Almost every podcast consumer still listens to them, a study says.
Sponsored by SpotsNow Search. Try Advanced Search for Podcast Advertisers. SpotsNow's new AI Search ranks all shows on audience fit and targeting, then allows you to see the performance potential in one click so you isolate the best shows quickly. Try SpotsNow Search Free https://podnews.net/cc/3591
Visit https://podnews.net/update/audio-foundation-nielsen for the story links in full, and to get our daily newsletter.
Dagny Reese
Audio remains the bedrock of podcasting, says a new report from Nielsen. 90% of monthly podcast consumers choose to listen, the data suggests, and most of podcast consumption is still audio, by a large margin. It quotes Edison Research’s Share of Ear for Q1, which sys that 20% of time spent with ad-supported audio is podcasting: radio is more than three-times larger.
Podcasting is continuing to grow in the UK; though Brits are disapproving of AI hosts - The UK Podcast Consumer 2026 was released yesterday by Edison Research at SSRS. UK shows are also reaching a considerable amount of Americans, the study shows. The podcast landscape in the country is very top-heavy, with the top 10 titles reaching a third of all weekly podcast consumers.
The podcaster behind The Pragmatic Engineer has pulled his video from Spotify, writing a long piece on LinkedIn detailing the issues he’s had, and suggesting that the company doesn’t care about reliability or execution.
The UK government has announced plans to ensure that UK-licenced radio stations must be available on smart speakers operated by Alexa, Google and Siri. A consultation has launched today. It doesn’t impact podcasting directly: podcasts are also available through these services. The news has been welcomed by commercial radio trade body Radiocentre.
Netflix published viewer data for the first six months of 2026. However, the company has hidden any data about podcasts - “all video podcasts are calculated under other shows”, the datafile says. (Does Netflix have this movie?) The company revealed Q2 revenue of $12.56 billion (up +13% year-on-year), slightly missing expectations.
YouTube suggests that in 2025, it contributed over $60bn to the US economy, and supported the equivalent of 540,000 full-time jobs.
A new AI tool uses cloned voices - with consent - to voice host-read advertising on podcasts. The tool is from a company called ekoz.ai, and suggests that it is able to significantly scale host-read ads. The company is working with, among others, Triton Digital and Spreaker, which are owned by iHeart; that company markets its radio stations as “guaranteed human”.

With Airwave and TWiT.tv: Intelligent Machines explores the most exciting revolution humanity has ever seen, filled with promise and peril. On this show you’ll meet the AI pioneers, inventors, and innovators who are about to disrupt every aspect of modern life. From TWiT, today explore why the next tech revolution might depend on which models stay truly open—and who gets to keep using them.

Play trailer
Want new trailers for new shows you might really like? New Podcasts is where to find them. (And it’s where to submit your shows here, too!)

Play trailer
Who is Posh George - the convicted criminal who is behind the far-right politician Nigel Farage? A new season of Times Investigates discovers more about George Cottrell, and was integral to the reporting that ultimately led to Farage resigning and calling a by-election.

Play trailer
Witch Path Next? launches today. Through folklore, magical history, rituals, everyday practice and honest reflection, the host Med Stroud invites listeners to explore their own path while discovering the stories, traditions and communities that continue to inspire modern witchcraft. The show reached #1 in one Apple Podcasts chart before launch.

Play trailer
Greenhouse gas accounting is getting more important - and more complicated. At the exact moment the world needs clearer climate accountability, the number of standards, frameworks and methodologies continues to grow. A special mini-series from Navigating Net Zero with Alexia Kelly explores the tools and standards shaping how organizations measure emissions, and assess real-world climate impact.
This section is continually updated. See more and add yours, free
Latest JobsThis section is continually updated. See more and add your vacancies, free
The latest...| # | Наименование новости | Тональность | Информативность | Дата публикации |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Who listens to podcasts? Best not to assume | 0 | 9.88 | 02-07-2026 |
| 2 | Interest in podcast advertising hits twelve year high | 0 | 8.12 | 14-07-2026 |
| 3 | How Canadians listen to audio | 0 | 6.87 | 29-07-2026 |
| 4 | Listeners prefer AI voices, claim two studies | 0 | 7.01 | 15-07-2026 |
| 5 | Another app promises to cut out the ads | 0 | 7.2 | 22-07-2026 |
| 6 | Want to grow your podcast? Get one of these | 0 | 6.52 | 30-07-2026 |
| 7 | 13% now consume podcasts most on the TV | 0 | 12.01 | 06-08-2026 |
| 8 | The highest-paid podcasters | 0 | 8.26 | 31-07-2026 |
| 9 | AMP Accords released, including podcast definition | 0 | 8.31 | 24-07-2026 |
| 10 | The top 50 podcasts in the US | 0 | 6.68 | 20-07-2026 |