New data shows podcast ads outperform every other medium. Here’s why branded podcasts could be your most valuable channel.
Let’s start with the elephant in the dashboard: Most media metrics are garbage.
Impressions? View-throughs? Thumbs-up emojis? They’re not attention — they’re artifacts.
Meanwhile, podcasting quietly keeps doing the thing every marketer actually wants:
✅ Holding attention
✅ Building trust
✅ Driving action
Now we’ve got fresh data to back it up. Part two of the 2025 Advertising Landscape: Attention and Trust report from Sounds Profitable proves that podcast ads don’t just get heard — they get believed, recalled, and acted on.
The kicker? While the report focuses on podcast ads, the implications for branded podcasts are even bigger. Because if a 30-second ad can do this much work, imagine what a 20-30 minute brand-owned experience can do.
Let’s break it down.
1. Podcast ads have the highest recall
As the research shares, 86% of daily podcast listeners (“Prime” users) recall hearing an ad in the past week. That’s the highest of any medium.
If an ad can be that sticky, a show — fully owned by your brand, shaped for your audience — has the potential to live in memory, not just in the feed.
2. Effective reach > vanity reach
Yes, monthly podcast usage is 31%. But when adjusted for actual attention, podcasts punch way above their weight.
Branded shows might not always flood the top of your funnel, but they own the middle — where trust builds and decisions happen.
3. The messenger matters… A lot
39% of podcast listeners trust the person delivering the ad. TV? 21%. Radio? 29%.
Branded podcasts own the messenger. You’re not at the mercy of third-party tone or misaligned creative. The host is yours — and if they’re credible, the halo transfers to your brand.
4. Podcast ads feel more authentic. Branded shows can feel even better.
48% say podcast ads feel natural and authentic. Compare that to, say, a YouTube pre-roll that shows up mid-sentence.
Now picture an entire show where the tone is consistent, the host is invested, and the message serves the listener — not interrupts them.
That’s the opportunity with branded podcasts. You’re not squeezing in an ad. You’re building the content itself.
5. Listeners believe what they hear
Podcast ads score 48% on ad claim believability. That’s 10 points higher than social media.
Now flip that: When a brand builds a podcast that features real stories, expert guests, and customer voices, it’s more than just believable, it’s credible. And credibility compounds over time.
6. Less noise, more signal
46% of listeners say podcasts help prevent false or misleading ads better than TV, radio, or social.
That credibility rubs off. When your brand shows up in the podcast space, it benefits from the medium’s signal-to-noise advantage. As long as you respect the format, you’re in the trust zone.
7. Works equally well for men and women
Unlike many platforms where female ad recall lags, podcasts perform evenly across genders.
So if your brand talks to everyone, a branded podcast reaches them without algorithmic weirdness or skewed formats.
8. Trusted across cultures
51% of Black and 49% of Hispanic listeners trust podcast ads. Strong numbers for Asian audiences, too (46%).
Inclusion is a trust decision. Podcasts deliver conversations that resonate across communities, especially when brands take time to craft shows that reflect them.
9. Resonates with decision-makers
Podcast ad trust peaks in the 35–54 age range — and remains high among 55+ listeners.
These are the people signing contracts, managing budgets, buying homes, raising families. They’re the ones who don’t “engage” with ads but instead act when they trust you. That’s who listens to podcasts.
10. The host isn’t a perk. They’re the strategy.
Podcast ads work because the host is trusted. And branded podcasts work only when the host is relevant, engaging, and human.
We saw this with Amazon’s podcast “This Is Small Business.” It’s more than a brand monologue, it’s a story-driven show that gave aspiring entrepreneurs a real reason to listen. And it worked because the host was relatable, curious, and made the brand feel human by extension.
“If a brand owns the entire show, the show has to be worth the audience’s time. Full stop. Create a great podcast — one that’s made for the listener, not about the brand. Then, and only then, will the brand earn the trust it’s after.”
Bottom line: Don’t just rent trust. Build it.
Podcast ads perform. No argument there.
But the real play? Owning the experience. Building something your audience wants to come back to. Not a one-off touchpoint, but a consistent, trusted relationship.
Branded podcasts aren’t magic. But when they’re audience-first, strategically sound, and creatively excellent? They’re the most under-leveraged trust-builder in your entire content mix.
Want to know what that would look like for your brand?
Reach out to our team. No pitch. Just straight answers about what a branded podcast can actually do for you in 2025.
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Roger transitioned from a 22 year career in advertising account management to co-founding JAR, a podcast podcast production agency. As CEO of JAR, he propels the company’s growth by prioritizing audience engagement and podcast marketing. Under his guidance, JAR flourishes with a global clientele, aiming to broaden its reach across North America and revolutionize brand connections through immersive storytelling.
