The State of Audio Advertising 2025: Finding Our Frequency at the CAO Summit

This week on Media Roundtable, we’re bringing you the inside story straight from the 2025 Chief Audio Officer Summit, where the people shaping the future of podcasting and audio advertising gathered to ask one big question: Where do we go from here?

This episode is a recording of Dan Granger’s keynote presentation of Oxford Road’s annual State of Audio Advertising report, which gave attendees the answer.

The free report is available too–download it now for the full experience.

In his address, Dan touches on the industry’s most pressing topics—attribution, fragmentation, and the rise of video—calling marketers to mobilize around standards that unlock growth. He introduces new data from Oxford Road’s upcoming “What Brands Want” survey, challenges assumptions about channel spend versus consumption, and gives Chief Audio Officers in attendance a road map for the year ahead.

“When we define the medium, we can align on metrics. And when we align on metrics, we can unlock scale.” – Dan Granger, CEO of Oxford Road

Metric Mayhem: From promo codes and pixels to clean rooms and walled gardens, attribution is all over the map. The result: inflated costs, missed investment opportunities, and frustrated marketers.

The YouTube Effect: With 25% of U.S. podcast consumption happening on YouTube, the dynamic is shifting between platforms. For advertisers, it’s both a gift (scale) and a hazard (measurement headaches).

Uncluttered Advantage: Compared to TV and social, podcasts remain cost-effective and relatively ad-light, making them one of the best buys in media.

To catch up on all the groundbreaking revelations and strategies from CAO ‘25, click the play button on one of the links below.

Download the full report here