Audacy - State of Audio 2022

Star-powered pods

For the past few years, there's been an influx of movie stars, legendary journalists, and social media personalities flocking to the mic. And why, you ask? Because they've found Audio is the best place to promote a deeper relationship with their fans. There's only so much you can do in an Instagram post. A full 30- or 60- minute podcast lets an influencer explore so much more. These celebrities have discovered that the way to the heart is through the ears.

Dana Carvey discusses Fly on the Wall on Jimmy Kimmel Live!

Average Time Spent by Media Segment

The revolutionary Radio influencer

Radio personalities have long been a part of our daily lives. But now these influential hosts are taking a multi-channel approach, giving us fans more places to connect, engage and be entertained. No Radio personality has mastered the game better than Audacy's very own Bru aka @BruOnTheRadio. It's about doing what Radio hosts do best – understand your audience, and give them ways to connect on a deeper level. Bru gives his fans a behind-the-scenes look into the world of Radio and finds unique ways for audiences to directly participate in the fun. And when the dad-joke-slinging, self-proclaimed 'CEO of Radio TikTok' gets to interview major celebrities, head to Coachella, appear in a Netflix series, or even host an Oscars red carpet, he takes us fans and his millions of followers on the journey with him.

Snackable content to satisfy your cravings

Listeners love a daily treat of fresh content. That’s a great opportunity for brands to chat with them daily and scale up campaigns over a week’s time.

Spotlight on the people, power, and politics of Washington, DC.

A daily history lesson from Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and #1 New York Times bestselling author, Jon Meacham.

Bringing listeners inside the four corners of power in America: Wall Street, Washington, Silicon Valley, and Hollywood.

The next wave of content creators

A wave of new content creators has swept through Audio, bringing with them excitement as audiences are ready to embrace new perspectives. They have the advantage of being the next generation of voices. In Radio and podcasts, influential hosts are taking the lessons learned from the hitmakers that came before them. Who are some disruptive creative archetypes moving the needs?

Ed Lover

THE THROWBACK KING

Practically everyone loves a throwback escape, especially when led by voices that took us there "back in the day." There's nothing like old-school jams and hearing the lore that made the hits we came of age with.

THE SAGE

Listeners crave advice from sages like Oprah. Podcast hosts such as globally renowned thought leader Glennon Doyle engage with listeners to learn what matters most to their listening community.

THE MAGICIAN

For those that thought topics like cooking shows and beauty segments could only be enjoyed through visual mediums... podcasts say "Abra Kadabra". Shows like The Splendid Table and Borderline Salty go beyond YouTube and Instagram to connect with fans on an even deeper level—through their ears.

THE BLOCKBUSTER

The surprise disruption here is the return of classic storytelling. Audacy's C13Features' out-of-the gate productions, Treat, starring Kiernan Shipka, and Ghostwriter, with Kate Mara and Adam Scott, both reached #1 on Apple Podcasts in the Fiction category.