This insights post is a summary of the blog post published by Pollack Group. View the full insight at: What Podcasting Taught Us in 2025 and What to Expect in 2026.
Even though we are fully into 2026, it is still a great time to look back at 2025 to uncover what happened.
The media landscape continues to shift, while AI integration dominates the conversation. Social media is far from dead, and we learned more about Gen Alpha and what younger demographics mean for our brand’s road ahead.
Even with all of these changes, podcasting continues to see growth and keeps surprising marketers. Today, we have uncovered that people crave long-form, uninterrupted conversations where they can be entertained and educated all at once.
To date, over 580 million people listen to podcasts worldwide, and the number is projected to grow even higher within the next few years. Podcasting has shifted from the ‘side project’ column to becoming a standard for marketing. With so much attention on the medium in 2025, brands integrating podcast development into 2026 planning.
What podcasting taught us about marketing in 2025
- Lesson #1: Podcasting Is No Longer a Vanity Play: To some, podcasting may seem like a way to chase downloads and hear your own voice, but it’s become a strategic communications tool for businesses to reach new audiences and build credibility. When done correctly, podcasts provide thought leadership, build credibility, and fuel social media and PR efforts.
- Lesson #2: Consistency Beats Perfection: Podcasts do not need expensive audio equipment and a lineup of producers to be successful. Planning topics, sticking to a schedule, and continuing to produce content, even when growth is slow, is more than just editorial discipline; it’s the path ahead that builds listener trust.
- Lesson #3: Podcasting Became a PR Tool, Not Just Content: Years ago, podcasts were for true crime junkies who needed something to make commutes more bearable. Today, podcast are educational tools used across a variety of industries to produce soundbites, social media content, and to help PR professionals build relationships with key media.
What we predict is Next for Podcasting
- Prediction #1: Stronger Content: The need for recording studios will become obsolete as podcasters can create compelling content at an affordable price, without leaving their homes or offices. With easy-to-access resources, the real differentiator is no longer how you sound, but rather what you are saying.
- Prediction #2: Podcasting Will Be Fully Integrated into Go-To-Market Strategies: 2026 is shaping up to be the year when embedding a podcast into a go-to-market strategy becomes a necessity, not an add-on. Podcasting will now work alongside PR and social media and is perfect for product launches, founder storytelling, customer education, and more.
- Prediction #3: Agencies Will Be Expected to “Do,” Not Just Advise: This is an important one: PR and marketing agencies must prepare themselves to do more than counsel. Brands will be including podcasting in strategic marketing plans, and without a team to execute, clients will look elsewhere for support.
What it All Means
The bottom line: 2025 was a year for learning; 2026 will be the year for execution. The use of podcasting isn’t slowing down. To learn more about how to start, grow, and produce a successful show, read the full insights and predictions at: What Podcasting Taught Us in 2025 and What to Expect in 2026.
