A new report from audio agency Oxford Road warns that podcasting’s fragmented approach to measurement is holding back more than $1 billion in potential ad spend.
The What Brands Want 2025 report surveyed some of the industry’s biggest advertisers, uncovering widespread frustration over inconsistent data across audio and video platforms.
According to the findings, 50% of brands cite limitations in performance data as the top barrier to growth, while 76% say they would increase podcast investment if video attribution, particularly for YouTube podcasts, matched that of audio.
Nearly a quarter of respondents said they would boost their spend by 50% or more if standardised attribution tools were introduced.
The report includes insights from brand decision-makers representing around 15% of total US podcast ad spend, including six of the top ten advertisers in the category. It also highlights growing concerns about brand safety, ad clutter, and the rise of AI in host-read ads, with many calling for clearer industry standards.
Dan Granger, CEO of Oxford Road, said: “If the industry can deliver on measurement, advertisers have signalled they are ready to scale their investment.
“The next phase of growth for podcasts and audio won’t be defined by content or distribution alone, but by trust, transparency, and accountability in how impressions and results are measured.”
The report urges leading platforms to collaborate on universal metrics and definitions for podcasting, warning that confusion across audio, video, influencer, and YouTube formats risks slowing progress in an otherwise booming medium.
You can download the report here (name and email required).
