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In political advertising, every cycle is a race to find the next best way to reach voters. As new platforms emerge each year, campaigns scramble to keep up — but too often, they end up chasing trends rather than shaping them.
For nearly a decade, Facebook was the gold standard for digital persuasion. Mark Zuckerberg’s platform allowed advertisers to microtarget, test, and optimize like never before. But the post-2016 reckoning — the Cambridge Analytica scandal, congressional hearings, and a wave of privacy reforms — changed everything. Meta rolled back political targeting capabilities, kneecapping one of the most powerful persuasion tools in modern politics.
YouTube became the next frontier, with 62% of all internet users watching daily. But as Google faced similar scrutiny, it too restricted ad targeting. Meanwhile, streaming TV surged ahead — 82% of Americans now use streaming services, compared to just 36% with cable or satellite.
And yet, there’s an even bigger opportunity we’re ignoring: digital audio.
Did Video Really Kill the Radio Star?
It may clash with where everyone thought media was heading — and yes, cue “Video Killed the Radio Star” — but think about it for a second. Ever since the rise of the iPhone and the explosion of wireless headphones, the most common sight in public isn’t people glued to a TV or even a phone screen. It’s people walking, working, commuting, or cleaning — with headphones in.
Digital audio has quietly become the soundtrack of modern life. It makes long commutes tolerable, workouts easier, chores bearable, and everyday life just a little less dull. Multi-tasking is the norm now — and digital audio makes it possible to stay constantly plugged into news, entertainment, and conversation without needing to look at a screen.
I myself am a voracious podcast listener for this reason. I predictably listen to Pod Save America and the Weekly Show because of course I do but also I listen to Last Podcast on the Left, Behind the Bastards, the Adam Friedland Show, Stavvy’s World, Sounds like a Cult and Maintenance Phase religiously week after week because I contain multitudes and I enjoy it. I also listen to the Ezra Klein Show because I’m a masochist.
Gone are the days of rewinding tapes, burning CDs, or hoping your radio signal holds through a tunnel. Now, with a couple of taps, you can download a podcast episode, stream hours of music, or listen to an audiobook while folding laundry.
And the numbers don’t lie:
228 million Americans (nearly 80% of everyone over 13) listen to some form of audio every month.
210 million listen every single week.
70% of Americans have listened to a podcast at least once.
55% listen monthly — a number that keeps growing year after year.
In early 2025, the average American spent 3 hours and 54 minutes per day listening to audio — radio, podcasts, streaming music, and even satellite.
Here’s what’s most important: 63% of all that listening is ad-supported.
That means while we’re chasing people’s eyeballs across TV, CTV, and social feeds, there’s an audience of more than 200 million Americans who are literally inviting us into their ears — and they’re already used to hearing ads.
So no, video didn’t kill the radio star. If anything, radio evolved, adapted, and went digital — and now it’s sitting right in the center of the attention economy, waiting for us to use it.
Gather Round Youths and I’ll Tell You a Tale
But you know who loves digital audio more than any other generation? Gen Z [ [link removed] ]
Eighty-six percent of Gen Z say they listen to music or podcasts to boost their mood. They spend 42% of their audio time streaming music, 20% listening to YouTube, 16% on AM/FM or radio streams, 8% with podcasts, and 14% with other audio sources. Basically: if it plays sound, they’re tuned in.
And here’s the wild part — they actually prefer audio-only content.
Seventy-six percent of Gen Z podcast listeners say [ [link removed] ]they’d rather listen than watch, even as more shows add video versions. For a generation raised on TikTok and YouTube, that’s surprising — and telling. Audio isn’t background noise for them; it’s a comfort zone.
Right now, about 35 million Gen Zers are podcast listeners. And they’re loyal. Once they find a podcast host or show that clicks with them, they stick with it.
As for where they’re listening — Spotify is king. Over half of Gen Z (56%) say it’s their main app, up from 47% in 2021. YouTube trails far behind at 21%, and Apple Podcasts keeps falling — now down to 10%.
And don’t think they’re doing all this in the car.
Most Gen Z listening happens at home and on mobile. They’re streaming while getting ready for class, cooking dinner, or zoning out after work. Twelve percent listen on public transit, another 10% while walking or biking — but wherever they are, they’re not staring at a TV screen.
So if you’re trying to reach young voters, you don’t need another shiny video ad or viral stunt. You need to be where they already are — in their headphones, in their daily routines, and in their playlists.
Whisper In My Ear, Tell Me All the Things You Want Me to Hear
Here’s the thing: audio ads work — and they work better than almost anything else in your toolkit.
One study from Veritonic [ [link removed] ] found that 60% of consumers remember audio and podcast ads more than billboards. Another showed that nearly half of all listeners recall audio ads more than display or video ads.
And it’s not just recall — it’s attention.
A Dentsu study [ [link removed] ] revealed that people pay 128% more attention to audio ads than to TV commercials. Think about that for a second: in an age of constant distraction, people are actually listening.
When you’re literally in someone’s ear — on their walk, in their car, while they’re cooking dinner — your message doesn’t compete with a million visuals on a feed. It’s direct, personal, and intimate. You’re not interrupting their routine — you’re part of it.
And it’s cost-effective.
Podcast ads are 43% more cost-efficient per CPM than other platforms, according to Dentsu. That means you can get better recall, more attention, and deeper engagement — for less money.
That’s an equation that any campaign manager or media buyer should love.
Audio also has another advantage most don’t think about: trust.
Listeners build a bond with podcast hosts — it’s the modern version of appointment radio. When those hosts read or endorse an ad, the message lands differently. It doesn’t feel transactional; it feels conversational. That’s why small brands (and political outsiders) have thrived on audio — the connection is real.
So while we’re spending billions trying to chase eyeballs, there’s an entire ecosystem of ears waiting — focused, loyal, and ready to engage.
Ear Piercing (Through the Clutter)
Let’s face it — we are drowning in ads. Everywhere you scroll, tap, or swipe, there’s another video trying to sell you something, another campaign “reaching out,” another sponsored post wedged between your playlists. In politics, it’s even worse.
The 2024 cycle was the most expensive in history — with Democrats spending $6.7 billion, Republicans $7.6 billion, and another $500 million from third-party candidates. That’s more than $14 billion collectively, and what did most of that money go toward? TV spots, social ads, and every other place people are already sick of being sold to.
We’re competing for attention in the noisiest marketplace in human history. And persuasion now takes more than a clever tagline or a viral video. People are tuning out — or actively muting us.
That’s why audio is such an opportunity.
It’s not just another channel; it’s an escape hatch. While everyone else is screaming visually, audio lets us whisper directly to voters who actually want to listen.
Think about it: when you’re on a run, driving home, cleaning the kitchen, or commuting — that’s the one time you’re not doom-scrolling. You’re focused. You’re open. You’re listening. That’s where persuasion still works.
By investing more in audio advertising — podcasts, streaming radio, in-app placements, and even the new wave of AI-narrated articles that are popping up across major outlets — Democrats can reach audiences who have completely tuned out of traditional visual ads. More and more publishers are monetizing their text-to-speech features with 15- and 30-second ad slots at the start or midpoint of each piece. That’s inventory we’re barely even touching.
And this shouldn’t stop at paid placements. Campaigns should be thinking organically, too. That means candidates guesting on popular podcasts, campaign managers doing longform interviews, and yes — even starting their own shows. People want authenticity, and audio gives it room to breathe.
You’re already seeing this shift. Former operatives like Ezra Klein have built entire media ecosystems around their voices. Governors like Andy Beshear are launching their own podcasts to speak directly to voters — unfiltered, without a journalist acting as a middleman. That’s the model.
So it’s time to stop thinking about what’s “eye-catching” and start thinking about what’s ear-grabbing.
TL;DR
Campaigns are still fighting for attention where voters have long stopped listening. While billions pour into TV, video, and social media ads, the real untapped frontier in political communication is digital audio.
Nearly 80% of Americans listen to some form of digital audio weekly, and Gen Z leads the charge — spending hours a day streaming music and podcasts. Audio ads don’t just reach them; they stick. Studies show they’re 128% more engaging than TV ads, drive better recall, and cost less per impression.
For Democrats especially, this is the next great messaging opportunity. In an oversaturated visual landscape, audio cuts through the noise — literally. It’s intimate, portable, and trusted. Whether through ads on Spotify, podcast sponsorships, or candidates hosting their own shows, the campaigns that speak directly into voters’ headphones will shape the next generation of persuasion.
Bottom line: stop asking what’s eye-catching — start thinking about what’s ear-grabbing.
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By the Ballot is an opinion series published on Substack. All views expressed are solely those of the author and should not be interpreted as reporting or objective journalism or attributed to any other individual or organization. I am not a journalist or reporter, nor do I claim to be one. This publication represents personal commentary, analysis, and opinion only.

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