Podcasting becomes the primary strategy, not an afterthought

The Podglomerate recently brought together some of the brightest minds in audio — from the founder of Lemonada to the president of iHeartPodcasts — to reflect on podcasting in 2024. While observations ranged from the transformative rise of AI to the importance of robust attribution tracking and analytics, there was a clear takeaway from the group: the impact and influence of podcasting during the recent presidential election.

Emerging media has always had a sizable role in election outcomes, from the “TV election” of 1960 to the “Twitter election” in 2012. And although podcasts have been around for 20 years, the 2024 race decidedly became the first “podcast election.” Which makes sense given the upward trajectory for listenership: According to Edison Research’s Infinite Dial 2024 report, 100 million Americans listen to at least one podcast every week, and a recent IAB report shows that Gen Z and millennials spend the majority of their time consuming audio content.

It’s easy to see why the best way to reach key voters this election cycle was through podcasts: All it took was one strategically placed interview on a massive podcast to hit millions of young and engaged and persuadable listeners. (As opposed to a few hour-long cable broadcast interviews on legacy media networks, whose set-in-their-ways audiences combined would still only account for a fraction of the high-target reach a single podcast interview could provide.) And in the final days on the campaign trail, that’s exactly why the candidates dropped by some of the biggest podcasts in the world to get out the vote, with Kamala Harris appearing on eight shows, including Call Her Daddy and The Breakfast Club, and Donald Trump sitting down for 20 podcast conversations with hosts like Joe Rogan and Lex Fridman. Based on the average reach of each show, Trump’s podcast appearances reached approximately 23.5 million Americans as compared to Harris’ 6.4 million.

If we learned anything in the aftermath of the 2024 presidential election, it’s that podcasting has evolved from a supplementary media channel into a primary battleground for political discourse and voter engagement. And in 2025, this transformation will continue to accelerate, reshaping how notable figures and organizations promote their ideas, how media outlets approach coverage, and how audiences consume information. Here’s how:

• Podcasting will become the primary place, rather than a secondary thought, for breaking news and major announcements from public figures. If you recall, Joe Biden bucked traditional media norms on July 21 when he announced — not by standard televised cable address, but by social media — that he was dropping out of the 2024 presidential election. This was arguably the most consequential announcement of his political career, and while it did lead to countless media outlets scrambling to cover the historic news, their headlines apparently didn’t reach all ears. According to Google Trends, search results for “Did Joe Biden drop out?” spiked on Election Day, even though it had been nearly three months since Vice President Kamala Harris officially became the Democratic presidential nominee. While any number of variables could have led to that surge in Google searches, one has to wonder if a few high-profile podcast interviews with Biden timed to his July announcement would have made a difference in increasing public knowledge. The same question holds true for the Harris campaign when it comes to prioritizing more podcast interviews sooner. Regardless, 2025 will assuredly see the rise of more high-profile individuals, brands, and entities front-loading and increasing their efforts around podcast guest interviews to easily and quickly reach target audiences.
• Podcasting can and will help media outlets regain trust and reinforce transparency with audiences. Did you know that a third of Americans reported having changed their opinions on a topic or brand after hearing it discussed on a podcast, with 50% being between the ages of 18 and 34? That’s just one of the many findings from the 2024 Podcast Marketing Trust Index Report issued by podcast agency Quill in partnership with Ipsos, which also found that 42% of respondents trust podcasts more than other forms of media. The intimate medium of podcasting holds a singular power to instill trust and influence opinions on critical topics. At a time where traditional media trust continues to hit historic lows, podcasts can help long-standing organizations establish stronger relationships with audiences and, in the process, drive real change in how people think and engage with the news.
• Podcasting will find new forms of reinvestment after years of steady layoffs and disruptions. Now more than ever, companies and organizations need to reinvest in the skilled reporters, producers, marketers, and podcast teams who are making these shows possible. From commercial television networks to public radio stations, media outlets need to refocus their energies around growing dedicated podcasts — not to mention podcast divisions — as audiences increasingly show their preference for in-depth story-telling and personality-driven conversations. Developing sustainable revenue models for podcasting, as well as support structures for podcasters, are essential for long-term viability.

The “podcast election” may be over, but the real podcast work — to make real, meaningful, and engaging change — is just beginning.