A recent IAB study found shorter podcast ads – 16 to 30 seconds long – are up from 38% of podcast ad inventory in 2019 to more than half now.
While shorter ads make up most of the podcast ad inventory, ads over a minute long make up only 3% of podcast ads – down from 9% in 2019. These numbers indicate that ad buyers are investing more in shorter podcast ads than in 2019.
According to media planning and buying agencies, ad buyers prefer short-form, producer-read ads as they are cheaper yet do not compromise reach or challenge listeners’ attention. But, smaller podcast production businesses are pitching the benefits of custom, long-form podcast ads.
Brands with big budgets can use longer-form, custom podcast ads to expand their reach, especially in sponsored segments like interviews. But, they should also consider the risk of losing ever-fickle audience attention spans.
[5 minute read]
