Their Upfront presentation comes during a growth period for podcasts. About 57 million people, or 21% of Americans over the age of 12, listen to a podcast monthly, according to an Edison Research report from May. That figure is up from 17% last year.
Still, the podcast industry is contending with a series of advertising hurdles, like a difficulty in measuring how many people are downloading—and then actually listening to—episodes. As a result, most podcast ads are from direct-response marketers that more easily track their investment through promotional codes.
The IAB on Wednesday released a study with Edison Research that found that 65% of podcast listeners said the ads increase their likelihood of purchasing a product, while 45% said they often visit a sponsor’s website after hearing a message.