IAB Issues Guide for Measuring Video Podcasts

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, September 17, 2026 | 2:14pm CT

Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB)

The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) has released a new industry guide addressing how the growth of video podcasting is changing the planning, buying and measurement of podcast advertising.

"Podcasts Continue to Evolve: When Listeners Become Viewers," released in conjunction with the 2026 IAB Podcast Upfront, examines podcast distribution across YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, streaming services and connected TV. IAB says a single podcast episode can now generate advertising impressions through audio downloads, streaming video and social clips, often within the same campaign but under different measurement and verification systems.

Rather than creating a new measurement framework, IAB recommends applying two existing standards according to how the podcast is delivered. The IAB Podcast Measurement Technical Guidelines v2.2 govern audio podcast delivery, including download counting, unique listener methodology, bot filtering and dynamically inserted ad impressions. The IAB Tech Lab/MRC Digital Video Served Impression Measurement Guidelines cover digital video environments, including viewability, audibility and served impressions.

The guide also calls for greater transparency when podcast campaigns span multiple platforms. Sellers are advised to identify which measurement standard applies to each environment, disclose whether reporting is independently verified or platform-generated, and keep independently verified and self-reported metrics separate rather than combining them into a single total.

IAB notes that video podcast consumption can frequently remain "audio-first," with users moving between watching a screen and listening while the device is pocketed, face-down or otherwise out of view. As a result, the group recommends that advertising creative communicate its essential message through audio even when video elements are included.

One significant measurement problem remains unresolved: reliably identifying the same consumer across different podcast platforms and delivery environments. IAB says cross-platform reach therefore cannot currently be reported as verified deduplicated reach and should instead be treated as directional.

The guide concludes that audio remains the primary form of podcast consumption while video is becoming a mass-audience behavior, making clear disclosure of how each advertising impression is measured increasingly important as podcasts expand across platforms and screens.