Ocean Media was in attendance at the Podcast Evolutions 2025 conference in Chicago, where creators, industry professionals, hosting platforms, networks, brands, and news media gathered to discuss the current state of the industry and its future direction.

As podcasting continues to evolve from a niche channel into a core pillar of media strategy, this year’s conference made one thing clear: the future of audio is dynamic, data-driven, and increasingly visual.

Here, we are digging into the key themes that stood out and what they mean for the future of audio.

YouTube and TV Are Redefining Podcast Discovery

The next frontier in podcasting? Your living room.

With over two-thirds of podcast listening now happening at home, TVs are quickly becoming one of the most influential platforms in audio discovery. YouTube is the #1 platform for new listener growth and more fans are experiencing their favorite shows on the big screen. Many listeners now find podcasts through YouTube’s algorithm, which recommends content based on viewing history.

Creators are optimizing for YouTube by using engaging visuals (e.g., waveform animations, guest clips) to attract viewers who may not traditionally consume audio-only podcasts.

But the shift isn’t just about visuals, it is about access. Podcasts are showing up where people already consume entertainment: on the couch, remote in hand, surrounded by ambient noise and second screens.

YouTube’s success is catching on with other platforms. Spotify, with its video podcasts, and Amazon Music are pushing for more TV integration, while services like Apple TV and Roku are adding podcast apps.

As podcasts continue to be popular in the living room, expect trends to evolve with the multifaceted medium. For example, expect live podcasts with audience Q&A’s for those that treat new podcasts like appointment viewing. Also, it’s not just US consumers that are devouring podcasts; non-english podcasts are growing rapidly. Localization strategies, exemplified by Spotify’s investments in India and Latin America, will be a key driver of future expansion.

Audio and Video Coexist, Powered by Precision Targeting

Let’s ditch the audio vs. video debate, because listeners already have.

While podcasts were already a consistently growing media segment, YouTube and TV have added fuel to the fire in its surge. 85% of podcast audiences are hybrid consumers, seamlessly switching between audio and video formats depending on context.

Gen Z especially values audio content, with 41% favoring it for its flexibility, making it ideal for multitasking moments like commuting, working out, or scrolling.

This is great news for brands and advertisers. Unlike social media, podcast listening ( or viewing for TV) is a deliberate activity. Listeners actively seek out specific content, which leads to deeper engagement. This loyalty translates to more effective advertising, especially with host-read ads, which consistently earn higher trust metrics than traditional formats.

For advertisers, the duality of platforms unlocks opportunities:

• Hyper-targeting by behavior or platform
• Creative formats that travel across screen and speaker
• Increased reach without losing depth of engagement

The rise of precision targeting has fundamentally reshaped how advertisers approach podcasting, not as an either/or between audio and video, but as a complementary ecosystem.

With advanced audience data and programmatic tools, we’re no longer buying against formats, we’re buying against behaviors, mindsets, and moments.

Measurement Evolves with DAI as the Backbone

Dynamic Ad Insertion (DAI) is no longer an emerging tactic, it’s emerged as the lifeblood of modern podcast advertising. However, the myth persists that baked-in outperforms DAI, suggesting a need for education on DAI’s evolving efficacy.

Historically, podcasting had a measurement gap. Brands knew they were reaching an audience, but tying ad exposure to business outcomes was difficult. That’s where the impact of DAI comes in.

DAI allows advertisers to dynamically insert tailored ads into podcast content based on listener demographics, location, device, or even time of day. But more importantly, it makes impression-level tracking and attribution possible, opening the door to performance measurement that rivals digital media.

One of the biggest improvements happened when the Apple IO17 update addressed inefficiencies like “bloat downloads” (false download metrics), enhancing DAI reliability. Since then, DAI has helped usher in a new era of accountability and performance marketing in audio.

Here’s an overview:

• Impression-Level Reporting: Ads are now served and counted in real time, similar to display or video advertising. This means advertisers can track actual ad listens, not just episode downloads.

• Audience-Based Targeting: DAI made it possible to deliver different ads to different listeners within the same episode, based on audience segments like location, device type, or behavior.

• Attribution & ROI Measurement: With DAI, it is possible to tie ad exposure to actions like website visits, purchases, or app installs, thanks to pixel-based tracking and data partnerships.

• Mid-Flight Optimization: Advertisers can test, learn, and pivot creative or placements during a campaign instead of waiting for end-of-flight recaps.

AI is Revolutionizing Production and Optimization

What used to take days or weeks can now happen in 8 seconds to a few minutes. With AI-powered tools, marketers can generate entire batches of ad creative. Audiostack, an AI-powered production company, can create 30 versions from a single script, each tailored to specific times, locations, or listener segments, resulting in creative that can be made for national audiences or hyper local.

With Claritas’s help, audio ads can now be versioned and distributed dynamically based on context: morning vs. evening, weekend vs. weekday, and weather or local events.

Claritas’s campaign measurement tools feed real-time results back into the creative process, allowing AudioStack to generate new versions based on what’s working. It’s personalization, performance, and production all happening simultaneously.

AI’s impact on the creative and optimization brings a sizeable advantage for brands in the audio space. Brands can operate at a quicker speed in the market by producing ads that are timely.

Always-on testing means ads that perform well are quickly scaled, while underperforming versions are discarded without wasting time or budget. It’s a smarter, more agile way to keep creative fresh and effective.

But perhaps the biggest win is stronger measurement and attribution. One of the most sought-after advancements in audio is the ability to clearly track performance, and today’s AI-driven platforms are making that a reality, helping brands tie creative decisions directly to outcomes.

As a proud partner of Claritas, Ocean Media clients get early access to next-gen attribution tools, including:

• Predictive reach modeling
• Cross-channel conversion tracking
• AI-optimized audience matching and retargeting

If you are looking to make an impact in the podcast advertising space, Ocean Media delivers successful results by tailoring strategies that are unique to brand goals. Learn more about how we approach strategy, planning, and buying by contacting us.