Digital Audio Enters The Ad Mix For More Local Marketers As Podcasting Presents New Opportunity.

More than a third of media buyers say they plan to try something new this year, and for many of them, the answer is streaming audio and podcasts. In a survey completed earlier this month, Borrell Associates found that 5% of local advertisers report they are buying podcast and streaming audio ads for the first time this year. President Gordon Borrell says it is the first time that digital audio has appeared on its list of media types that local businesses are adding to their ad mix. And streaming audio interest tops that of AM/FM, with 4% planning to add broadcast radio to their marketing mix this year.

Speaking on a webinar Thursday, Borrell said there is plenty of headroom for growth. “Streaming audio is not very big in terms of popularity among advertisers. Only 11% of advertisers say they are buying streaming audio,” he said. But among those that invested in digital audio last year, one in five (21%) said it was either “very” or “extremely” effective for their business. The result is that among streaming audio spenders, 8% of those who used it last year have told Borrell they expect to increase their investment in the channel this year.

Locally-produced shows are seen as a prime way to grow interest among local advertisers. “Certainly, there are a lot of challenges in local media today, but there’s also opportunity,” said Amplifi Media CEO Steve Goldstein. “The local marketplace is underserved because voices are vanishing — news departments have been stripped down, the local newspaper is gone.” He pointed out that new entrants are filling the local audio void, like Graham Media’s City Cast, which is combining local podcasts and newsletters to target 13 markets — with entries into Seattle and Minneapolis-St. Paul planned for this year. “It’s not that expensive to create this kind of content,” Goldstein said.

Data from Borrell’s 2025 local small and medium-sized business survey supports the pivot: advertisers are showing increasing interest in streaming audio and podcasts. Goldstein pointed out that 65% of all media time is now on demand, while broadcast TV is down to 20%. “That means one-third of Americans are listening to podcasts every week, and there’s tremendous cultural influence,” he said.

Younger audiences are even more engaged. “Gen Z spends 85% of their time with digital audio,” Goldstein said. The podcast age median is 36, which is also about half the average of 70 for cable news, and below news-talk radio’s 62 average. Podcasts, he said, are in a “different world” from everything other than linear media as a result.

The Video Growth

The age gap is partly due to how people are accessing podcasts, with Edison Research reporting that 41% of podcast consumption is done on YouTube.

“Podcast is really a seamless audio and video experience,” said Stephanie Chan, a Strategic Partner Manager at YouTube. On the webinar, she said the integration allows listeners to move fluidly between video and audio modes across devices. The result is YouTube has surpassed one billion monthly podcast users worldwide.

Chan also emphasized the growing importance of TV-based podcast viewing, as podcasts are no longer confined to earbuds and commutes. She said watch time on TVs has become the platform’s fastest-growing source of watch time.

“It’s now viewed as mainstream entertainment, in many ways — something that you can sit back, relax and enjoy with other people. And I think that this transforms podcasting into a shared social event in many cases, perfect for a place like a living room,” Chan said. “And for many folks in Gen Z, the only podcast that they know may be video podcasts.”

YouTube’s Advice For Podcasters

Chan also offered a range of practical tips during the session for podcast creators — especially local media — interested in building an audience on YouTube:

• Master the First Impression: “On YouTube, unlike other platforms, getting that initial click on a video really depends on your title and your thumbnail,” she said. Chan urged podcasters to create a clear, searchable title and custom thumbnail for every episode. “You want to create a custom one with a strong visual hook, a consistent style for brand recognition.”

• Think Beyond Audio: While a full studio setup isn’t required, she recommended at least using video of guest interviews or animated waveform visuals. “Even just the basic Zoom video recording will really help boost the connection between you and the viewer.”

• Use Multi-Format Content: Chan advised embracing multiple formats, including YouTube Shorts and horizontal clips to attract more casual viewers.

• Leverage Search and Discovery: “Optimize the thumbnail and the title for every video to convince new viewers that it’s worth their time,” she emphasized. Chan also said that using keywords and clear visual cues helps attract interest when videos appear alongside trending content.

• Understand Monetization Pathways: To join the YouTube Partner Program, creators need 1,000 subscribers and 4,000 watch hours in the past year. Once approved, they can start to monetize their channel through Google-sold ads earning 55% of revenue, with YouTube keeping the other 45%.

• Take Advantage of Platform Tools: YouTube’s syncing between the main app and YouTube Music allows for seamless switching between video and audio modes. “It picks up where you were before, except in audio mode,” she said.

• Consider Channel Strategy Carefully: For podcasters with multiple shows, she said if audiences are very different, then a creator might be better off starting separate channels. But if shows share a strong audience overlap, Chan said one combined channel can work well.