Audacy: Celebrity Podcasts Bring in Listeners but “Midfluencers” Drive Conversion
In a blog piece from Audacy’s Insights Team that looks at data from several sources including Podscribe’s Benchmark Report and MRI Simmons 2026 April Podcast Report, the conclusion is that while celebrity-hosted podcasts can achieve big numbers of 
listeners, but the most trusted expert voices tend to drive the most conversion. According to data from Audacy’s own Power of Influencers Study (2026), podcast listeners are 27% more likely to be influenced by topic experts than well-known celebrities. The blog notes, “The brands winning in podcast advertising right now aren’t all sponsoring the biggest names. They’re finding the mid-sized shows. The shows where listeners have been there since episode 12, and where a host recommendation lands more like a text from a friend who actually tried it. Meet the “midfluencer.” No celebrity status or massive profile. Just a deeply loyal audience who listens. It turns out the shows with the tightest communities drive better conversions.” See the blog post here.