Music streaming apps hit saturation: As downloads stall, platforms bulk up bundles to justify higher fees and retain paying fans.

Guidance clouds Spotify’s outlook: Q1 revenues rose, but lower-than-expected guidance and ad struggles rattled investors and raised monetization concerns.

SiriusXM and iHeartMedia eye scale: Merger talks aim to pool reach and ad heft as radio revenues stall and digital adoption rises.

Audio is leading the story as Spotify allows for users to disable video, but carousel ads and Sponsored Playlists keep visuals in play.

Spotify is expanding to visual ads with carousel units and playlist takeovers that aim to prove it can rival YouTube on performance.

Podcast growth outpaces social, with trusted hosts driving purchases and attention other feeds can’t match.

On today’s podcast episode, we discuss the three big questions surrounding Spotify right now: What will the audio giant do about AI slop? Can it generate significant revenue from advertising? Will people sit down in their living rooms and turn on a podcast to watch, en masse? And more. Join Senior Director of Podcasts and host Marcus Johnson, along with Senior Analyst Ross Benes and Senior Editor Daniel Konstantinovic. Listen everywhere, and watch on YouTube and Spotify.

What began as an audio-only medium now spans video formats, connected TV screens, and creator-driven content that rivals traditional television.

Podcast skipping may be overstated, as playback data shows many shows retain 90% or more of listeners through ad breaks.

Spotify is scaling its programmatic push, with Ad Exchange advertisers jumping 222% as reserved buys and stronger measurement court brand budgets.

Netflix is reshaping CTV economics as sports, live events, podcasts, and a potential WBD acquisition push its ad tier toward 10% of spend, with $3 billion in sight this year.

Media habits keep evolving as digital gains ground faster than traditional declines. Video is absorbing more attention, screens are doing more of the work, and the central battle is for a share of limited consumer time.

The music giant will benefit from Checkout.com’s AI tools to boost payment efficiency.

Marketers could face a new challenge of podcast fragmentation, requiring more complex media planning.

Spotify sports podcast listening jumps 358% after games, outpacing pregame gains and opening a bigger ad window beyond live TV.

Podcast listeners are sought out by marketers for high engagement, and listenership is only set to grow.

Spotify outlines how AI, automation, and immersive experiences will reshape how brands connect with consumers in 2026.

At CES, Amazon is repositioning Amazon Ads as a full advertising ecosystem rather than a commerce-adjacent channel, emphasizing unified reach across TV, streaming, live sports, audio, and programmatic partners.

The automotive dashboard is evolving into a media hub. By 2029, 203 million connected car drivers will give advertisers access to captive audiences through AI commerce, in-vehicle ads, charging sessions, and rideshare integrations.