EMarketer forecasts that US podcast ad spending will surpass $2 billion next year and $3 billion by 2026. Podcasts will account for over a quarter of digital audio services ad spending in 2022 and will be more than a third of spending by the end of 2026.

Podcast ad Spending

Most digital audio monetization will come from recorded music for the foreseeable future, but podcasts’ share of the market has grown—and will continue to do so. Previously only employed with experimental budgets, podcasts are becoming a crucial component of multimedia ad campaigns.

More than half of advertisers said they planned to increase their podcast ad budgets in 2022, according to a poll of 255 US advertisers conducted by Advertiser Perceptions in August 2021. Nearly half (46%) planned to keep their budgets the same, and just 1% planned to reduce podcast ad spending.

The survey also showed overall digital budgets were the most commonplace that advertisers pulled their podcast ad budgets from.

Podcast Budgets

Most advertisers did not have dedicated podcast budgets. About half used their digital audio budgets to fund podcast campaigns. As podcast ad spending increases and accounts for a greater share of total audio ad dollars, more advertisers are expected to break out podcast-specific budgets. Having dedicated budgets could help centralize campaign planning and measurement for advertisers committed to podcasts over the long run.


Need assistance with your podcast marketing strategy and production? Schedule a call or email Lori Berson at lberson@BersonDeanStevens.com.


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