How Privacy-First Data Is Changing Podcast Ads with Emma Raz of NumberEight

About this episode

How can podcasting move past guesswork to build true, privacy-first audience demographics? In this episode of PodBiz, Norma Jean Belenky speaks with Emma Raz, Director of Commercial at NumberEight, about the evolution of audience targeting and demographic data in podcasting. Emma shares how number eight was built post-GDPR to move beyond unreliable surveys and household IP tracking, using observed content consumption to deliver precise audience insights for advertisers and creators. As she puts it: “Limitations often lead to innovation. That’s what paved the way for us to think about data in a different way.” Here are some insightful moments within the episode: • How programmatic advertising and host-read extensions are reshaping podcast monetization • Why traditional audience surveys and IP-based matching fall short • Building a privacy-first data framework under European GDPR laws • Current listener demographic trends, millennial dominance, and true crime subgenres • Achieving data parity across audio, streaming, and the new frontier of video podcasting • Key career lessons on trust, reputation, and leading lean teams Emma Raz is the Director of Commercial at NumberE