The news: Podcasts are becoming a popular way for brands to reach engaged audiences, with viewership mounting and new platforms throwing their hats in the ring. Podcast viewership is thriving, reaching over 140 million US listeners in 2025, according to our forecast. Listeners will surpass 150 million by 2027. Our take: Podcasts are shaping up to become a strong contender in media consumption, with nearly 70% of US adults ages 18 to 24 listening at least one per month, per our forecast. As platforms battle to be the leading home for podcasts, advertisers need to pay attention and tailor strategies.

The news: Cannes Lions 2025 kicks off June 16, with media companies and platforms turning the festival into a proving ground for brand innovation. Spotify is merging live acts like Cardi B with audiobook tastings and celebrity panels, while Canva hosts CMO roundtables alongside design influencers. Google, Uber, and Influential are anchoring talks on TV, sports, and creator-driven engagement—with yacht-side podcasts and fundraising activations adding a new layer of purpose. Our take: This year’s Cannes isn’t about opulence—it’s about ownership. Brands that bring substance, not just spectacle, will emerge with more than headlines—they’ll leave with lasting partnerships and fresh strategic playbooks.

Canada trails just one country—the US—in average daily time spent with media. That means plenty of opportunity for media buyers to reach audiences across a range of devices and services.

Spotify is doubling down on podcast engagement: New features arrive as listenership and advertiser demand both hit record highs.

Netflix and BBC team up for new podcast: While Netflix teases video podcasts on its own platform, work needs to be done to win over audiences.

New subscription links inside the iOS app are already driving Premium spikes, showing how much Apple’s restrictions held developers back.

Amazon Music’s AI push is promising but fumbles the execution: Explore brings deeper fan engagement, but a clunky interface may keep it from stealing share from Spotify or YouTube Music.

Meta pays creators for traffic, Spotify wins in-app freedom post-Epic ruling, and Amazon’s Zoox expands robotaxi testing despite software recalls.

Dozens of ads with AI voices found marketing illegal drugs on Spotify: The incident highlights the struggle to keep up with AI’s rapid development.

Apple’s Fortnite feud, Amazon’s device division cuts, and Apple Music’s new user lure reveal how tech titans are adjusting strategies in a volatile regulatory and consumer landscape.

Tech’s new bet—low-cost EVs, ultra-thin phones, and vibe-driven music: Slate, Samsung, and Spotify each chase novelty—via price, design, and personalization—to win over convenience-hungry consumers.

Spotify’s play counts and YouTube’s two-person plan signal a fierce fight for viewers in the podcast space’s visual future.

Spotify is scaling video podcast monetization fast: A YouTube-style model and creator tools are fueling the shift.

Spotify showed resilience with strong Q1 gains: Still, margin pressures and licensing costs could challenge momentum ahead.

Meta and Apple receive first fines for DMA violation: The landmark decision marks the biggest effort to date to curb the market power of Big Tech.

Podcast ad revenues surpassed $2 billion in 2024: As revenues maintain consistent growth, advertisers must tap in to meet audiences where they’re at.

Snap resets its brand story: Grace Kao joins as CMO to lead a creative reinvention, following ad gains and rising interest in immersive media.

The tool turns prompts into deployable software, opening doors for marketers and small teams, but human oversight is still necessary to avoid risky code.

Digital audio consumption continues to grow in the US. Younger audiences are leading the way, adopting platforms like Spotify and audio content like podcasts.