Podcasting advertising is clearing a high bar in the UK, claims trade body research

Nearly 80% of UK podcast listeners recall hearing a podcast ad in the past week, trade body research has found.

Based on a weighted sample of 5,033 adults, it’s the first large-scale UK study to measure how British audiences experience podcast advertising compared to over 20 other ad-supported media platforms.

Titled Advertising Landscape UK, the research was conducted by Sounds Profitable, a trade association for the podcast industry, in partnership with the UK research firm Sounds Insights.

According to the report, 43% of British adults now listen to an ad-supported podcast monthly, and 79% of ad-supported podcast listeners in the region recalled hearing a podcast ad in the past week. This ranks podcasts as the fourth highest media channel, behind only broadcast TV (94%), YouTube (88%), and radio (88%).

Among podcast listeners, 56% tune in daily or almost daily, which the report suggests means the listeners are “not just present – they are habitual.”

Peak daily engagement is concentrated in the 35-to-54 year old demographic, where engagement reaches 60-61%.

The report was debuted on stage at The Podcast Show in London earlier this week, by Ben Robins, founder of Sounds Insights, and Tom Webster, partner at Sounds Profitable.

Robins said: “The podcast industry relies too much on US data, and so the added value from having it from this country is that when the conversation reaches that inevitable blocking point, when someone says: ‘Yes, but is that true here?’ We now have the data to make that case.”

According to the findings, 44% of UK podcast listeners recalled ever making a purchase after hearing a podcast ad. Additionally, among those who have engaged with a podcast ad in the last three months, 30% searched for more information, 20% discussed the product with others, and 14% wrote down a promo code.

On stage, Robins also spoke about the perception of British audiences as “advertising-resistant”, suggesting that a century of public service broadcasting has meant they have been able to access quality audio without ads.

He said: “I think what’s happened here is that the UK audience has a higher bar that they are seeking to best understand the value of their commercial message” – but it appears podcast advertising is clearing that bar.

The reach of ad-supported podcasting is on a par with broadcast TV among 25-34-year-olds and has pulled ahead of broadcast TV among 18-24-year-olds.

The report also found that, among the 79% of UK podcast listeners who recalled hearing a podcast ad in the past week, there was equal attention by gender (79% male / 80% female), a phenomenon also observed in the US version of The Advertising Landscape by Sounds Profitable.

Webster commented: “For any media buyers who have thought of podcasts as a supplementary channel, this report will challenge every plan you’ve written for this year.

“It’s undeniable that podcasting has reached mainstream with UK audiences. With more than half of monthly listeners saying they tune into podcasts on a near-daily basis, that proves they are bringing their favourite shows along with them in their regular routines.”

The findings also underscore that the audience profile reinforces the value. According to the research, UK podcast listeners over-index sharply on higher household incomes: nearly 2x at £60,000+, 2.5x at £80,000+, and 3x at £120,000+. Brands that reach this audience through podcast advertising are not reaching the general market. They are reaching a disproportionately affluent, purchase-ready, trust-driven consumer segment.

Robins concluded: “The UK market hasn’t rejected podcast advertising. It’s just a market that hasn’t caught up yet with its own listeners and their beliefs and their behaviours.”