Magellan AI, Signal Hill Launch Unified Podcast Measurement Alliance.

Magellan AI is joining forces with Signal Hill Insights in a move they say will bring unified brand and performance measurement to podcast advertising. The partnership between two familiar names in podcast circles connects Signal Hill Insight’s brand lift studies with Magellan’s exposure and performance data.

In the partnership, both companies will bring their familiar roles to the table. Magellan captures ad exposure across both dynamically inserted and baked-in podcast ads using tags and server-side integrations, including inventory that has historically been difficult to measure at scale. That exposure data will then be fed directly into Signal Hill Insight’s studies. The result is what the two say will be more precise audience matching, stronger control groups, and a more reliable read on how campaigns shift awareness, favorability, and intent.

“This partnership gives advertisers a more complete picture of campaign impact, connecting brand perception to real downstream behavior in one place,” Magellan President Jim Ballas says in the joint announcement.

While a majority of marketers now use streaming audio and podcasts and plan to increase spending, a survey released in February by Emarketer and Amazon Ads found that measurement remains the dominant barrier keeping digital audio budgets in check. More than half of advertisers (55%) say difficulty measuring ROI is the biggest challenge preventing greater investment, making it by far the most cited obstacle in the report.

Roughly four in ten marketers surveyed said consideration and brand favorability are a primary objective for their digital audio campaigns, while more than a quarter are pursuing direct-response, e-commerce traffic, or conversion goals. Yet the report finds many advertisers still lack confidence that those outcomes can be clearly attributed to audio.

Magellan and Signal Hill aim to address those concerns in their alliance by providing a more unified measurement workflow. It will give advertisers a single view of brand and performance outcomes without needing to manage multiple vendors, datasets, or reporting streams, they say.

“Advertisers are asking for clearer, more connected measurement across the funnel,” Signal Hill President Paul Riismandel said. “By pairing Magellan’s exposure data with our brand lift methodology, we can provide a deeper dive into how messaging is moving consumers through that funnel, including those who have yet to take any action. This delivers a more accurate view on how podcast campaigns influence both perception and action.”

The companies say their partnership is designed to be flexible, making it easier for advertisers to access both brand lift and performance measurement through a single workflow and point of contact.