Once considered a niche format, audio has now become a fundamental part of the digital media ecosystem. Between 2011 and 2025, the share of Americans who have listened to a podcast at least once rose from 25% to 73%. *

In recent years, more and more digital publishers have adopted on-site audio features — from text-to-speech article playback to embedded podcasts — as a way to diversify content formats and increase user engagement.

To understand how audio is influencing publishing performance, we have analyzed the results of a survey involving 120 digital publishers active across different verticals including news, gaming, sports, and automotive.

Engagement: When Users Stay

More than half of surveyed publishers (53%) reported an increase in engagement following the introduction of embedded audio.

On average, users listen to 3 articles per session, with 45% reaching that mark. Notably, 23% go even further, listening to 4 or more—indicating deeper engagement, reduced drop-off, and increased content consumption per visit.

“Numbers speak for themselves. We’ve known for a while that the way people consume content is changing, and this confirms it. When users are listening to an average of three articles per session, it’s clear that embedded audio isn’t just a nice add-on—it’s reshaping how audiences engage. Publishers who embrace this trend are seeing real improvements in retention and engagement,” says Cristina Pianura, CEO and Founder of Audioboost.

Time on Page & Bounce Rate

Nearly half of the publishers (47%) observed an increase in time spent on pages featuring audio. Users who listened to audio stayed over 5 minutes on average, compared to less than 1 minute and 40 seconds for non-listeners. Sessions with audio have a 97% lower bounce rate than sessions without audio.

Loyalty & Retention: When Audio Becomes a Habit

25% of listeners return weekly to listen to audio content, and 16% of publishers report growth in loyal or returning user segments.  Engagement varies by vertical, with Gaming showing the highest weekly return rate at 61%, followed by News (53%), Sports (51%), and Automotive (33%). These numbers reflect how embedded audio is becoming a habitual touchpoint in content consumption—especially in dynamic, fast-paced categories.

Positive Sentiment from Users

What matters most? Our users—and their experience. Nearly half of publishers (47%) report receiving unsolicited positive feedback from listeners about embedded audio. It’s a clear signal that audio doesn’t just serve a function—it genuinely enhances the reading journey and builds lasting connection.

Conclusion

The data clearly shows that audio is no longer experimental—it’s a concrete strategy to increase time on site, reduce bounce rate, build user habits, and strengthen the relationship between reader and content.

Methodology

This report is based on a proprietary survey conducted in January 2025 by Audioboost, involving 120 digital publishers operating in the following verticals:

• News (daily and weekly)
• Gaming
• Sports
• Automotive

Publishers were asked to report on changes in user behavior, navigation metrics, and qualitative sentiment following the implementation of audio features on their digital platforms.

*https://www.edisonresearch.com/the-podcast-consumer-2024-by-edison-research/