A new study of American media consumption reveals that podcast advertising outperforms other digital platforms in capturing audience attention and building trust, despite having lower overall reach than social media giants.
The research, conducted by Sounds Profitable in partnership with Signal Hill Insights, surveyed 5,005 Americans aged 18 and older between January and February 2025. The study introduces the concept of “effective reach,” calculated by multiplying a platform’s monthly audience by the percentage of users who recall seeing advertisements in the past week.
While podcasts with ads reach 31% of Americans monthly compared to Facebook’s 74%, podcasting achieves an effective reach of 27% versus Facebook’s 50%. This metric reveals that podcast listeners pay disproportionately more attention to advertising content relative to the medium’s audience size.
Among “prime users”—defined as daily or near-daily consumers who rank a medium among their top four ad-supported choices—86% of podcast listeners recall hearing advertisements in a one-week period. This figure leads all measured media, surpassing network television (82%) and broadcast radio (81%).
When asked about trusting advertising messengers, 39% of prime podcast users express confidence in podcast hosts delivering advertising messages, compared to lower percentages for social media platforms: Instagram (29%), Facebook (23%), X (33%), and TikTok (34%).
The trust advantage extends to advertising claims themselves. Prime podcast users believe 48% of advertising claims made on podcasts are true, compared to 45% for TikTok, 42% for Instagram, 38% for X, and 36% for Facebook.
Content Credibility Drives Advertising Trust
The research establishes a connection between content trust and the effectiveness of advertising. Podcast users demonstrate higher confidence in content moderation and quality control, with 46% agreeing that podcasts effectively manage content quality. This figure places podcasting in the middle tier of all measured media but well above most social platforms.
Additionally, 51% of prime podcast users consider podcast content “generally factual and accurate,” ranking podcasting fourth among all measured media types and significantly above social media platforms.
Among prime users, 45% describe podcast advertising as “authentic and natural,” matching TikTok’s score and exceeding Instagram (35%), X (37%), Facebook (30%), and Snapchat (32%).
The authenticity advantage proves particularly pronounced among specific demographic groups. Hispanic/Latino audiences show a 19-percentage-point preference for podcast advertising authenticity over social media averages, while adults aged 55 and older demonstrate a 17-point advantage.
Gender Parity and Multicultural Audience Patterns
The study identifies podcast advertising as uniquely effective at maintaining equal attention across gender lines. While most media platforms exhibit notable attention gaps between male and female audiences, podcast ad recall remains consistent, at approximately 86%, for both men and women.
This finding contrasts with other platforms, where female attention to advertising typically drops below male levels. The research positions podcast advertising as “the best way to get the attention of female consumers” among all measured media types.
Trust in podcast advertising messengers varies significantly by racial and ethnic background. Black listeners show the highest trust levels at 51%, followed by Hispanic/Latino audiences at 49% and Asian listeners at 46%. White listeners express lower trust levels at 33%.
Credibility Issues
Social media platforms consistently underperform in terms of trust and credibility metrics. The study finds that Americans’ lower faith in the accuracy of social media content correlates with a reduced belief in advertising claims made on these platforms.
Facebook shows particular weakness, with only 25% of prime users agreeing that the platform effectively prevents misleading advertising, compared to 41% for podcasting.
Furthermore, the study reveals a decline in trust in traditional media advertising voices. Only 29% of prime broadcast radio users and 21% of prime network television users trust the people delivering advertising messages on those platforms, placing both well below podcasting’s 39% trust level.
“Podcasting undoubtedly leads the U.S. media landscape in effective reach for media buyers. Not only does the medium lead in recall among the most active users, it also succeeds in breaking down gender barriers for advertisers – which is unprecedented compared to most other media,” said Tom Webster, Partner at Sounds Profitable, in a statement. “Beyond recall, podcasting also claims high levels of trust among audiences and particularly among audiences from marginalized groups.”
The research indicates that this “halo effect” works in both directions: platforms with higher content credibility benefit from increased advertising trust, while those with credibility issues face corresponding challenges in advertising effectiveness.
All images are taken from the “The Advertising Landscape” report.
A new study of American media consumption reveals that podcast advertising outperforms other digital platforms in capturing audience attention and building trust, despite having lower overall reach than social media giants.
The research, conducted by Sounds Profitable in partnership with Signal Hill Insights, surveyed 5,005 Americans aged 18 and older between January and February 2025. The study introduces the concept of “effective reach,” calculated by multiplying a platform’s monthly audience by the percentage of users who recall seeing advertisements in the past week.
While podcasts with ads reach 31% of Americans monthly compared to Facebook’s 74%, podcasting achieves an effective reach of 27% versus Facebook’s 50%. This metric reveals that podcast listeners pay disproportionately more attention to advertising content relative to the medium’s audience size.
Among “prime users”—defined as daily or near-daily consumers who rank a medium among their top four ad-supported choices—86% of podcast listeners recall hearing advertisements in a one-week period. This figure leads all measured media, surpassing network television (82%) and broadcast radio (81%).
When asked about trusting advertising messengers, 39% of prime podcast users express confidence in podcast hosts delivering advertising messages, compared to lower percentages for social media platforms: Instagram (29%), Facebook (23%), X (33%), and TikTok (34%).
The trust advantage extends to advertising claims themselves. Prime podcast users believe 48% of advertising claims made on podcasts are true, compared to 45% for TikTok, 42% for Instagram, 38% for X, and 36% for Facebook.
Content Credibility Drives Advertising Trust
The research establishes a connection between content trust and the effectiveness of advertising. Podcast users demonstrate higher confidence in content moderation and quality control, with 46% agreeing that podcasts effectively manage content quality. This figure places podcasting in the middle tier of all measured media but well above most social platforms.
Additionally, 51% of prime podcast users consider podcast content “generally factual and accurate,” ranking podcasting fourth among all measured media types and significantly above social media platforms.
Among prime users, 45% describe podcast advertising as “authentic and natural,” matching TikTok’s score and exceeding Instagram (35%), X (37%), Facebook (30%), and Snapchat (32%).
The authenticity advantage proves particularly pronounced among specific demographic groups. Hispanic/Latino audiences show a 19-percentage-point preference for podcast advertising authenticity over social media averages, while adults aged 55 and older demonstrate a 17-point advantage.
Gender Parity and Multicultural Audience Patterns
The study identifies podcast advertising as uniquely effective at maintaining equal attention across gender lines. While most media platforms exhibit notable attention gaps between male and female audiences, podcast ad recall remains consistent, at approximately 86%, for both men and women.
This finding contrasts with other platforms, where female attention to advertising typically drops below male levels. The research positions podcast advertising as “the best way to get the attention of female consumers” among all measured media types.
Trust in podcast advertising messengers varies significantly by racial and ethnic background. Black listeners show the highest trust levels at 51%, followed by Hispanic/Latino audiences at 49% and Asian listeners at 46%. White listeners express lower trust levels at 33%.
Credibility Issues
Social media platforms consistently underperform in terms of trust and credibility metrics. The study finds that Americans’ lower faith in the accuracy of social media content correlates with a reduced belief in advertising claims made on these platforms.
Facebook shows particular weakness, with only 25% of prime users agreeing that the platform effectively prevents misleading advertising, compared to 41% for podcasting.
Furthermore, the study reveals a decline in trust in traditional media advertising voices. Only 29% of prime broadcast radio users and 21% of prime network television users trust the people delivering advertising messages on those platforms, placing both well below podcasting’s 39% trust level.
“Podcasting undoubtedly leads the U.S. media landscape in effective reach for media buyers. Not only does the medium lead in recall among the most active users, it also succeeds in breaking down gender barriers for advertisers – which is unprecedented compared to most other media,” said Tom Webster, Partner at Sounds Profitable, in a statement. “Beyond recall, podcasting also claims high levels of trust among audiences and particularly among audiences from marginalized groups.”
The research indicates that this “halo effect” works in both directions: platforms with higher content credibility benefit from increased advertising trust, while those with credibility issues face corresponding challenges in advertising effectiveness.
All images are taken from the “The Advertising Landscape” report.
The full research is available here.