News brief
Acast releases Podcast Pulse 2026: 88% of listeners use both audio and video
Acast's survey of 4,300 listeners across 13 markets finds 88% consume both audio and video podcast formats, 63% switch formats mid-episode, and trust in podcaster recommendations has risen to 42%.
By Acast / Podnews · Published · Announcement date
Acast published Podcast Pulse 2026 on September 17, a survey of 4,300 people aged 16 to 64 across 13 markets, conducted by Differentology in August 2026. The headline finding is how thoroughly cross-format listening has become the norm: 88% of listeners consume both audio and video formats, and 63% start an episode in one format and finish it in another.
Trust in podcaster recommendations rose to 42%, a notable data point for anyone selling host-read advertising or sponsorships. For creators, the practical takeaway is that “audio versus video” is increasingly the wrong question. A large share of the audience treats the two as one continuous experience, which raises the stakes for consistent packaging, chaptering and show notes across formats.
The release is company research rather than independent measurement, so its figures describe Acast's surveyed panel, not the global listening population. Even with that caveat, it is one of the year's strongest public datasets on cross-format behavior and advertising trust, and it was updated on September 23 with additional detail.
Announcement date: September 17, 2026
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