From presenting Infinite Dial UK 2025 with Edison Research to the incredible conversations across the floor, it was clear how quickly this industry is evolving. AdsWizz’s Rowan Hamil shared sharp insights during the Brands & Advertisers panel, and Anne Frisbie brought valuable perspective in Podcast Programmatic Buying: What’s Changed and Where the Future is Headed. For brands, agencies, and publishers, now is the time to act.

Want a glimpse of what it felt like to be there? Watch this highlight reel from our time at Podcast Show 2025.

Here’s what stood out to me and why it matters for where podcasting is going next.

1. Podcasting Has Moved Into the Mainstream

The Infinite Dial UK laid it out clearly. Nearly 90 percent of UK adults now know what a podcast is. More than 33 million people have listened to one. Crucially though, monthly podcast consumption has jumped from 41 percent to 51 percent since 2021.

That is not just growth. It is full adoption. Podcasting has gone from an emerging channel to a daily habit. The brands that still see it as experimental are missing the bigger picture. This is no longer a niche format. It is part of the mainstream media diet.

2. Programmatic Podcast Buying Is Already Here

During AdsWizz’s panel on the future of programmatic buying, I didn’t hear questions like “why programmatic” or “is this scalable.” I heard case studies, best practices, and smart discussions around optimization and audience targeting.

We are seeing programmatic become the norm, not the alternative. Advertisers are using dynamic creative and real-time signals to build campaigns that perform. At AdsWizz, we work with brands every day that want to pair innovation with control. That is exactly what programmatic offers.

3. Podcasts Are Becoming Visual and Changing the Game

Podcasts today are something you watch, share, and experience—not just listen to.

This one surprised a lot of people. Nearly half of UK podcast consumers now watch podcasts as well as listen. That means the podcast format is no longer just about audio. It is about storytelling across screens and platforms.

The smartest brands are thinking in visuals as well as voices. They are creating campaigns that live across audio feeds, video clips, and social platforms. That is where engagement is heading, and podcasting is meeting the moment.

4. Discovery Is Expanding Across More Channels

Podcast discovery used to be a top charts game, only through whichever App the listener used. Now it happens in the scroll, the feed, the inbox, and the friend group. It is nonlinear, unpredictable, and packed with potential. 

This means content needs to be built for adaptability. Can your show or your campaign stand out on social? Does your creative grab attention in six seconds? Are you present where listeners spend time? These are the questions that will shape how shows grow and how ads connect. But let’s not lose sight of the fact that podcasting is still very much an audio-first medium.

5. The Real Power Lies in the Data

Smarter data is turning audio from a content format into a business strategy. Pictured here: Ollie Chadwick, Regional Director, UK & Ireland at AdsWizz.

I kept hearing one theme at the show. Brands want to know what is working and why. It is not enough to launch campaigns. They want proof. They want insights. And they want action.

That is where podcasting shines when done right. At AdsWizz, we see what happens when brands use advanced analytics and attribution to shape smarter campaigns. Data turns podcasting from a creative channel into a strategic one.

Rowan Hamil’s panel underlined this shift toward outcomes-based audio advertising. She highlighted the growing adoption of contextual targeting, which now accounts for 60 percent of all targeting on AdsWizz. With technologies like AI-powered transcription and predictive audiences, advertisers can deliver more relevant messages without relying on intrusive tracking. Tools like Synthetic Voice Ads are also lowering barriers for small businesses to enter the space.

So, Where Do We Go From Here?

The Podcast Show London 2025 was more than a celebration. It was a signal. This industry is scaling up. The stories are getting bigger. The tech is getting smarter. The audience is growing deeper. For me, it confirmed that this is a space where creative and performance live side by side. Brands are becoming bolder. Listeners are more engaged than ever. And the opportunities are wide open.

I am proud that AdsWizz is not just showing up at this moment for podcasts. We are helping to shape it. If you’re thinking about what’s next for your brand in podcasting, the time to act is now. The future is already unfolding—and those who lead will define it.

• Curious about how your brand can run smarter podcast campaigns or tap into the power of programmatic audio? Let’s talk!
• Don’t forget to download The Infinite Dial UK 2025.

by Ollie Chadwick, Regional Director, UK & Ireland

The post The Podcast Show 2025: Five Shifts That Signal Where Podcasting Is Headed appeared first on AdsWizz.

To address this, AdsWizz is proud to announce cutting-edge enhancements to its podcast advertising capabilities through a partnership with pioneering ID-less data firm NumberEight. These advancements will enable highly targeted, privacy-compliant ads that redefine how advertisers connect with podcast audiences.

Why This Partnership Matters

Traditional podcast advertising relies heavily on IP-based or authenticated traffic data, leading to privacy challenges and limitations in demographic accuracy. While IP addresses can match household-level data, they are unreliable for individual-specific insights, such as age or gender. NumberEight addresses this with a privacy-friendly, ID-less approach that uses anonymized contextual data and machine learning to deliver precise demographic insights free from exchanging personally identifiable information (PII) or compromising personal privacy.

“As privacy standards evolve, our partnership with NumberEight allows us to redefine how advertisers connect with audiences—balancing precision and privacy,” says Anne Frisbie, SVP of Global Business Development at AdsWizz. “This collaboration sets a new standard for improved audience engagement in podcast advertising.”

How It Works (and Why It’s Better than the Rest)

NumberEight’s solution utilizes RSS feed data from publishers, predicting audience demographics without relying on traditional identity signals. Instead, NumberEight uses anonymized first-party data sources from direct integrations with apps, census datasets, and data modeling. This privacy-friendly approach leverages machine learning to safeguard user privacy while providing reliable insights—ensuring that advertisers can effectively reach the right audiences at scale without geographical constraints.

Key Benefits

• Advertisers – Reach new podcast audience segments with unprecedented scale, enhancing campaign impact and precision while maintaining privacy compliance.
• Publishers and Inventory Sellers – Increase monetization by integrating enhanced demographic data, boosting the value of podcast inventory across platforms like AudioMax and AudioServe.
• Podcast Networks – Boost programmatic sales and make inventory more appealing to advertisers by offering comprehensive demographic insights, all while adhering to strict privacy standards.

Seamless Integration with AdsWizz Platforms

NumberEight’s technology is fully integrated with our real-time data aggregation and enrichment solution called Sonar Demographics, available in the AdsWizz product suite, including AudioServe Campaign Manager, AudioMatic DSP, AudioMax SSP, and Simplecast by AdsWizz (Professional Tier). This seamless integration means that podcast content creators, resellers, and advertisers can effortlessly access demographic insights without additional implementation.

Abhishek Sen, CEO & Co-Founder at NumberEight, says: “Podcast advertising has been notoriously difficult for a long time – platform fragmentation, lack of reliable and scalable targeting data, privacy regulations, and more. This partnership with AdsWizz finally tilts this balance by leveraging the latest in cross-domain AI to give advertisers the ability to deliver highly personalized messages while upholding the highest standards of privacy and compliance.”

Shaping the Future of Podcast Advertising with Privacy-Friendly Innovation

By filling the gaps in PII and focusing on anonymized contextual data, AdsWizz and NumberEight are setting a new standard for podcast advertising—enabling effective audience targeting while adhering to privacy standards.

Ready to elevate your podcast advertising, expand reach, and boost performance? Contact us today to get started!

If you’re an existing customer, check our AdsWizz knowledge base for more details.

The post Maximize Reach and Privacy with AdsWizz and NumberEight appeared first on AdsWizz.

Our very own Rowan Hamill, Director of Business Development for the UK and IE, gave a presentation about the growth of digital audio in listening habits and advertising spending by conducting a comprehensive analysis, comparing digital audio with other platforms in data and measurement. In the context of Media 3.0, focusing on relevance, interactivity, and privacy, Rowan also emphasized how digital audio provided marketers with advanced technology for enhanced targeting and real-time interaction measurement via innovative ad formats.

Building on the theme of innovation and growth, the conversation naturally extended to how businesses today must evolve—not just in media strategy but in every operational layer, including risk management and financial protection. As industries become more data-driven and interconnected, ensuring stability through comprehensive business insurance has never been more crucial. Companies are now expected to balance rapid development with smart protection, aligning ambition with accountability.

In this environment, decision-makers increasingly turn to digital tools to streamline complex processes—whether in marketing analytics or financial planning. That’s where the ability to get quotes with SimplyQuote becomes invaluable, offering businesses a straightforward way to compare coverage options and find tailored solutions that match their growth goals. After all, just as digital audio is redefining engagement, modern insurance platforms are redefining confidence in the business world.

Check out the breakdown of Rowan’s presentation below!

Digital Audio in a Media 3.0 World – A Future of Data, Targeting, Measurement, and Innovation

Meeting Audiences Where They Are

Rowan kicked things off by summarizing how modern technology has empowered advertisers to connect with their audiences in new and innovative ways. With tools like Comscore’s Brand Suitability, podcast contextual targeting, dynamic creative versioning, motion-activated ads, second-screen retargeting, automated host-read ads, and attribution pixels, advertisers can tailor their messages to meet audiences precisely where they are in their daily routines.

She then highlighted the effectiveness of audio advertising. Engaging audiences with high Long-Term Recall, better recall than social media, and higher intent to purchase, audio advertising offers a unique way to connect with consumers. Additionally, programmatic advertising in the audio space provides enhanced targeting, brand safety, and efficient buys, reducing waste.

Audio Consumption vs. Investment

Despite the increasing popularity of audio content, Rowan pointed out a significant discrepancy. While audio consumption is rising, audio advertising investment needs to catch up. She noted a 32% increase in podcast advertising investment year-over-year. However, she emphasized that there’s still tremendous untapped potential, with audio advertising accounting for only a fraction of the UK’s total digital advertising spend in 2022.

Dispelling Audio Advertising Myths

Rowan debunked several common myths about audio advertising:

• Myth 1: Audio is Only for Brand Awareness Campaigns – Audio actually drives results at every marketing funnel stage. Through a case study involving Mustard Insurance’s use of Dynamic Creative Optimization (DCO), she showcased how personalized ads could affect brand awareness, favorability, website traffic, and purchase intent.
  

• Myth 2: You Can’t Track Audio Campaigns – Rowan countered the myth by presenting the Mazda case study, which utilized Audio Pixel and Second Screen retargeting to drive brand awareness, recall, and consumer purchasing decisions.
  

• Myth 3: Podcasts Aren’t Brand-Safe – Modern podcast contextual targeting solutions, in fact, protect against invalid traffic and fraudulent opportunities. Solutions like Invalid Traffic (IVT) Filtering from HUMAN and Brand Suitability from Comscore ensure brand safety in the podcast space.
  

• Myth 4: Podcasts Can’t Scale – Rowan dispelled this myth by highlighting the existence of premium podcast marketplaces in top European regions. Advertisers can now target and forecast using various podcast content verticals, making scalability a reality.

Want to Learn More?

• Questions about digital audio or audio advertising? Visit our Contact Us page to connect with us.
• For access to Rowan’s presentation, click here.
  

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