Core Insights - Podcast advertising spending continued to grow in Q4, increasing by 19% year-over-year [21] - The average ad load increased from 7.09% in Q3 to 7.35% in Q4 [23] - 1,584 new brands advertised on podcasts for the first time, a 10.2% increase from Q3 [24] Spending Trends - The top ten advertisers in Q4 spent an estimated $124 million, a 33% increase from Q3 [32] - The footwear industry saw a significant spending increase of 145%, with brands like DSW and TOMS leading [25] - Overall monthly spending in Q4 exceeded the average of Q3 by 14%, with December showing the largest increase [29] Industry Growth - The fastest-growing industries in Q4 included footwear (+145%), oral hygiene (+99%), and jewelry (+75%) [36] - The consumer electronics sector also experienced a notable increase of 49% in spending [36] Advertising Load and Placement - The average ad load for the sampled episodes decreased to 8.22% in Q4 from 8.28% in Q3, but increased by 5.9% year-over-year [66] - The most common ad placement for new brands was mid-roll ads [59] - Sports podcasts attracted about one in six new brands in their media plans [26][84] Brand Engagement - Direct response advertising accounted for 43% of overall market spending, while brand awareness represented 54% [76] - The average monthly spending on the top 500 podcasts was $329,000 in Q4 [50] Genre Insights - Sports remained the most popular genre for new brands, with 13% of new brands advertising in this category [84] - The average ad load for sports podcasts increased from 6.48% in Q3 to 8.26% in Q4 [60]