YouTube is the preferred podcast platform among US listeners of this medium, according to Morning Consult. Spotify takes second place, followed by Apple Podcasts and Pandora.

Podcast listening keeps making gains, and the medium is becoming a bigger part of marketers’ audio strategies.

Programmatic podcast ad spending, which we are forecasting for the first time this year, is growing at a fast rate from a small base.

The pandemic put pressure on media budgets and changed users’ listening behaviors, forcing advertisers to restructure their audio strategies.

The growing podcast audience in Canada has brands taking notice. Not only has the medium become a fixture in consumer media consumption, it’s also a sticky medium. Listeners consume podcasts heavily compared with other forms of informational media, and they are loyal to the hosts of their favorite shows.

Podcast listenership in the US has been soaring in recent years and advertising dollars are following. Podcast ad spending is a bright spot amid lackluster digital radio spending. According to eMarketer’s latest forecast, US podcast ad spending will surpass 20% of digital radio ad spending this year and cross the $1 billion mark next year.

eMarketer forecasting analyst Peter Vahle and vice president of content studio Paul Verna discuss the different platforms that people use to consume music and podcasts, and how the major platforms maintain their leads. Then, Paul talks about ESPN and ABC TV ad revenue declines, Pinterest's earnings and a potential new streaming service from ViacomCBS.