In another sign of the growing importance of video podcasting, a new analysis from S&P Global Market Intelligence shows that podcast listening in the United States is experiencing significant growth, increasing 10 percentage points in early 2026, with nearly 60% of US online adults now reporting they listen to podcasts.

S&P Global Market Intelligence attributed the surge in usage to the evolving landscape of podcast content and the rising popularity of video podcast platforms.

Other highlights from the analysis include:

• Age emerged as the clearest differentiator for podcast consumption patterns, with respondents aged 55+ comprising 44% of the survey population but accounting for only 17% of listeners. The 25-34 age group forms the largest single segment of podcast listeners, representing a significant generational gap in adoption. Meanwhile, the 65+ age group showed the smallest engagement at just 7% of total survey participants.
• Gender strongly shapes genre selection, with 75% of sports podcast listeners being male and 63% of true crime listeners being female. News & politics dominates as the most popular category, followed by comedy, sports, and true crime. Health and wellness content attracts a 59% female audience, while business and entrepreneurship podcasts draw a 66% male audience.
• Video podcasts are reshaping consumption habits, with 62% of podcast listeners reporting they watch video podcasts on YouTube, followed by Netflix at 34%, Spotify at 23%, and Apple at 11%.
• Platform usage shows Spotify leading the market at 45% of podcast listeners in 2026, up from 40% in 2025, with YouTube Music at 39% and Amazon Prime Music at 30%. Listening behavior demonstrates high engagement, with 67% of the podcast audience tuning in at least weekly, and 69% of listening occurring at home. Apple Podcasts maintained steady usage at 23% for both years.

Podcast listening in the U.S. reached new highs over the past year, as the medium continues to expand its audience base.

Yet for this audio-first medium, video is what has people talking.

The recently released 2026 edition of Edison Research’s Infinite Dial reports that 58% of Americans age 12 and older listened to a podcast in February 2026. That’s equal to about 167 million people.

That is the highest monthly podcast reach recorded in the study’s history, according to the Edison Research report.

Just how big is podcasting? Conan O’Brien said his podcast “Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend” allows him to reach more people than he did in late-night TV; in an interview with The New Yorker he said this allows him to be a “master of my own destiny.”

The show told Podcast News Daily that it has amassed some 660 million downloads since its launch.

Radio entities too have been expanding their podcasting capabilities. According to Triton Digital’s U.S. Podcast Report, iHeartMedia averaged 69 million weekly downloads, followed by NPR’s 27.2 million and Audacy recording 14.8 million average weekly downloads.

Optimizing for Video

According to the Triton report, listening is still the predominant method to consume podcasting. But the popularity of video podcasting has grown dramatically, and audio-first brands are expanding quickly into multiplatform operations.

Consumers are leaning into this and expanding how and where they engage with podcasts.

In fact, most consumers both listen and watch. A whopping 80% of respondents 18-plus said they consume podcasts both ways.

(Triton’s report also looked at how various genres behave differently in video; some are “watch-forward,” others “listen-
forward.” People often listen to science, history and fiction. 
They often watch music and sports, while comedy tends to bridge both behaviors.)

iHeartMedia is enhancing its podcast offerings by adding full-length video podcast distribution to iHeartRadio. The company said the move is designed to expand reach for creators.

Beginning later this year, podcasters will be able to distribute full-length video versions of their shows directly into both the app and web versions of iHeartRadio, alongside traditional audio episodes.

iHeartMedia also recently announced a video podcasting partnership with Netflix.

On an investor call in 
March, Bob Pittman, CEO of iHeartMedia, called video podcasting “a wonderful expansion of the marketplace.”

AI continues to change podcasting in exciting ways, said Gary Levitt, an audio engineer and co-founder of Future Moments, which releases apps for content creation.

“Because AI can transcribe audio so easily, podcasts are becoming fully searchable by text. It’s turning millions of hours of conversations into an incredible knowledge resource,” Levitt said.

“Now tools like TapeSearch and Listen Notes make it possible to search any topic and instantly find the exact moment it was discussed in a podcast.”

Monetization 
of Podcasts

Podcast advertising also continues to surge, according to research firm Magellan AI.

E-commerce and retail brands remain deeply invested in podcasting, it said, with financial services, telecom and tech remaining the top advertisers.

Magellan AI analyzes podcast advertising data from the top 3,000 U.S. podcasts as ranked by Apple Podcasts. It said the top 15 advertisers spent a combined $59.8 million in January.

As part of NAB Show’s Broadcast Management and Monetization Conference, the session “Hot Digital Trends: What to Know About Video, Podcasts and AI” explores where broadcast operations should invest their time and money.

Moderated by multimedia journalist John Wordock of WTOP in Washington, D.C., the panel (2:45 to 3:45 p.m. today in Room N259) will offer insights on these key digital areas.

Wordock said every broadcaster, whether television or radio, whether small market or large market, needs to create a strategy for video podcasts on YouTube.

“Think of YouTube as a storefront window for your podcast,” Wordock said.

The session will feature Andy Slater, head of partnerships at ART19, Amazon’s podcast hosting and monetization platform. A 10-year veteran of the podcasting space, Slater works with top-tier creators and networks to optimize their publishing workflows and scale global ad revenue.

Video will also be the focus of today’s “Creating Automated Video for Podcasting” (C9226 Creator Lab Classroom). The session promises to help creators streamline camera switching, audio, recording and live streaming with smart production tech.

© 2026 NAB

HUNT VALLEY, Md.—In a notable example of the growing interest in video podcasts by media companies, Sinclair has announced the launch of "Criminally Obsessed".

Sinclair said that new episodes of the video podcast will drop daily Monday through Thursday on YouTube and all audio platforms including Spotify and Apple Podcasts. "Criminally Obsessed" will go deeper inside the investigations, the courtroom drama, and the human stories at the center of major true crime cases, tracking breaking developments, uncovering overlooked details, and offering compassion for victims and the people whose lives are forever changed, Sinclair said.

“True crime audiences want more than headlines, they want depth, context, and real accountability,” said Nickolas James, vice president of social media at Sinclair. “With `Criminally Obsessed', we’re delivering a daily destination rooted in original reporting by Sinclair’s national newsgathering resources and Anne’s experience and trusted voice.”

The podcast is hosted by Anne Emerson, an Edward R. Murrow and Emmy Award-winning investigative journalist with more than 30 years of experience. Anne became a leading voice in high-profile investigations through gavel-to-gavel coverage of the Alex Murdaugh double-murder trial and her hit podcast and docuseries “The Murdaughs: Murders, Money & Mystery”.

“We have the experience on our team and we know what it feels like to be out on a crime scene or in a courtroom,” said Emerson. “I can tell you what it feels like as these stories are happening and unfolding because I’ve been there and done it.”

"Criminally Obsessed" will draw on Sinclair’s network of local reporters and investigative journalists.

Subscribe to Criminally Obsessed on YouTube here.

Among the unexpected things the pandemic left in its wake is a higher tolerance for bad lighting. For evidence of this, just check out any Zoom meeting. Faces in shadows framed by blown-out backgrounds look more like witness-protection videos than what we normally see on camera.

Every new technology unleashed on the public is bound to have some hiccups. Ever notice how many teleconference meetings start like a séance, trying to contact departed spirits? “George, can you hear us? We can see you, but can’t hear you.”

For a technology that was previously only in the hands of “experts,” people with zero training have managed better than expected. We’re experiencing a democratization of telecommunications, enabled by plug-and-play components and readily accessible apps. Social media posts are today’s equivalent of pontificating from atop a soapbox in the park, but with a revenue stream. With these new tools, almost anyone can put together a video podcast.

The low quality of most video podcasts makes “close enough for television” seem like the golden age of excellence. They’re cringe-worthy, rather than binge-worthy. As good as entry-level gear has become, production values suffer from a lack of decent lighting.

Newer cameras can make pictures in almost no light, which may ironically be why the lighting falls short. It no longer has to be properly lit to be seen, so it often isn’t. These novice media moguls could considerably up their game with a bit more attention to how things look.

The goal of lighting isn’t merely academic. Good lighting can help video podcasters connect with their audience by making the hosts appear more relatable. We tend to connect more with people when we can actually see their eyes, let alone their faces.

Video podcasting is a big deal, even if the podcasts often don’t always look the part. The top-rated video podcasters have millions of viewers with audience demographics that companies want most. Product placement, compensated endorsements and lucrative sponsorship deals have made this a multibillion-dollar industry.

In this competitive media landscape vying for viewer attention, getting the lighting right provides an edge. Unfortunately, many video podcasts look like they’re made in a closet—illuminated with all the lighting artistry of a bare bulb on a pull chain. Improving on this could be as simple as using a clip-on reflector work light pointed at the host.

One popular “alpha bro” video podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” looks like it spent more money on its neon sign than on lighting the host. Then again, maybe that dimly lit back-alley aesthetic appeals to his audience. Are the deeply shaded eyes meant to suggest some unvarnished authenticity, or just poor lighting choices? Could Rogan spin conspiracy theories as convincingly if viewers could see the twinkle in his eyes?

Mood Lighting
Other successful video podcasters have done a brilliant job of creating visual surroundings that support their show’s themes. Alex Cooper’s popular “Call Her Daddy” video podcast creates a cozy environment for her guests. The right lighting and inviting scenic touches help create a beguiling space for the confessions and gossip that its guests seem to snuggle into. Her show’s curated “look” works by design.

When lighting a video podcast, the questions are much the same as for any other show. The camera shots guide the lighting, so we need to know where the cameras are, who they’re shooting, and where they’re standing or sitting.

Beyond that comes the nuts and bolts of making it work. What types of lights need to go where, and how will they be mounted? Light stands and cables may clutter the floor, while ceiling mounts and cable runs require some additional engineering. In short, it’s like any other lighting project—but on a smaller scale.

Whatever the budget, the basic “three-point lighting” approach is a good place to start.

The illustrated example (two people and four lights) can be done in the corner of a basement, a small room, or a large closet. The size and power of the light fixtures should be chosen to meet the required throw distance. Always adhere to “best practices” for mounting the lights and running power. Remember that people will be under those lights, so use safety cables, sandbags and common sense.

The example illustrated in Fig. 1 is typical for video podcasting. A central camera covers two people chatting. Additional lights can be added to highlight items in the background. If the budget is tight, begin with the two soft lights in the front corners, adding the remaining lights as funding permits.

Remembering that the larger the fixture aperture is, the softer the light will be, so the corner fill lights should have a relatively wide opening. They should fill softly without creating noticeable shadows. Let the work of making a modeling shadow fall to the Fresnel (or other “hard” light) in the center over the camera. Depending on the camera, an overall reading of 45 to 60 foot-candles should be perfect.

As for which lights to buy, you can’t go wrong with quality equipment backed by manufacturers that stand behind their products. Otherwise, “Buy cheap, buy twice.”

Homes Are Different
Lighting residential spaces for video presents different challenges than working in purpose-built studios; the bane of these impromptu spaces is the low ceiling and lack of hanging points. Getting lights secured where you need them always requires some creative mechanical engineering, or you can use stands. Use low-profile fixtures to reduce head bumps.

As for how to control the lights, most provide Bluetooth or other remote connectivity. For simplicity, it’s best if the lights can be controlled by a single app. Because LED lights have internal dimming electronics designed for full line voltage, don’t use external dimmers—they’ll cause damage.

While lighting a “black box” studio set calls for making a completely artificial space look more like a plausible environment, shooting in an ordinary room calls for adding some lighting “magic” to keep the space from looking too prosaic. And because the goal is connecting with your audience, always make sure the host is well-lit and looking good.

LOS ANGELES—MuxIP, a provider of automated solutions for ad-supported streaming, has launched Pod FAST TV, giving content creators the ability to globally distribute vodcast and podcast content targeting major FAST channel platforms, including LG Channels, Pluto TV, Roku, Samsung TV Plus, and Tubi. 

MuxIP is partnering with AVC Group, a global integrator and distributor of audio, radio and vision products, to deliver FASTHub for Pod FAST TV to its roster of content creation clients across Australia, New Zealand, Middle East, North Africa, India, and the Pacific Islands. AVC Group has already created in-studio video streaming capabilities for many of its radio clients, and says the new platform will help boost revenues for station groups and their on-air personalities.

The podcast industry, according to the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PricewaterhouseCoopers, will grow to $4 billion by 2024. According to Omdia, global FAST revenues will rise to $12 billion by 2027. MuxIP’s Pod FAST TV format enables podcasters/vodcasters to expand audiences and advertiser support beyond audio-only formats and deliver live capabilities for higher CPMs and higher engagement. 

MuxIP says PodcastOne TV is the first live FAST channel for podcasters, enabling podcasters to distribute live interactive engagement targeting the major streaming platforms and Smart TV OEMs, including Amazon Freevee, PlutoTV, Samsung TV Plus, Roku, TCL, Samsung TV Plus, and Tubi.  PodcastOne’s roster of award-winning podcasts includes The Adam Carolla Podcast, Nappy Boy Radio with T-Pain, and People’s Choice Award-nominated Off the Vine with Kaitlyn Bristowe.

“The value of podcasting and vodcasting is incremental, as niche programming on all devices grows, and FAST is on a similar growth trajectory,” said Tom Link, founder and CEO of MuxIP. “We see FASTHub for Pod FAST TV as an essential element in digital distribution for today’s talent market.”

MuxIP says it was the first company to deliver broadcast and broadcast channels into FAST, as demonstrated earlier this year. The company also announced the first live FAST channel deployments in 2022. 

“The FAST channel market is a natural growth extension for our award-winning podcast talent, and provides an even wider audience for viewers, listeners, and advertisers,” said Kit Gray, president of PodcastOne. “Vodcasting has been growing steadily in the past few years, and FAST is an obvious distribution outlet.”

Radio broadcasters have expanded into podcasting and vodcasting in recent years, and Spotify has worked to transition radio broadcasts into podcasts.

“As radio expands its streaming capabilities to also include a vision component, the FASTHub for Pod FAST TV product will deliver an entirely new platform for station groups, stations, and talent to extend their brands in powerful new ways,” said Simon Jackson, CEO of AVC Group. “The ability to deliver live and on-demand vodcasts into FAST is a programmer’s dream.”

MuxIP made the announcement at the Podcast Movement conference in Denver, along with PodcastOne TV, which is a new linear FAST channel powered by FASTHub for Pod FAST TV, launching this summer. 

NEW YORK—Despite a economic headwinds and cutbacks in podcasting efforts by some media companies, podcasting continues to be one of the fastest growing digital channels, growing two times faster than digital advertising overall, according to IAB’s "U.S. Podcast Advertising 2022 Revenue & 2023-2025 Growth Projections" study. 

The seventh annual IAB U.S. Podcast Advertising Revenue study, prepared for IAB by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC), found that 2022 podcasting ad revenue was up 26% year over year to 1.8 billion. The report also predicts that revenues will more than double by 2025 to $4 billion. 

The report found that Sports, Society & Culture, and Comedy are now the top revenue-generating content genres, with Sports snapping up 15% of podcast advertising, followed by Society & Culture (14%), and Comedy (14%). Meanwhile News and political opinion content fell from a 19% share to 12%.

“In-person sports, lifestyle events, and in-store shopping have come back in a big way, taking the lead from news which held the top revenue genre spot since 2018,” said Eric John, vice president, Media Center, IAB. “Podcasting revenue naturally reflects that shift in consumer behavior and it will be interesting to watch how the balance changes going forward.”

The researchers also found that podcasting continues to evolve as an ideal medium for niche audiences, attracting advertisers in a wide range of categories including Advocacy, Education, Home Improvement, and beyond. These smaller categories, collectively, are driving 28% of all revenues.

“Both mass and niche advertisers like the audiences, targeting, and ROI along with the brand-safe and suitable environments that podcasting offers,” added John.

The full report can be accessed here. 

Last year, 61% of the podcast fans who responded to a survey by Discover Pods reported they spent more time listening to podcasts than watching TV. According to the company’s Podcast Trends Report 2019 that number has climbed to 66%. Also this year, 82.4% reported they listen to podcasts for more than seven hours each week.

Have you and your station or company considered podcasting as a way to reach a larger audience? How do you get a podcasting program off the ground? The Video Show, a two-day event in Washington, Dec. 4–5, 2019, will feature an entire track on the basics of podcasting.

The session “Podcast Studio Design: Necessities, Variations and Options,” presented by John Storyk, a founding partner of Walters-Storyk Design Group, is a great place to get started. He’ll discuss how the company’s expertise developed studios from the ground up for both Stitcher and Spotify’s Gimlet Media, answering the unique needs of professional podcasting.

The Video Show caught up with Storyk for just a minute ahead of the show.

The Video Show:Your presentation at The Video Show is a case study on how you designed multiple studios/production workspaces for two of the biggest names in podcasting—Stitcher and Spotify’s Gimlet Media. Is creating a facility for podcasting much different than, say, creating one for recording music?

John Storyk: Super question… in many respects, the process is identical to recording studio (content creation spaces) design. All the aspects of the process have to be addressed—programming, pre-design, schematic design development, value engineering (budget!) construction documentation, construction administration, final commissioning, etc.

Many of the acoustic issues in studio design are also the same, but some differences do exist.

1. Podcasting environments are mostly associated with the spoken word. In fact, in one respect this makes things a bit easier—limited frequency range for design considerations. However, a new issue exists when creating multiple room facilities (such as Gimlet and Stitcher). The multiple podcasting rooms need to sound virtually identical. This is not always the case in small-room design for studios (i.e. multiple vocal booths). We will discuss this in more detail at the symposium in Washington.

2. Typically, podcasting rooms are small and for some reason podcasting companies frequently do not allow quite enough space for all the rooms including well-isolated construction (thicker than average walls); door swings; ADA requirements; sound locks; etc.

3. Podcasting rooms need to be very quiet—NC 15 is our starting point—not too different than many studios, but there is little room for negotiation here.

These are just some of the issues. Always a challenge!

TVS:The podcasting world is rapidly changing and maturing, as evidenced, for instance, by the fact that Spotify purchased Gimlet in the middle of your project. Did your clients find their expected needs for the studios changed during the design process?

JS: Not sure at all how to answer this—both Gimlet and Stitcher are in new facilities that have not been operating that long. I cannot imagine any studio that, when it opens it doors, does not see something they would like to have done a different way. We have tried to future-proof both facilities. Time will tell.

The Video Show will feature more than 100 sessions on nine presentation stages, as well as a dedicated screening room, demo areas, streaming studio and dynamic exhibit floor. Want to hear more about this topic? Visit theVideo Show websiteto learn more and register.

NEW YORK—NAB Show is launching a podcast series featuring prominent speakers and highlighting NAB Show New York-related themes leading up to the 2019 event, Oct. 16–17 at the Javits Convention Center. MediaVillage Head of Content Strategy and Marketing E.B. Moss will host the series. Episodes have begun on the NAB Show Podcast and are available at nabshowny.com and on popular podcast apps.

Moss is host of MediaVillage's B2B podcast “Insider InSites” and its forthcoming “Advancing Diversity” podcast. She is responsible for strategizing with senior executives of media, marketing and advertising organizations to develop and promote editorial content, and oversees social media efforts for the company.

NAB Show New York will feature podcast content providers, including iHeartRadio, Stitcher and Westwood One in exclusive sessions. Conference sessions will examine various aspects of launching and producing a successful podcast in the all-new Pop-Up Marketplace & Theater on Thursday, Oct. 17.

The session titled "Lemonada Liftoff: Everything You Need to Know About Launching a Podcast Network" will explore the journey of the woman-founded, woman-run podcast network Lemonada Media and their partnership with Westwood One. Participants include Westwood One President Suzanne Grimes and Lemonada Media co-founder, CEO and Executive Producer Jessica Cordova Kramer.

Stitcher and the Vox Media Podcast Network will explore the behind-the-microphone elements that make for successful podcasts in the session "Audio Insights for Your Podcast Strategy." Stitcher Chief Revenue Officer Sarah van Mosel will present key audio insights on maximizing ad effectiveness and branding, and the Vox Media Podcast Network will give an inside look at how they are using the medium to expand their existing news and entertainment products.

E.B. Moss will moderate a discussion on "Cultivating and Sustaining Successful Podcast Brands" with iHeartMedia's President of iHeartPodcast Network Conal Byrne and "Stuff You Missed in History Class" podcast host Holly Frey.

NEW YORK—In today’s rapidly changing media world, the word “podcast” has cachet. The list of podcasters is growing at an almost frantic pace as personalities, radio stations and program producers discover their simple production values, relatively low production costs and easy distribution avenue—the internet. Meanwhile, a hungry audience grows.

The real questions concerning podcasting are: How to stand out in the crowd and how to, preferably at the same time, bring in the advertising dollars?

NAB Show New York will offer several podcast-oriented events and bring “live podcasts” to the show floor in the Podcast Studio.

“Watch as radio business-focused podcasts and popular New York-based podcasts record episodes live from the show floor,” event organizers announce on the show’s website. “You’ll hear interviews with premiere NAB Show New York presenters and have a chance to meet some of your favorite voices from various podcasts; all before the episodes are released to the public.” The Podcast Studio will be “on-the-air” Wednesday, Oct. 17 and Thursday, Oct. 18.

SESSIONS

The first session, “Creating and Growing Top Podcasts,” is scheduled for Wednesday Oct. 17, 3–3:30 p.m., in the Presentation Theater.

“Podcasting as a distribution platform offers a unique way of reaching listeners, but also has some inherent challenges when it comes to creating compelling content,” said Dan Franks, co-founder of the Podcast Movement, a podcast convention, and co-host of the session. “This session will explore not only the creation of content that has the best chance to be successful, but also discuss ways to help grow your audience.”

In a time of tight resources at many stations, Franks said that podcasts can be worth the effort. “If the podcast is created in a thoughtful and tactical way, then absolutely. Podcast listeners are passionate and loyal, and represent a desirable demographic to creators and advertisers alike. However podcasting is a different beast than radio, so it must be treated that way when it comes to developing content and executing the creation!”

Franks will be joined by fellow session co-host and Podcast Movement co-founder Jared Easley; moderator E.B. Moss, head of content strategy, MediaVillage; and panelists Patrick Hinds, host and producer, “True Crime Obsessed”; and Stuart Last, chief operating officer, Audioboom.

Following on Thursday, Oct. 18, 3–3:30 p.m. is “What’s Fueling America’s Podcast Ad Growth?” The moderator is Mark McCrery, founder and CEO of Podtrac. He’ll be joined by Brendan Monaghan, CEO of Panopoly, and Sarah Van Mosel, chief podcast sales and strategy officer at Market Enginuity.

Reportedly, U.S. podcast advertising revenue is on target to hit more than $400 million in 2018 and is projected to be over $650 million in 2020. The session will examine key factors fueling the growth, what advertisers find appealing about the medium and how challenges associated with rapid expansion are being addressed.

Hosted by the Podcast Movement, the podcasting community and creatives who want to leverage it are invited to the “Podcasters & Creatives Mixer,” which will take place 4:45–5:45 p.m. at Middle Bar.

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