AdTechGod Pod – Ep. 95: Podcasting’s Next Wave: Growth, Metrics, and Monetization with Sharon Taylor

Release Date: September 2, 2025
Host: AdTechGod (“Tech God”)
Guest: Sharon Taylor, Chief Revenue Officer, Triton Digital

Episode Overview

In this episode, AdTechGod welcomes Sharon Taylor, Chief Revenue Officer at Triton Digital—one of digital audio’s leading technology companies—to unpack the state of podcasting and audio advertising in 2025. Their conversation touches on podcasting’s global growth trajectory, how different markets compare, the irresistible intimacy of audio, the challenges and potential of programmatic ad tech, evolving audience metrics, and the unique strengths (and hurdles) audio offers to advertisers in today’s crowded media landscape.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Sharon’s Journey into Audio and Podcasting

• Sharon entered podcasting in 2016, starting with an 8-week contract at OmniStudio (Australia), a pioneering podcast hosting and distribution startup. That stint led to her becoming CEO, then selling OmniStudio to Triton Digital.
• After Triton was acquired by iHeart in 2021, Sharon relocated from Australia to Montreal, broadening her purview to global audio tech platforms.
• Quote:
  “Once you touch audio and podcasting, it just kind of gets its claws into you… you realize what an exciting space it is.”
  — Sharon Taylor, [02:43]

2. Global Growth & Regional Differences

• U.S.: Podcasting’s commercial model, advanced systems, and massive listenership make it the example the world tries to emulate.
• Canada: Similar trends, but a smaller, more broadcast-heavy market; less indie podcasting as buyers view North America as a unified region.
• Australia: Much smaller; more collaboration among players due to limited size.
• Quote:
  “Everyone wants to have the commercial model of the US… Canada is very broadcast heavy… Australia is a different microcosm—more collaborative.”
  — Sharon Taylor, [04:29]

3. Why Podcasting Attracts Listeners (and Hosts)

• Podcasts offer a respite from the chaos and polarization of daily news and social media—an intimate, intentional space for deep dives into topics of choice.
• Audio’s “camera-off” culture is freeing for hosts and guests alike.
• Podcasts blend top-tier journalistic content with grassroots, low-barrier storytelling.
• Quotes:
  “It’s just such an intimate, beautiful experience.”
  — Sharon Taylor, [05:53]
  “Camera off… It just creates a little bit more of a comfort zone.”
  — Host (Tech God), [07:08]

4. Video Podcasting: Return of Visual, Chasing Ad Dollars

• Despite the historic appeal of audio-only podcasting, there’s increasing pressure to add video (for ad dollars and audience reach).
• Both host and guest lament the awkwardness of “camera-on” formats, but acknowledge video podcasts’ role in audience growth.
• Quote:
  “What’s interesting in the space though is our pivot towards video and obviously chasing those ad dollars out there… having to have lights, camera, action again.”
  — Sharon Taylor, [07:38]

5. Podcasting’s Maturity & Upside

• Sharon sees continued audience growth, especially with new formats (video, etc.) and new audiences.
• She does, however, note that the space is mature from a publisher/network perspective, with most big players established.
• Cutting through the noise—and demanding audience attention—will only become harder as more content is published.

6. Monetization & The Triton Digital Suite

• Triton operates two podcast CMS platforms:
  • OmniStudio: For large publishers/networks with complex ad operations.
  • Spreaker: For independent creators who want ‘set and forget’ monetization.
• They host over 150,000 podcasts—serving both indie and major players.
• Triton also runs a massive programmatic SSP/marketplace, connecting with third-party CMSes (Libsyn, Podbean, etc.).
• Quote:
  “Between us… there’s something like 150,000 podcasts that we host… everything from independents… all the way up to the very top end of town.”
  — Sharon Taylor, [11:11]

7. Evolution of Podcast Advertising—From Host-Read to Programmatic

• Early days: Host-read, “baked-in” ads—sometimes delightfully offbeat (e.g., Bill Burr’s wide-ranging ad-libs).
• Dynamic ad insertion became the norm after a slow shift away from “burned-in” reads.
• Programmatic’s adoption lagged for years due to the intimacy of podcasts and initially poor-fit radio-style inventory.
• Technology and market understanding are finally catching up; programmatic revenue and sophistication are growing fast—but the ceiling is far from reached.
• Quote:
  “Programmatic was really, really slow for podcasting… Now, we’ve understood as a medium that programmatic… is a great way to scale… there are advertisers that will only buy in this way and we need to meet them where they are.”
  — Sharon Taylor, [13:37]

8. Attribution, Measurement, and Metrics Minefield

• Podcasting is improving on measurement and attribution—thanks to IAB guidelines, tracking pixels, brand-lift studies—but confusion among buyers and sellers persists.
• There’s a patchwork of metrics: downloads, streams, listens, listeners, impressions. Platforms (Apple, Spotify, YouTube) each report differently.
• Sharon advocates for a “single pane of glass”—one unified, industry-wide metric. But admits, “Podcasting has kind of bamboozled them [buyers] with the multitude of numbers.”
• Quotes:
  “As an industry, that’s where we need to get to—we need to get certainty in these third party platforms.”
  — Sharon Taylor, [19:32]
  “We kind of have really bamboozled them. … What do you want? I’ve got everything. … Just tell me the one metric you want.”
  — Sharon Taylor, [18:05]

9. Audience Demographics, Generational Shifts, and Radio’s Future

• Podcasting’s on-demand, mobile-friendly nature appeals to younger audiences, whereas older generations are still more radio-centric.
• Radio needs to “stay on the media plan”—and prove reach and engagement to agencies.
• The rise of video podcasting reflects Gen Z’s media habits (YouTube, Instagram, etc.), but Sharon believes audio’s sanctuary will always have fans—especially as social media overload worsens.
• Quote:
  “Spotify and YouTube are just so large and command such audiences that they are in a position of being able to kind of dictate consumer trends.”
  — Sharon Taylor, [24:33]

10. The Unique Value of Podcasting for Advertisers

• Podcasting is a sanctuary—calm, controlled, single-channel. Listeners are highly intentional, often engaged while multitasking (cleaning, walking, driving).
• This creates a “captive audience” and a highly valuable environment for advertisers looking for cut-through in an attention-scarce world.
• Quote:
  “It’s very intentional. It’s an audience that really wants to engage with you and is giving you their full attention. … There’s always going to be a need for that, especially as the world gets busier and noisier.” — Sharon Taylor, [25:57]

Memorable Moments & Notable Quotes

• On why she loves podcasting:
  “Nothing makes me happier than camera off.”
  — Host (Tech God), [07:04]

• On early podcast ad lore:
  “Bill Burr, Sherry’s Berries is kind of law in the podcasting space; he ran on a 10 minute rant about this berry advertiser…”
  — Sharon Taylor, [12:37]

• On the metric confusion:
  “All I know is this number is bigger. So that’s the one I’m sharing.”
  — Host (Tech God), [18:01]

• On podcasting’s future:
  “I love podcasts because it’s a sanctuary from the bombardment of everything else… I think that audience will catch on.”
  — Sharon Taylor, [24:55]

Timestamps for Important Segments

• 02:00 – Sharon’s entry into audio/personal background
• 04:29 – Differences in growth & monetization US/Canada/Australia
• 05:53 – The unique, intimate appeal of audio
• 07:38 – The rise of video podcasting and its implications
• 09:01 – Is podcasting saturating or is there headroom?
• 11:11 – How Triton Digital supports podcasters (OmniStudio, Spreaker, marketplace)
• 12:37 – The evolution from host-read to programmatic ad insertion
• 15:47 – Attribution and measurement: industry improvements and remaining challenges
• 17:26 – The metrics confusion: downloads, streams, listens, listeners
• 22:23 – “Open” podcasting, platforms, and consolidation of stats
• 22:57 – Audio for younger audiences and traditional radio’s path
• 25:16 – Podcasting as “sanctuary” for audiences, unique value for advertisers

Conclusion

Sharon Taylor offers a candid, insider look at podcasting’s swift rise, ongoing evolution, and the challenges inherent to monetization and measurement. For advertisers, technologists, and creators alike, this episode underscores how audio remains both timelessly intimate and technologically dynamic—its next wave poised to be shaped as much by culture as by algorithms.

Listen if you want:

• A primer on podcasting’s current status and business models
• Honest discussion of metrics, measurement, and what advertisers really want
• Observations about generational media consumption shifts
• A sense of what “the next wave” in audio might look (and sound) like