Audacy has released “State of Audio: The Trends Report,” the sixth installment of the company’s audio thought leadership series. 
This edition explores game-changing shifts in creativity, artificial intelligence, measurement, and audience activation—highlighting key trends crucial for navigating the evolving ad environment. KEY FINDINGS: According to research compiled in the guide, emotional messaging is gaining renewed importance in audio advertising, driving an 8.2% increase in consumer action with ads that evoke positive feelings. In the creator economy, “test and see” strategies are becoming obsolete, as authentic creator partnerships are now essential to media plans. In fact, 40% of advertisers are shifting from one-off campaigns to year-long collaborations with creators, recognizing the lasting value these partnerships offer.
Artificial intelligence, the most disruptive change in a decade, is reshaping the ad landscape, with 88% of marketers expecting AI to have a serious impact on their business by mid-2025. Radio and podcast publishers are adopting dynamic AI contextual ads, creative testing, and additional features to enhance experiences. Despite the rise of generative AI, human connection remains the heart and soul of audio. By blending AI with a human touch, brands can maintain authenticity and preserve the magic of genuine connection.
• Powering up Personalization: Personalized ad creatives drive up to twice the conversion rates.
• Predictive Audiences: Targeting Made Smarter: Now predictive models are leveraging past purchases to take audience targeting to the next level.
• The Marriage of Brand and Performance: While performance and driving purchases are critical, advertisers are increasingly prioritizing brand strength. In the past two years, brand marketing investments have surged by 56%.
• Fandom Targeting: Marketers should tap into sports and music superfans, as over 35% of consumers view their favorite teams and artists as core to their identity. Leverage these emotional connections with contextually relevant campaigns.
“In this edition of State of Audio, we explore audio trends that leading brands are leaning into to accelerate the performance of their media investments,” said Paul Suchman, chief marketing officer, Audacy. “From great creative and discovering new audiences, to super interesting use-cases for AI and smarter analytics, these are the trends marketers are embracing to make their audio work harder.”
To download “State of Audio: The Trends Report,” please click here.