The news: Podcasts are becoming increasingly important to marketers and more influential to consumers, according to Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights’ spring 2026 report.

• 74% of 300 agencies and advertisers surveyed said they will “definitely” advertise in podcasts within the next six months, per Advertiser Perceptions data cited in the report—an all-time high.
• 76% say they are currently advertising in podcasts, up massively from the 15% who said the same in 2015.
• Of the 600 weekly podcast listeners surveyed, 52% said that podcast hosts’ influence matter most to them, more than double those who said the same for social media influencers (24%) and well above TV/movie celebrities (15%) and radio hosts (10%).

Why it matters: Podcasts are emerging as an essential investment in a crowded digital marketing ecosystem for their ability to engage consumers and drive trust.

• Podcasts are an intentional, lean-forward experience where consumers actively choose to engage and become part of a host’s story and community—meaning listeners are often more attentive and invested in the content and more receptive to messaging.
• 55% of weekly podcast consumers listen to at least six hours of podcasts weekly, indicating deep engagement, per previous Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights data.
• Trust in podcast hosts translates into consumer action: 67% of global listeners have made a purchase directly because of a podcaster, while 85% have taken brand action after listening to a podcast, per Acast.
• 88% of weekly podcast consumers believe hearing ads is a fair exchange for podcast content, according to Edison Research—suggesting less resistance to advertisements than other formats.

Advertiser investment is ramping up in response. Our forecast shows US podcast ad spending climbing from just $0.11 billion in 2015 to $3.4 billion this year; that figure will continue growing through 2030.

Implications for marketers: Podcasts are becoming a necessary channel for marketers looking to reach consumers in a format where brand messages feel more trusted, welcome, and influential.

Creative strategy will influence results; listeners are more attentive to podcast ads that are mentioned casually during the show (59% of listeners), host-read (52%), or told as a sponsored story or interview (50%), per National Research Group. That underscores the importance of aligning podcast ad formats with listener preferences to make messaging feel more natural and effective.

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