As the podcast industry debates the definition of a podcast and wades through unclear ad measurement tools, a secret industrywide taskforce has been meeting to combat the problem.  Since July 2025, a group of 12 podcasting leaders, including representatives from Spotify, SiriusXM and YouTube, have been discussing a possible shared podcast definition and sharing information on ad measurement, which varies by platform and by medium. The group was organized by podcast advertising agency Oxford Road, which sits on the taskforce alongside UTA agents, podcasting platform Libsyn, metrics platform Podscribe, podcast growth platform FlightStory and top podcasting advertisers DraftKings and BetterHelp.  The definition of what a podcast is has been thrown into question by the rise of video podcasts, which are increasingly appearing and competing alongside television shows. The issue in not having a standard definition is the fact that it then causes friction in the ad-buying process, as departments debate whether it falls under video, audio, creators or something else.  “What ends up happening is when advertisers are deciding whose budget this is to come …