Podcast Influence Soars: Three In Four Listeners Buy After Host Recommendations.

The growth of podcasting has brought in more casual listeners, but a study from Audacy shows that the impact of podcast ads remains substantial. It reports that three in four (76%) podcast listeners say they have purchased a brand after hearing an ad from their favorite creator, and 56% have sought out more information about a brand based on hearing an ad. Those numbers are slightly higher than the impact of AM/FM radio (74% and 52%), according to the Audacy’s study.

“When a podcast host recommends a brand, it doesn’t sound like advertising — it sounds like advice from a friend. That’s the magic of podcasts: influence so trusted, it turns shout-outs into shopping lists,” Audacy says in a blog post releasing the findings.

Podcast creators are emerging as the strongest influencers in the modern creator economy, according to Audacy’s “State of Audio: The Creator Effect” report. The study says the combination of intentional listening, trusted voices, and host-driven storytelling has pushed podcasting into its most powerful advertising era yet.

Audacy highlights the “power of the pod,” noting that listeners pay more attention to ads on podcasts than anywhere else, overwhelmingly because host reads feel like personal recommendations rather than commercial interruptions. Nearly 95% of listeners trust podcast ads when delivered by the host.

The report underscores how the relationship between creators and audiences — built on authenticity rather than polish — drives this performance. Podcast fans choose their shows intentionally, which makes them more receptive to the brands that support them. For brands, Audacy says the data shows why they need to stop considering creators as “just entertainers” and instead view them as community leaders who shape conversations, drive discovery, and influence purchasing in real time. “And unlike social media, where trust can feel shaky or transactional, Audio builds something deeper: loyalty, attention, and repeated engagement over time,” it says.

Audacy executives also point to the rising impact of “mid-fluencers” — niche and mid-tier podcasters with tight-knit fan communities. These creators often outperform larger shows, with conversion rates peaking among podcasts under 750,000 monthly impressions.

“The more niche and the deeper you get, the more of a cult following you often develop,” says Audacy Head of Podcasts Leah Reis-Dennis. “They’re obsessed. They feel like they’re all friends, and you don’t get that with the large transient audiences. And in terms of our relationship with brands — we can say you’re gonna reach an audience who really cares, who feel like they’re best friends with this host. And that connection performs.”

The report also highlights the importance of “authenticity over everything” when it comes to content. It concludes audiences aren’t looking for “polished” anymore. Instead, it says they are “craving real” with listeners better able to sniff out the fakes.

“Hosts will pay a price for the ultimate crime: fake and phony,” it says. And Gen Z especially rejects over-polished try-hards and transactional influencer culture.”

For brands, Audacy says the data shows why they need to stop considering creators as “just entertainers” and instead view them as community leaders who shape conversations, drive discovery, and influence purchasing in real time. “And unlike social media, where trust can feel shaky or transactional, audio builds something deeper — loyalty, attention, and repeated engagement over time,” it says.

Download Audacy’s “State of Audio: The Creator Effect” report HERE.