Acast has released the 2026 edition of its Podcast Pulse report. The headline finding:
“The format argument is over. Audiences ended it by not caring.”
Insouciant, yes, and backed by data. Acast CEO Greg Glenday: “The podcast industry is obsessed with formats and platforms […] Audiences don’t think that way.”
Below is a key introductory metric in the forward of this 49-page release deck:
We quickly learn two key findings about podcast consumers:
- “Nine in ten follow their favorite podcasters somewhere beyond the podcast itself […] Podcasting is fluid. The platforms and formats are only the container.”
- The audio/video consumer group is quickly increasing year-over-year, 88% of surveyed consumers now consume both audio and video podcasts, jumping a huge 78% from last year’s survey.
Podcast consumption generally is predicted to rise, across both listening and watching:
- — 49% expect to listen to podcasts more often
- — 48% expect to watch podcasts more often
(We think it’s worth keeping in mind that “watching podcasts on YouTube” could just as easily (and perhaps as frequently) be listening on YouTube.)
Interestingly, this research tested for listeners who migrate across platforms within the consumption of a single podcast — 63% of respondents said they’ve done that, and 75% of them had to switch apps or platforms to do it.
Time of day plays into this: “Audio owns the morning; video owns the night. “Clips ‘own the lunch hour,” we learn, which makes sense.
Screenless listening is partly a choice … and equally a necessity. Fifty percent of respondents who listen this way don’t want the screen, and 50% can’t access the screen for some reason.
This study makes a point that video podcast listening brings advertiser opportunities across media boundaries. The point is emphasized by this metric: “Acast podcasts & creators have 3.75 billion followers across social networks.”
Other topics addressed in this weighty presentation include
- Live podcasting advantages for brands
- Brand trust is higher in podcasting than many other media categories
- Audience attention is more intense with podcasts than streaming music or radio
- Podcasts are “sought not served”
- Podcasts “keep it real” (this is an AI-era value)
- Podcast impressions “work harder” than other media, when it comes to influencing consumer behavior
- Ad-skipping is less common in podcasts than other media
- Repeated exposure to a brand does not hurt the brand; it helps
The deck includes a little tutorial in creating 30-second video podcast ads.
This summary is far from complete; as always we suggest the original. It is HERE.
