--- title: "Tuning In 2026: What Does Audio Really Mean for Growth?" description: Discover how audio can enhance brand growth, strengthen audience connections, and complement other media channels for effective marketing strategies. image: https://content.communicorpuk.com/hubfs/TuningInNorth-768x512.jpg --- [![Communicorp UK](https://content.communicorpuk.com/hs-fs/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Communicorpuk_September2022/images/company-logo.png?width=87&height=1328&name=company-logo.png "Communicorp UK")](https://communicorpuk.com/) [![Communicorp UK](https://content.communicorpuk.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Communicorpuk_September2022/images/company-logo-dark.svg "Communicorp UK")](https://communicorpuk.com/) - [OUR PRODUCTS](https://communicorpuk.com/our-products/) - [JOIN US](https://communicorpuk.com/join-us/) - [CONTACT](https://communicorpuk.com/contact/) ![Cross](https://content.communicorpuk.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Communicorpuk_September2022/images/cross.635d5c.svg) - [OUR PRODUCTS](https://communicorpuk.com/our-products/) - [ABOUT](https://communicorpuk.com/about/) - [RADIO](https://communicorpuk.com/radio/) - [JOIN US](https://communicorpuk.com/join-us/) - [NEWS](https://communicorpuk.com/news/) - [CONTACT](https://communicorpuk.com/contact/) ###### **audio** # Tuning In 2026: What Does Audio Really Mean for Growth? ###### **October 8, 2026** ![](https://content.communicorpuk.com/hubfs/raw_assets/public/Communicorpuk_September2022/images/ccp-vector-background.6e0109.svg) ![Tuning In 2026: What Does Audio Really Mean for Growth?](https://content.communicorpuk.com/hubfs/TuningInNorth-768x512.jpg) 3 min Radiocentre’s Tuning In 2026 put growth at the centre of the conversation, bringing together new research, industry perspectives and examples of how audio continues to evolve as a powerful medium for brands. Held on Wednesday 30th September, the event highlighted some important questions for advertisers: how should media budgets be allocated, what role can audio play alongside search and social, and how can brands use the medium to create stronger connections with audiences? Radiocentre points to three particularly significant developments: new evidence that reallocating existing search and social investment into audio can increase campaign profit, forecasts showing continued growth in commercial audio listening, and creative examples demonstrating the distinctive power of the medium. ## Audio doesn't have to compete with search and social One of the most interesting pieces of research presented at Tuning In was the Sound Profits work from Radiocentre and WPP Media, which explored what could happen if some existing investment in generic PPC and paid social was moved into audio. The research suggested that reallocating budget could increase full-term profit ROI, with the modelling indicating an 8% uplift from moving 10% of generic PPC investment into audio and an 11% uplift from moving 10% of paid social investment. The figures challenge the assumption that audio and digital channels are necessarily competing for the same role. Instead, audio can work alongside search and social by creating familiarity, attention and trust before consumers encounter the brand elsewhere. This opens up a much more interesting conversation about how channels work together and how media investment can be planned around the overall consumer journey rather than individual channel performance. ## A growing audio opportunity The second major announcement from Tuning In focused on the future of the commercial audio market. New analysis commissioned by Radiocentre forecasts that total weekly commercial audio listening could be around 20% higher in ten years' time. That is an important indication of where the market is heading. Audio is not standing still. Radio, streaming and other forms of commercial audio continue to develop, creating an increasingly broad ecosystem for audiences and advertisers. For brands, this means the opportunity is extending beyond traditional perceptions of radio. As listening habits evolve and digital audio continues to develop, there are more ways for advertisers to reach audiences through sound and more opportunities to integrate audio into broader media strategies. The growth of the medium also reinforces the importance of thinking about audio as a long-term part of the media landscape rather than simply a channel to be added when there is additional budget available. ## The creative power of audio Alongside the data and forecasts, Tuning In also provided a reminder of something fundamental: audio has a unique creative ability to connect with people. Radiocentre's September Creative Spotlight on BT provides a good example. Rather than focusing on technical specifications or performance claims, the campaign centres on everyday human moments — from a granddaughter speaking to her grandmother to emergency services responding to a 999 call. The creative demonstrates how effectively audio can use the human voice and storytelling to create an emotional connection. There is no need for a visual demonstration of the product. Instead, the listener is invited to imagine the people, situations and relationships being described. This is one of the distinctive strengths of audio. It can create what is often described as the “theatre of the mind”, allowing listeners to build their own interpretation of the story. When combined with strong branding and an engaging idea, that can make audio a powerful tool for creating memories and emotional connections.   ## The growing importance of trust Trust was another important thread running through the discussions. Consumers are navigating an increasingly complex media environment, with brands competing for attention across platforms, feeds and algorithms. Audio can provide something different. Radio personalities, presenters and podcast hosts can develop highly familiar relationships with their audiences, creating a sense of intimacy and authenticity that can be difficult to replicate elsewhere. Podcasting takes this relationship even further, with audiences often following a personality as much as a programme or subject. For advertisers, that relationship creates an opportunity to become part of an environment that audiences have actively chosen to spend time with, rather than simply interrupting them. ## Audio is becoming a much broader opportunity The changing nature of audio also came through strongly. Podcasting, streaming and digital listening mean that the definition of audio is expanding. A podcast can now exist as a long-form audio programme, a video episode, short-form clips and social content, reaching audiences in different ways across different platforms. For advertisers, this creates more opportunities to connect with audiences, but it also makes it increasingly important to understand how people actually consume content and how different formats work together. ## So, what does this mean for advertisers? For brands looking to drive sustainable growth, the opportunity is to move beyond thinking about media channels in isolation. Search, social, audio and other channels each have different strengths, and the most effective strategies are likely to be those that understand how those strengths can work together. Tuning In 2026 highlighted the potential for audio to contribute not just reach, but attention, emotion, familiarity and ultimately commercial effectiveness. The new research also raises an important challenge: are media budgets being allocated according to habit and short-term efficiency, or according to where they can generate the greatest overall value? With commercial audio forecast to continue growing and new evidence pointing to its potential contribution to campaign profitability, the case for giving audio a more strategic role in the media mix is becoming increasingly strong. The opportunity now is for advertisers to look beyond the traditional question of whether audio should be part of the plan, and instead consider what audio could make possible for the whole campaign. 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