Report Explores What Makes a Podcast in Today's Media World

Oxford Road, a media agency, released a major report asking 'What is a Podcast?' as the medium faces big changes. The study surveyed over 4,000 Americans and interviewed 30+ industry leaders to understand how podcasting is evolving. Key findings show that 52% of people now consider video-only YouTube content to be podcasts, and viewers increasingly expect podcasts to be watchable. Despite high listener engagement, podcasts get less than 1% of U.S. advertising spending due to measurement problems and unclear definitions. The report warns that podcasting risks losing what made it special as platforms like YouTube and Spotify blur the lines between audio and video content. Oxford Road created both a detailed white paper and a three-part podcast series featuring interviews with industry pioneers like Ira Glass and Guy Raz. They're calling on the industry to work together on shared definitions and open measurement standards to protect podcasting's future. The company also launched a petition asking major platforms to collaborate on preserving what makes podcasting unique while allowing it to grow. This research aims to help creators, advertisers, platforms, and researchers navigate podcasting's identity crisis and build a sustainable future for the medium.

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