read for Shopify by striking the perfect balance between personal experience and logical value. From the start, they acknowledge the intimidating reality of launching a business, a feeling many listeners will relate to. What makes this read stand out is their genuine enthusiasm and relatability—sharing their own journey of launching merch but being unsure about building a website. Alan highlights Shopify’s user-friendly templates and all-in-one tools in a conversational, non-scripted way, making the platform feel approachable for entrepreneurs at any technical level. By the time the $1 trial offer rolls around, it doesn’t feel like a sales pitch—it feels like solid advice from a trusted friend who’s been there and figured it out. If you’re curious about what a winning sales pitch sounds like, listen via the link below.

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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

Did you have Netflix becoming a major audio platform on your 2026 bingo card? Don’t worry if you’re surprised, we’re here to help you make sense of the big moves by the industry’s (new) big players.

This week on The Media Roundtable: Industry Edition, Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road) hosts audio experts:

• James Ingrassia (EVP, Strategy & Insights, Oxford Road)
• Shannon Quintana (VP, Account Management, Oxford Road)
• Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road)

The team is talking: Netflix x Spotify, Thinking Locally, Podcast’s Growth, and more. Let’s dig in.

“We’re in the right space. I think we all just wish there were fewer leashes to hold as you’re trying to make sense of all of it.” – Dan Granger (CEO & Founder, Oxford Road)

Netflix and Spotify Press Play – Spotify inked a deal with Netflix to move some podcasts (mostly from The Ringer network) off YouTube and onto Netflix starting in 2026.

• Pros: Netflix would love to steal some of YouTube’s share of couch (July 2025 Nielsen TV viewing had YouTube: 13.4%, Netflix: 8.8%), and Spotify gets its content recommended to a new audience.
• Cons: Gated content shrinks the audience, big questions remain on how live reads will be executed, and more measurement complications.

For performance CAOs, wait-and-see. For those in the winner-take-all categories, Netflix Podcast ads might be worth exploring?

Local’s Moment is Coming – Audio is the fastest-growing tool in local content marketing. 15% of local businesses use audio for marketing, up from 6% in 2022 (per a Borrell study). If small businesses and retailers are seeing success in local audio, there could be a revenue uptick for local journalism and local content creation. Soon consumption numbers and distribution ease could make local audio a key part of any CAO’s playbook.

Podcasts: Still Growing Strong – Podcasting remains one of the fastest-growing digital channels per a new IAB report. Fresh off the double-digit gains of last year, the IAB forecasts podcast ad revenue will climb 7.4% in 2025. (4.8% increase projected for digital audio not including podcasts). It’s a good sign for the strength of the industry. Even in an ROI-centric environment, marketers increase their bets on audio. And if we want to grow ad investment further, we have some thoughts from our CAOs (*cough* better measurement *cough*).

Want more insights from the industry’s movers and shakers without getting shook? Tune in to the full episode by clicking the link below.

The Classifieds

If You Can’t Take the Heat, Get Out of the Podcast Studio

Network: Blue Wire Podcasts / Monthly Downloads: 30k

Not to scare our readers who are booking for Q4, but just a reminder: Thanksgiving is in two weeks! If you’re digging through RFP submissions for a true gem, here are two podcasts ripe for testing at great rates. Sports podcasts are especially hard to come by, due to their current seasonality, but Blue Wire Podcasts luckily has open availability on one of their highest-performing opportunities. Stay Hot: A Sports Podcast is unique for its coverage of multiple franchises (NFL, NBA, and occasionally MLB and NHL). The show is hosted by TikTok stars Matt Sponhour, Blaiden Kirk, and Theo Ash, who provide informed, attentive coverage for their followers. With a majority male audience, this is a key offering for advertisers in the B2B and B2C spaces as the NFL season approaches playoff season. Heat your frigid Q4 budgets by clicking the link below.

Get The Deal

 Be Shepherds of the Flock

Network: Pray.com / Monthly Downloads: 700k

Faith is often personal and intimate, so finding a community is something many struggle with. Pray.com offers a slate of podcasts that connect Christian Americans to a virtual congregation, helping deepen their beliefs. Pastor Jack Graham has been a longtime leader of Southern Baptists in Texas, culminating in 16 million parishioners and a term on the Religious Advisory Council. This podcast is a mix of theatrical recreation and theological deep dives, culminating in the Pastor’s personal framing of the original Biblical text and his musings on its teachings. Though multiple media are available for sponsorship, audio impressions alone are quite high compared to similar opportunities. The audience leans older, female-skewed, and family-oriented, so any DTC advertiser targeting that demo is highly recommended to test. It’s better to give than receive, so we give you the link below to bless you with more information.

Get The Deal

In Case You Missed It

The Podcast Election 2.0 – Midterms Confirm Podcasting’s Importance At The Polls

Edison Research analysis reveals 2025 election winners dominated podcast guest appearances, with NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani appearing on 31 podcasts (reaching 12.5 million Americans weekly) and NJ Governor-elect Mikie Sherrill on 18 podcasts (reaching 4.1 million weekly). The data shows candidates are using podcasts more than ever to connect with voters, with winners significantly outpacing opponents in both podcast appearances and reach. Take it from the politicians: podcasting works. If you need more proof, check out our whitepaper: The Untold Story of the Podcast Election.

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Meta Profiting from Ad Fraud?

Reuters reveals Meta internally projected earning $16 billion (10% of 2024 revenue) from scam ads and banned goods, with internal documents showing the platform serves users 15 billion “higher risk” scam ads daily while only banning advertisers at 95%+ fraud certainty. Meta aims to reduce scam revenue from 10.1% in 2024 to 5.8% by 2027, prioritizing enforcement only in markets facing regulatory action. Meta made nearly as much from scam ads as the entire U.S. audio advertising market (~$18B). Marketers, take note: fraud inflates CPMs and devalues your campaigns. Might we suggest audio as an alternative?

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iHeart Looking to TikTok to Reach New Audiences

TikTok and iHeartMedia are teaming up on a broad multiplatform partnership that launches the TikTok Podcast Network. Featuring up to 25 creator-hosted shows and new co-branded studios in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta, the deal also includes TikTok Radio—a national station designed to mimic the app’s experience in audio form—and live event integrations, signaling TikTok’s push into long-form audio and iHeart’s continued expansion across digital platforms. Credit where it’s due: iHeartMedia is on a roll. In just weeks, it’s inked deals with Netflix, Amazon’s DSP, and now TikTok. The real test will be whether these partnerships deliver tangible value for advertisers.

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#SaveTheLiveReads

Ryan George Jams Out With Raycon This Holiday Season

Ryan George is jamming out to all his favorite holiday tunes this week thanks to Raycon! As the Holiday and Black Friday season is upon us, Ryan’s signature absurdist humor turns what could be a generic sales pitch into a hilarious journey through “ad space” as an astronaut, promoting the new bone conduction headphones. His quirky lines, like “my bones are quite busy at the moment,” don’t just entertain; they cleverly highlight the product’s core features in a memorable way. Ryan is the ideal spokesperson here because he seamlessly blends his comedic brand with the product’s functionality, making technical specs like open-ear audio and waterproof design feel both accessible and cool. This ad is punchy, weird in the best way, and totally effective—because Ryan doesn’t just sell the product, he owns it!

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What happens when you invite AI into the Ad Infinitum hot seat?

The world’s only podcast solely dedicated to audio ads is back! Presenting Ad Infinitum Season 3, Episode 12: “Infinite Prompts.

Host Stew Redwine (Executive Creative Director, Oxford Road) welcomes Juniper GPT for a Human/AI collab session. Together, they break down Magellan AI’s July 2025 Movers & Shakers report, grading fresh podcast ads from My Mochi, Activision‘s Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater 3+4, Ray-Ban Meta Glasses, and JCPenney using the Audiolytics™ framework. Will Juniper’s AI algorithms concur with human judgment?

Stew and Juniper talk Tools of the Trade, Having Fun, Painting Audio Pictures, and more. Let’s dig in.

“For people in creative fields, it’s about embracing AI as a kind of creative partner. It can help you work faster and open up new possibilities, but the heart and soul of the work will still come from you.” – Juniper GPT

It’s A Tool, Not a Solution – AI tools like Juniper are game-changers because they’re readily available to everyone. But if they’re available to everyone, anything they generate can’t be a unique creative advantage. So how do you make the most of GenAI tools without sounding like everyone else? Studies show that while being heavily reliant on AI can harm your thinking, if you’re thoughtful and active in your GenAI use, you could boost your creativity.

Have Fun Making the Ads Work – Boring prompts create boring ads. But Stew’s actively playing around with Juniper–seeing what’s possible, and checking it against his internal creative compass. That’s how we get Western and Shakespearean Tony Hawk ads. That doesn’t mean those are fit to go to air, but if you’re feeling stuck for your next campaign, testing out a wildcard idea could trigger something completely original of your own.

Paint Audio Pictures – Juniper and Stew tapped the Tony Hawk and Meta Glasses spots as their winners. One winning creative element? Each ad had multiple audioscapes. A mock-PSA shifts to a high-energy skate park. A cityscape shifts to a kitchen. The ads felt bigger because they took the listener on a multi-locale journey. CAOs, with or without Juniper, as you’re crafting your audio ads think: can you tell a bigger story?

The Classifieds

A Deathly Good Time at the Cinema

Network: Daylight Media / Monthly Downloads: 50k

As inventory tightens up and Q4 testing becomes an intrepid battleground, there are still top-performing shows available for review. Our first is from the newly named Daylight Media and hosted by a household name: Brett Goldstein. Goldstein is a British comedian who gained fame for his portrayal of Roy Kent in the comedy series Ted Lasso. Goldstein has also worked as a touring stand-up and is the co-creator of Shrinking, so he has a lot of funny friends who join him each week. Though the conversations cover a whole host of interesting tidbits, the main focus is on life and death and its storytelling impact. Guests have recalled details from recent performances, like Joey King’s offbeat turn in Bullet Train, or nostalgic memories like director Chris Columbus’ on Home Alone.  If you’re even morbidly curious about this offer, pay your respects at the link below.

Get The Deal

Gen Z Drama Time With Two TikTok OGs

Network: Your Mom’s House Studios / Monthly Downloads: 75k

Kayla Malecc and Jacob Sartorius: These are names that most of those with a 19 in their birth year have never come across, but for Gen Z, they’re very familiar. Between the two of them, these TikTok superstars have a combined 41 million followers, and though they’re still quite young, they’re still finding ways to grow. In this video-heavy simulcast opportunity, the twosome talks about anything and everything their hearts desire. Whether they’re falling down a conspiracy rabbit hole to celebrate Halloween, recapping recent internet drama, or revealing intimate details about their lives, they always have fun together. This is a raucous, rowdy time, and even at their level of fame, they’re always relatable. Advertisers looking to reach engaged, drama-loving young adults have found great success in testing this offering. Those who see traction in YouTube and social media are also strongly recommended. Get it on, bang a gong, and get over to the link below for more information.

Get The Deal

In Case You Missed It

Why Podcasts Are the New Word of Mouth

Acast’s 2025 Podcast Pulse combines insights from 2,600 consumers across 10 global markets, 137 podcasters, and 200 marketers. Two in three listeners say they’ve discovered new brands through podcasts, and 70% have considered a brand after a host recommends it. Podcasters rank among the most trusted voices ahead of YouTubers and social influencers. The report also highlights podcasting’s influence on cultural conversation. The multi-country report shows that the impact of podcasts is consistent. Listeners everywhere trust hosts, act on recommendations, and see podcasts as shaping their views. For marketers, that reliability makes podcasts a global channel to scale influence.

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Subscribers Surge, Ads Soften: Spotify’s Paradox of Growth

The Wrap reports that Spotify’s Q3 2025 earnings beat expectations. Strong subscriber gains fueled growth. Meanwhile, ad-supported revenue fell 6%. According to the article, Growth in music and podcast advertising sales, driven by growth in impressions sold, was offset by “softness in pricing and optimization”. In other words, it was a soft ad market. One of the stickiest subscription services raises its prices and still sees strong growth. It also saw growth in ad impressions sold. Sounds like a good place to reach consumers…

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In a Sea of Sameness, Authentic Beats Algorithm

Amplifi Media argues the AI-accelerated glut will punish the “medium” and reward high-value content; algorithms follow performance, not volume. Some of the truest words in advertising: you get what you pay for. Keep this in mind when planning your audio media: in a world where everyone’s talking, the voices that rise above will be the ones using innovation to sound more human, not less.

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#SaveTheLiveReads

Finding Your Holiday Style with Quince

This week, we’re sharing how April Calahan and Cassidy Zachary, hosts of the Dressed: The History of Fashion, deliver a holiday ad read that hits all the right notes. Partnering with Quince, they weave warmth, comfort, and gifting into a story that feels as natural as conversation over cocoa or a set of Turkish towels. From cashmere beanies to eucalyptus sheets, their enthusiasm feels personal, not promotional. It’s a masterclass in authentic integration; the kind that only works when the brand, agency, and hosts are perfectly in sync.

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