iHeartMedia and TikTok launch creator podcast network with 25 shows

iHeartMedia and TikTok introduced a multiplatform partnership on November 10, 2025, that brings TikTok creators into podcasting, broadcast radio, and reside occasions by a collaboration that features as much as 25 new podcasts and a devoted nationwide radio channel.

The partnership establishes the TikTok Podcast Community, which is able to characteristic TikTok creators internet hosting long-form audio and video content material. Based on the announcement, the collaboration provides creators entry to podcast distribution, broadcast radio stations, and integration at iHeartMedia reside occasions.

iHeartMedia will introduce co-branded podcast studios in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta geared up with audio and video manufacturing infrastructure. The podcasts can be distributed by iHeartPodcasts and out there on the iHeartRadio app and different podcast platforms. Listeners may also entry highlights and clips on TikTok.

“This partnership connects TikTok’s cultural power and creator neighborhood with the unrivaled scale and attain of iHeartMedia,” stated Wealthy Bressler, President, COO and CFO for iHeartMedia. “We’re giving creators entry to the most important audio platforms in America.”

The collaboration extends past podcasting. TikTok Radio will pair TikTok creators with iHeartRadio personalities throughout broadcast radio stations nationwide and digitally on iHeartRadio. Based on the announcement, the station is constructed on the music structure of stations like KIIS FM in Los Angeles and Z100 in New York, that includes trending songs, storytelling, and segments together with “Behind-the-Charts” and “New Music Fridays.”

iHeartMedia and TikTok will present advertising throughout their platforms and leverage their gross sales groups to safe sponsorships for the reveals. The partnership represents a brand new enterprise line for collaborating creators.

The businesses beforehand collaborated on “Subsequent up: Reside Music,” a singing competitors hosted on TikTok LIVE earlier in 2025. This system spotlighted rising artists, together with competitors winner @kiralise, and demonstrated reside, creator-driven music discovery capabilities.

“At TikTok, empowering creativity and connecting communities are on the coronary heart of every little thing we do,” stated Dan Web page, World Head of Media and Licensing Partnerships at TikTok. “This partnership with iHeartMedia opens up thrilling new alternatives for creators and types to succeed in wider audiences, collaborate throughout platforms and prolong their creativity past the TikTok platform.”

The partnership issues for the advertising neighborhood as a result of it creates new promoting stock throughout audio codecs whereas addressing the rising creator economic system. Based on analysis, the worldwide creator economic system is projected to develop from $191 billion in 2025 to $528.39 billion by 2030, representing a 22.5% compound annual progress fee. Model partnerships with creators have demonstrated substantial returns, with YouTube partnerships delivering measurable raise in model metrics and conversion efficiency.

The audio promoting market demonstrates specific potential. Latest evaluation signifies a 22% gap between consumer audio engagement and advertiser investment, with shoppers dedicating 31% of media time to audio content material whereas advertisers allocate solely 9% of budgets to audio platforms. The collaboration addresses this hole by offering manufacturers with entry to creator audiences throughout podcast, streaming, and broadcast radio channels.

iHeartMedia maintains important audio attain. Based on firm information, 9 out of ten People hearken to iHeart broadcast radio month-to-month. The corporate operates greater than 860 reside broadcast stations throughout over 160 markets. iHeartMedia is the most important podcast writer in line with Podtrac measurements, with extra downloads than the subsequent two podcast publishers mixed.

TikTok’s platform reaches audiences by short-form cellular video. The corporate’s international headquarters are in Los Angeles and Singapore, with places of work together with New York, London, Dublin, Paris, Berlin, Dubai, Jakarta, Seoul, and Tokyo.

The podcast community addresses creator monetization past conventional platform income sharing. Creators will achieve entry to multiple revenue streams together with podcast promoting, radio publicity, and reside occasion alternatives. This diversification follows broader {industry} patterns the place creators broaden past single-platform dependence.

Podcast promoting expertise continues advancing. Triton Digital, part of the iHeartMedia family, launched AI-powered voice cloning for programmatic podcast ads in March 2025, enabling scaled host-read ads whereas sustaining creator management. The mixing permits podcast hosts to create voice samples that allow AI era of customized ads in their very own voice.

The partnership additionally displays platform evolution in creator partnerships. YouTube has introduced collaboration featurespermitting a number of creators to share credit score and viewers publicity on particular person movies. Meta platforms expanded creator instruments and monetization choices throughout Instagram and Fb. These developments reveal industry-wide recognition of creator worth in promoting and content material distribution.

iHeartMedia has expanded programmatic entry to its audio stock. The company partnered with StackAdapt in November 2025 to combine broadcast radio into programmatic platforms, enabling unified audio marketing campaign administration. iHeartMedia and Magnite launched an omnichannel audio advertising marketplace in January 2024, bringing collectively broadcast radio, streaming radio, and podcast property for programmatic transactions.

TikTok has developed its promoting infrastructure. The platform introduced real-time iOS conversion reporting through partnerships with mobile measurement providers, addressing delays historically related to Apple’s SKAdNetwork attribution framework. TikTok launched Search Ads Campaign in September 2024, enabling keyword-based promoting that reaches customers who make the most of search performance.

The collaboration creates alternatives for manufacturers to activate with creators at signature iHeartMedia occasions together with the iHeartRadio Music Competition and iHeartRadio Jingle Ball. These reside occasion integrations present manufacturers with entry to creator networks on phases with established viewers attain.

iHeartMedia reported podcast revenue growth of 28.5% year-over-year to $134.3 million within the second quarter of 2025, pushed by digital promoting demand and native gross sales pressure effectiveness. About 50% of podcasting income was generated by the native gross sales pressure, representing a basic shift in how podcast promoting is offered and distributed.

The partnership timing aligns with sustained podcast consumption patterns. NPR News Now claimed the top position in July podcast rankings, demonstrating continued information content material consumption. Writer range characterised the rankings, with a number of media firms sustaining sturdy positions throughout varied content material classes.

Platform consolidation impacts distribution methods throughout the podcast {industry}. Latest acquisitions reveal competitors for content material and audiences, whereas expertise platforms handle scale challenges by automated vetting and programmatic capabilities. The iHeartMedia and TikTok partnership represents one other strategy to consolidation, combining creator audiences with established audio infrastructure.

Measurement methodologies proceed evolving throughout podcast promoting. Episode-level contextual focusing on allows advertisers to focus on particular matters mentioned inside particular person podcast episodes, exceeding conventional show-level focusing on limitations. Superior focusing on capabilities emerge as programmatic promoting progress reaches 72% in 2025, with audio and podcast promoting exhibiting progress from 7% in 2023 to 9% in 2025 inside programmatic spending allocations.

The businesses indicated extra particulars from the partnership can be introduced within the coming months.

Timeline

Abstract

Who: iHeartMedia, the main audio firm in America, and TikTok, the world’s main vacation spot for short-form cellular video, introduced the partnership. Wealthy Bressler, President, COO and CFO for iHeartMedia, and Dan Web page, World Head of Media and Licensing Partnerships at TikTok, offered statements concerning the collaboration.

What: The partnership creates the TikTok Podcast Community that includes as much as 25 podcasts hosted by TikTok creators, a nationwide TikTok Radio channel pairing creators with iHeartRadio personalities, and reside occasion integrations at iHeartMedia signature occasions. iHeartMedia will introduce co-branded podcast studios in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta with audio and video manufacturing infrastructure. Each firms will present advertising and leverage gross sales groups to safe sponsorships.

When: The announcement was made on November 10, 2025. The businesses beforehand collaborated earlier in 2025 on the “Subsequent up: Reside Music” singing competitors. Extra partnership particulars can be introduced within the coming months.

The place: The podcast community will distribute content material by the iHeartRadio app and podcast platforms, with highlights out there on TikTok. TikTok Radio can be out there throughout broadcast radio stations nationwide and digitally on iHeartRadio. Studios can be positioned in Los Angeles, New York, and Atlanta. iHeartMedia operates greater than 860 broadcast stations throughout over 160 markets.

Why: The partnership connects TikTok creators with iHeartMedia’s audio platforms to broaden creator storytelling capabilities and viewers attain. The collaboration addresses the creator economic system progress, the hole between shopper audio engagement and advertiser funding, and creates new promoting stock throughout audio codecs. The partnership establishes new income streams for creators by podcast promoting, radio publicity, and reside occasion alternatives whereas offering manufacturers entry to creator audiences throughout a number of platforms.