Survey: Podcast Listeners Have More Trust In Medium Than Any Other Media Option.

SiriusXM is releasing results from a new survey at Advertising Week-New York that show podcasts are considered the most trustworthy medium for information, with four in ten saying they trust what they hear. That is a three-point advantage on AM/FM radio and a five-point edge on SiriusXM. Television trails audio overall, with less than a third of those surveyed believing what they see on broadcast TV (31%) and cable TV (29%).

“Audiences say streaming audio is 4.7-times more trustworthy and authentic than social media — and a whopping 23-times more so when it comes to podcasts,” says the report. “Not only do they have more control over the content and its pace, they generally have close connections to both podcast and talk show hosts, driving a stronger relationship with the medium overall.”

The survey — which was conducted in May and June by Edison Research among more than 3,000 Americans aged 13 and older — also offers fresh insights into listener views of podcast advertising. A majority 58% say that they are willing to hear ads in order to access content for free or make it more affordable. That is more than the number of people who say they are willing to sit through commercials on television.

Video may be a growing part of podcasting, but the report also shows that more than eight in ten listeners say they listen to podcasts hands-free and without a screen. It also points to data showing audio ads drive 50% more attention than norms across TV, social media, online video, and display advertising.

The report says the message for marketers is clear. “Recent data shows that the hours between 8am and 5pm have become prime shopping hours; more on- and offline purchases are happening in this time period when audiences are on-the-go and not looking at screens. They are, however, listening to digital audio,” it says. “By adding digital audio to your strategy, you now can reach audiences in these screenless but still extremely influential moments.”

During the past year several podcast experts have raised concerns about the industry, loading up episodes with more commercials than in the past. But SiriusXM’s survey suggests that for many podcast listeners, it has yet to have a significant impact. When asked about ad loads, about half (49%) said they think that online audio services have too many ads. That is the same number who said that about AM/FM radio. In contrast, the survey finds nearly two in three (63%) Americans think broadcast television has too many ads.

Working with Edison, SiriusXM also presents in the report several statistics about how it provides incremental reach to several other media channels. On its own, Edison says 64% of Americans aged 13+ can be reached by AM/FM radio each month — the most of any media examined. But when SiriusXM Media is added to mix, the total reach rises to 82%. The company pitches that the combination of the two allows advertisers to take advantage of the broad reach of AM/FM while also getting a more targeted reach with the digital components.

Looking at digital audio, the report finds similar potential benefits for ad buyers. Edison says those properties reach up to 37% of Americans ages 13+ monthly, depending on the platform. But with the addition of SiriusXM, it can add as much as 41 points of incremental reach, depending on the platform. Combined, they can reach up to 66% of Americans, depending on the platform. It says when DoorDash added SiriusXM Podcast Network to their SiriusXM ad buy, they saw a 70% gain in incremental reach and a 64% jump in attributable actions.

Download the full Just Add Audio report HERE.