The Cost of Attention: Podcast Marketing Academy & Lower Street Publish New Report Detailing the ROI of Audio vs Video Podcasts

Today, podcast marketing education and media company, Podcast Marketing Academy, and branded podcast production company, Lower Street, published the Podcast Marketing Trends: Cost of Attention Report. Based on a survey of 308 podcasters who shared detailed data, including their audio downloads, YouTube views, consumption metrics, budget, revenue, and more, the report breaks down the benefits and drawbacks of each show format, ultimately asking and answering the question: What is the ROI of each show format in terms of audience attention?

“A lot of brands and creators have been feeling like if they want to be successful, they have no choice but to create a video show,” said Podcast Marketing Academy Founder, Jeremy Enns. “It’s obvious that video platforms—YouTube, in particular—offer potential for discovery beyond anything that’s historically existed on audio-only podcast platforms. But we wanted to know whether the typical video podcast was experiencing those hyped up benefits… and if so, how much, if anything, it was costing them in additional expense and time to achieve them.”

The report features data collected from shows from four continents, multiple languages, and all major formats and genres, from both indie creators and major networks. Cumulatively, the shows polled have produced more than 50,000 episodes, received more than 3.7 billion downloads, and have more than 133 million YouTube views.

Key findings of the report include the following metrics, highlighting the differences between Audio-Only and Audio/Video shows

• The average cost per hour of audience attention
• Total plays per episode (audio-only vs audio + video combined)
• Total monthly podcast consumption time
• Annual revenue
• Production budgets
• Time spent producing each episode
• Team size
• Show purpose & target outcomes
• Attributable client acquisition
• Average Lifetime Customer Value (LTV)
• Cross-platform audience sizes

Speaking of the shift in the podcast landscape, Jackie Lamport, Head of Special Projects at Lower Street, shared, “Roughly 90% of the brands coming to us now want video with their podcast. And they are right to. Video gives you the ability to leverage incredibly powerful platforms. Not just to expand your reach, but also to hone in on your audience, generate more engagement, endless testing opportunities, and a lot more.

“The problem is that brands think just the act of adding video alone will grant them access to these things. It takes intention, strategy, research, platform insight, and high-quality production to break through the noise of all the other brands trying to do the same thing. The shows that do break out have done that, but the vast majority of the under-performers (some are getting 50-100 views max on the videos they put out) are neglecting that part. Which is a shame, because not only is it super rewarding, but it’s also incredibly fun.”

Reflecting on the findings of the report, Enns shared, “Regardless of where you stand on the audio vs video podcast debate, I think this report will both affirm and challenge your current point of view—meaning, it’s clear that both approaches have their upsides and also their drawbacks. To be honest, I think this is the best thing we could have learned from this report, that regardless of what type of show you want to create, there’s opportunity for you. If anything, the important thing is to pick your lane, commit to it, and make the most of what each type of show has to offer.”

The full report can be found here.