Podcast appearances influence voters - say voters

Sponsored by SoundStack. Your new revenue opportunity lives in existing podcast content. Rediscover, repurpose, and monetize more of the audio and video you already have with SoundStack AI. Learn more In the US, one in four podcast listeners say that a candidate's podcast appearance might influence their vote. That's according to new data from Sounds Profitable, released today ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The Sounds Profitable data also suggests that podcasting is nearly evenly divided along party lines in terms of number of consumers. However, in terms of time spent listening, independents spend more time with podcasts according to new data also recently released from Edison Research. Jake Shapiro from Apple Podcasts is the guest for the PodBiz podcast this week, talking about HLS ads within Apple Podcasts. His appearance "coincides" with the show becoming available in HLS video for the first time in Apple Podcasts, via Acast. Shapiro notes that "HLS ads are both audio and video". Apple Podcasts will soon start charging advertising networks an impression-based fee for dynamic HLS ads - a charge which Podnews understands has slipped until early 2027. When it does, the company will be charging whether the user is watching or only listening. While Acast's Podcast Pulse might suggest that podcast consumers use both audio and video, in Australia, PodPoll 26 - released today - asked a better question: "how do you prefer to consume podcasts"? Overwhelmingly, podcast consumers prefer to listen, the data shows: 60% saying they preferred audio, while only 23% say they prefer to watch podcasts. The research also shows that 50% of Australians are regular monthly podcast consumers: the first time in this study. We've more numbers from it here. > > > Read more of today’s podcast industry news stories on the Podnews website: and get our free daily newsletter. Classifieds - your job or ad here 💰 Want to learn how to get sponsors? — Join 500+ podcasters inside of the free Podcasting Business School community on Skool for our FREE 3-day Brand Partnership Challenge. The challenge starts on Tuesday, October 20th. Grow YouTube Subscribers + Watch Time — Audiencelift.com helps you attract real subscribers who watch, engage, and come back. Build the watch time and audience momentum your YT channel needs. Book a campaign today! Podcasting for Business Conference — Why your business needs a podcast. Transform your podcast into a powerful business asset with the top voices in podcasting, November 16-17, 2026. Check out the agenda and join us. It's at no charge! Your mic. Your audience. Your decision. — You approve every sponsor and never read an ad you don’t want. BackBeat brings additional revenue without compromising listener trust. For podcasters, by podcasters. Join BackBeat. Gold supporters: Buzzsprout, Mowpod, Beehiiv, Podbean, The $100 MBA, Cloud10, The Podglomerate, Sounds Profitable, audioBoom, Podscribe, Libsyn, Audiohook, RedCircle, The Content Creator's Accountant, PAVE Studios, Scicomm Media, Simplecast, Cohost, Magid, Jar Podcast Solutions, Awesound, Acast, We Edit Podcasts, Podpage websites Silver supporters: Audacia Audio, Gamut Podcast Network, Bumper, Sounds Debatable, True Native Media, Magellan AI, Nomono, Podium , Hypecast, Podium, Tink Media, Blubrry, SoundStack, Frequency, Voxtopica, ARN's iHeartPodcast Network Aust, Locked On Podcast Network, Castbox, PodAnalyst, Red Seat Ventures, Podcast Movement, Ausha, POW PR, Jonekiri, Companion Arts, iono.fm, Truefans, The Podcast Haven, Compliance Podcast Network, Health Podcast Library, Double Elvis Productions, Jam Street Media, Diversion Podcasts, Headliner, Sonic Influencer Marketing, CreatorX, Rhapsody Voices, Lemonada Media, Transistor, Rephonic, Content10x, Podcast Partnership, Cleanfeed, Adopter Media, Revolver Podcasts, Lower Street, Podigy, School of Podcasting, Signal Hill Insights Our supporters pay for Podnews, so everyone can read it. Join them today. Image: Yucel M