Head-to-head comparison
IAB Podcast Advertising Revenue Report vs Podtrac
Two of the analytics tools podcasters reach for. Here's how they differ on pricing, features, audience, and the trade-offs that actually matter day-to-day.
Annual industry benchmark for US podcast advertising revenue.
Best for:
Industry-standard audience measurement and monthly rankings since 2005.
Best for: Established publishers
At a glance
The honest trade-offs
IAB Podcast Advertising Revenue Report
Pros
- Authoritative numbers everyone in the industry cites
- Published annually with category breakdowns
- Free PDF download from IAB
Watch-outs
- Annual snapshot, not real-time data
- US-focused; global figures less detailed
- Reflects audio-first definition that's now stretching
Podtrac
Pros
- Sponsor-recognized industry rankings since 2005
- Free measurement plus demographic surveys
- IAB-compliant rankings included automatically
Watch-outs
- Dashboard UX feels visibly outdated
- Light on listener behavior and attribution
- Sponsor-facing tool, not a growth platform
Which one should you pick?
Pick IAB Podcast Advertising Revenue Report if
You’re building around . The IAB/PwC annual report is the document every ad-side conversation in podcasting eventually references. The 2025 report put US podcast ad revenue near $2.
Pick Podtrac if
You’re building around established publishers. Podtrac is the boring, reliable, IAB-certified number that media kits cite when shows brag about rankings. It's been around since 2005 for a reason — sponsors trust it — but the dashboard feels stuck in the same decade and won't tell you anything actionable about why your audience does what it does.
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Frequently asked
What does IAB Podcast Advertising Revenue Report do better than Podtrac?
IAB Podcast Advertising Revenue Report's standout is "Authoritative numbers everyone in the industry cites". Podtrac doesn't make that promise — it leans into "Sponsor-recognized industry rankings since 2005" instead. If the first sentence describes your workflow, pick IAB Podcast Advertising Revenue Report; if the second does, pick Podtrac.
What are the trade-offs?
IAB Podcast Advertising Revenue Report: annual snapshot, not real-time data. Podtrac: dashboard ux feels visibly outdated. Whether either matters depends entirely on what you actually need — neither is a deal-breaker by itself.
Can I use IAB Podcast Advertising Revenue Report and Podtrac together?
Both are analytics tools so most teams pick one. Some workflows do combine them — for example, using IAB Podcast Advertising Revenue Report for one show or episode type and Podtrac for another. Worth trying both free tiers before committing.