The survey also found that more Britons prefer audio-only podcast formats.
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The addition of Audiomack, Sonos, Boom Radio and CountryLine takes Octave’s audio audience to 15.5m monthly listeners.
The platform, AdPower, enables businesses to book media “as easily as booking an Uber”.
Its the first large-scale UK study to measure how British audiences experience podcast advertising and was debuted at The Podcast Show London on 20 May.
The media and entertainment group is now the only UK media owner able to offer advertisers audio, outdoor, and premium video all in one place.
The BBC continues to lead the breakfast time slot, despite Radio 2 seeing marginal declines of 0.6% year-on-year and 0.8% from Q4 2025.
National radio brands across the board saw declines in weekly reach, but green shoots of growth could be found in Bauer’s KISS and Global’s LBC.
A majority of the UK’s largest national radio brands registered year-on-year contractions, including Global’s Heart, Capital and Smooth, as well as Bauer’s Hits Radio portfolio (-8.3% to 12.1m) and Greatest Hits Network (9.7% to 6.8m).
Total digital listening now comprises more than three-quarters (76%) of overall radio listening, according to the latest Rajar figures.
The sector has been formally recognised in the UK’s SIC framework under the classification: ‘Podcast and other audio publishing activities’.