Audiotrack at 10: Audio is becoming the soundtrack to everyone’s life

One of the biggest changes in the audio industry over the past ten years has been the rapid rise of digital. The most recent RAJAR data for Q1 2026 found that total digital listening now comprises more than three-quarters (76%) of overall listening by platform share, underlining the profound impact the shift is having on the advertising landscape.

Coupled with the continued growth of podcasting, it’s clear that digital audio has become an increasingly important way for brands to reach audiences. As Silke Zetzsche, VP of global commercial partnerships at AudioStack, puts it: “Audio is becoming the soundtrack to everyone’s life.”

Speaking on The Media Leader podcast, Zetzsche spoke with host Charli West about how this shift to digital has transformed the creative possibilities of audio advertising. Rather than producing a single campaign for every listener, brands can now tailor messages to individuals, making audio advertising a “living, breathing” medium.

She argues that the combination of rich audience data and technologies such as artificial intelligence enables brands to personalise creative at scale, delivering more relevant advertising without sacrificing efficiency. That relevance is particularly powerful in audio, she says, because it is a medium built on the fundamentals of what it means to be human.

While digital has created far more opportunities for brands to use audio in innovative ways, Zetzsche believes the fundamentals remain unchanged. Successful audio advertising still starts with strong storytelling and a clear understanding of what a brand sounds like.

The episode is part of a series produced in partnership with Audiotrack, the UK’s commercial audio delivery service and sister company of The Media Leader, which marks its tenth anniversary this year.

Listen to the episode here.