News brief
Performance audio moves into media plans as IAB work sets measurement standards
Americans listen to 812 million hours of podcasts a week, Edison Research figures show, and the IAB and AMP Task Force are setting shared measurement standards for digital audio, reported November 4, 2026.
By Advertising Week AW360 · Published · Announcement date
Americans consume 812 million hours of podcasts every week, up from 167 million in 2016, and spend roughly four hours a day with audio, Edison Research figures reported on November 4, 2026 show. Weekly online audio listening has reached 76 percent of the United States population age 12 and older. In the United Kingdom, 74 percent of people age 16 and older consume online audio weekly, and New Zealand reports 55 percent monthly podcast listening.
Edison 2026 Podcast Consumer research found 76 percent of weekly podcast consumers took some form of action after hearing a podcast advertisement. Measurement company FLUZO used a panel of 2,000 people and found that adding digital audio lifted a French banking campaign reach from 62 percent to 71.6 percent. The IAB and the AMP Task Force are introducing consistent measurement standards for digital audio so buyers can judge campaigns on added reach and business outcomes.
Why it matters. Buyers are starting to judge audio on outcomes rather than impressions alone. Shows that can report what listeners did after an ad will sit in performance budgets, not only in brand budgets, and shared standards make those reports easier for buyers to trust.
Announcement date: November 4, 2026
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