For years, the podcast industry has argued over whether podcasts are an audio medium or a video one. According to a major new study, listeners have stopped caring about the distinction. The Acast Podcast Pulse 2026 report, released this week, found that 88 percent of podcast fans now consume both audio and video, up ten points from last year.

Only 10 percent of fans remain audio-only listeners, while pure video sits at just 2 percent. The survey, conducted by the independent research firm Differentology in August 2026, covered 4,300 people aged 16 to 64 across 13 markets. It describes an audience that treats format as a detail. Context decides what gets played: audio on a commute, video on the sofa, clips in a social feed.

What the numbers actually say

The report found that 78 percent of fans consume podcasts across two or more formats, moving between long-form audio, video feeds, and social clips depending on where they are. More than six in ten listeners, 63 percent, start an episode in one format and finish it in another, and three-quarters of that group switch apps in the middle of a story to do so.

"The industry spent years arguing over formats, but audiences moved on long ago," said Greg Glenday, Acast's chief executive, in the report. "A podcast fan's decision isn't driven by format loyalty; it's driven by whether they're driving at 7 AM or on the couch at 9 PM." Glenday added that once you see that pattern, the audio-versus-video debate stops being interesting and a better commercial opportunity takes its place.

Podcast Rex, which covered the report's release, noted that the findings effectively declare the format war over, with audiences having settled the question themselves. For creators, the takeaway is practical: distribute in multiple formats to reach people where they already are, without assuming every show has to become a video production.

Trust is climbing and live shows are surging

The report also found a rise in trust. 42 percent of fans now trust brand and product recommendations from podcasters, up nine points on 2025, making podcasters the only creator source to gain ground over the year. By comparison, journalists held at 31 percent, YouTubers at 29 percent, and celebrities and social media influencers at 25 percent each, all flat or down.

Acast mapped the data across four everyday listening moments. In screen-free moments, 64 percent of fans call podcasts a daily companion, and 80 percent of audio listeners take direct action after an episode. In settled co-viewing, 55 percent of fans watch video podcasts on a connected TV, and 48 percent say video podcast ads increase brand recall. In scrolling moments, social video clips act as a discovery engine, with 63 percent of clip viewers converting into full-episode consumers. And in live settings, one in three fans now attends live podcast events, a surge of 80 percent since 2024, with 28 percent buying from event sponsors and 34 percent posting their own content about it.

The timing lines up with how platforms are investing. Amazon Music announced on September 16 that it is expanding video podcasts beyond the United States to Canada, the UK, Mexico, Brazil, and Japan, alongside new partnerships with podcast hosting providers including ART19 and Omny Studio, as reported by Podnews. Spotify has separately said video podcast consumption on its service has grown 140 percent since 2022. For advertisers, the report's message is that meeting fans across formats beats repeating a message inside one: when people encounter a brand across both audio and social clips, one in three gives it maximum attention, more than they give a message repeated inside a single show.

Acast describes itself as the world's largest pure-play podcast company, connecting more than 140,000 creators with advertisers, and says the full Acast Podcast Pulse 2026 report is available at acast.com/pulse. Spotify has separately reported that video podcast consumption on its service has grown 140 percent since 2022, per TechCrunch's September 17 coverage, a number that fits the multi-format audience the survey describes.

More from genznewz: Spotify's podcast partner program expands to 35 markets and NPR launches Machine Gods podcast with Roose and Newton.

Read more: Sounds Profitable on Acast's Podcast Pulse 2026 report and Podcast Rex on the audio vs video debate.