The Top Five Most Popular Audio Sites

As 2025 comes to an end, this week’s Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group® blog looks back at the blog posts that resonated the most with the top 5 most popular audio insights of the year.

• The Extraordinary Cost of Dull: Boring Ads Require 2X To 2.6X Greater Media Spend To Achieve Same Impact As Interesting Ads: In January, the blog featured a report from creative testing giant System1, Adam Morgan, founder of ad agency eatbigfish, Jon Evans, Chief Customer Officer of System1 and host of Uncensored CMO, and Peter Field, the legendary “godfather of marketing effectiveness,” revealing that brands must spend significantly more media money on dull ads compared to interesting, non-dull ads.
• Advertiser Perceptions: Podcast Advertising Usage And Spending Intention Explode To Eleven-Year High Among Agencies And Marketers: The fourth most read blog post examined the latest June 2025 results of an Advertiser Perceptions study examining podcast advertising sentiment, revealing advertiser/agency podcasting usage and interest had reached an eleven-year high.
• Perception Vs. Reality: Eight Things Brands Get Wrong About AM/FM Radio: Ad industry perceptions of media audiences are often completely opposite reality. In September, the prevailing incorrect narratives were challenged with evidence from research leaders Nielsen, LeadsRx, and Edison Research.
• Creative Best Practices Handbook: Best Practices From Marketing Effectiveness Leaders And Advertising Measurement Firms: The second most popular blog featured the release of the Creative Best Practices Handbook, utilizing the tests of hundreds of audio ads over the years working with the leading experts in creative testing: ABX, Veritonic, and System1.
• Audio Remains The Primary Mode Of Podcast Consumption, Despite Growing Video Use; 92% Say They “Listen” To Podcasts, According To Cumulus Media And Signal Hill Insights’ Podcast Download – Fall 2025 Report: The most popular blog post highlighted the comparison between podcast viewers and listeners, revealing how the rising use of video hasn’t detracted from podcasts primarily being a “listening” medium. To read the full blog post by Pierre Bouvard, Chief Insights Officer, Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group®, visit: https://www.westwoodone.com/blog/2025/12/15/2025s-top-5-most-popular-cumulus-media-westwood-one-audio-active-group-blog-posts/.