Signal Hill Insights

What Signal Hill Insights does

Signal Hill Insights Inc. is a privately held, Toronto-based custom audio research firm founded in 2012 by Jeff Vidler and operating across the United States, Canada, Australia, and the Netherlands. The firm partners with broadcasters, publishers, advertisers, and agencies to design and execute bespoke research studies that measure the effectiveness of audio advertising across podcasts, streaming audio, and radio. Its core methodology centers on survey-based approaches, including controlled-exposure studies, pre/post campaign designs, brand lift measurement, qualitative research (focus groups and in-depth interviews), content testing, and large-scale nationally representative audience panels.

The firm's product surface divides into two layers. The first is a portfolio of custom research services — Brand Lift Study, Holistic Brand Lift, Brand Health Studies, Qualitative Research, Content Testing, and Podcast Audience Intelligence — delivered as project-based engagements with quote-driven pricing. The second is a set of syndicated reports: the bi-annual Podcast Download report co-produced with Cumulus Media/Westwood One (16+ editions since roughly 2018) and the Canadian Podcast Listener co-published with Ulster Media, both serving as recurring benchmark data franchises for the audio industry. A proprietary pixel-based campaign measurement capability enables in-wild exposure capture. The underlying dataset aggregates survey responses from over 66,000 podcast consumers annually across multiple countries, providing the longitudinal depth that anchors the firm's competitive position.

Revenue is generated through professional services: custom research projects for enterprise clients and syndicated report subscriptions. Distribution is direct B2B sales with no self-serve channel, supported by thought leadership content (blog, bi-weekly newsletter), syndicated reports, industry conference presence, and earned media coverage. Ownership is founder-led and bootstrapped, with no disclosed institutional investment. Headcount is in the 11-50 range, with senior leadership including Jeff Vidler (Founder), Paul Riismandel (President, promoted August 2024 from Chief Insights Officer), Matt Hird (VP Research), Grace Carrick (Head of US Business Development, hired July 2023), and Carolyn Bergshoeff (Marketing Director).

Name

Signal Hill Insights

Legal name

Signal Hill Insights Inc.

Website

https://signalhillinsights.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Signal Hill Insights is a Toronto-based custom audio research firm that designs brand lift, audience intelligence, and qualitative studies for broadcasters, publishers, and advertisers across podcasts, streaming, and radio in North America, Australia, and the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Audio Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (541910)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro primary industry

Podcast Measurement, Attribution & Audience Insights (MPACADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Podcast Analytics, Measurement & Attribution Platforms (MPAIADAL), Social & Digital Insights (Social Listening, Online Community Research) (MPAAALAK), Survey, Panel & Fieldwork Services (BPAHALAJ)

Keywords

• Audio market research
• Brand lift measurement
• Podcast audience analytics
• Custom survey research
• Syndicated industry reports

Headquarters

HQ city

Portland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Custom Research Services: Signal Hill Insights generates revenue by designing and executing bespoke research studies for clients including brand lift studies, brand health studies, qualitative research, content testing, and podcast audience intelligence. These are project-based engagements tailored to individual client objectives. Clients include broadcasters, publishers, advertisers, agencies, and podcast networks. The firm also publishes syndicated research reports (Podcast Download, Canadian Podcast Listener) which generate revenue through report subscriptions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Signal Hill Insights designs and executes custom audio research studies for broadcasters, publishers, advertisers, and agencies, with core offerings spanning Brand Lift Studies, Holistic Brand Lift, Brand Health Studies, Qualitative Research, Content Testing, and Podcast Audience Intelligence. The firm also produces syndicated industry benchmarks including the bi-annual Podcast Download report (with Cumulus Media/Westwood One) and The Canadian Podcast Listener (with Ulster Media), leveraging survey-based methodologies and nationally representative audience panels across multiple countries.

Product overview

Signal Hill Insights is an audio-focused market research company offering a portfolio of research services primarily centered on brand lift measurement for podcasts, streaming audio, and radio. Their core offerings include Brand Lift Study and Holistic Brand Lift (measuring incremental brand impact from audio campaigns), Brand Health Studies (tracking brand positioning), Qualitative Research, Content Testing, and Podcast Audience Intelligence. The company also publishes The Canadian Podcast Listener, an annual nationally representative landscape survey of Canadian podcast consumption conducted in partnership with Ulster Media, and Radio On The Move covering radio listening patterns. Their research methodologies include controlled-exposure studies, pre/post campaign surveys, and panel-based audience measurement, with data partnerships supporting research across Australia, Canada, and the United States.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• The Canadian Podcast Listener: Nationally representative landscape survey of podcast consumption in Canada, co-produced with Ulster Media
• Podcast Download Report
• Audio on the Move

Products and services

• Brand Lift Study Custom-designed research that measures if and how audio campaigns are working, helping audio advertisers, broadcasters, and publishers make informed decisions about brand impact.
• Holistic Brand Lift Expanded brand lift measurement approach that provides a comprehensive view of audio campaign effectiveness beyond standard brand lift studies.
• Brand Health Studies Custom research solutions to track and refresh brand health metrics and market positioning over time for broadcasters and brands.
• Qualitative Research In-depth qualitative research methods including focus groups and projective exercises designed to deliver consumer insights for audio-industry clients.
• Content Testing Research service that tests content appeal and effectiveness before full launch, including moment-by-moment response tracking for audio and video content.
• Podcast Audience Intelligence Audience measurement and analytics service focused on podcast consumption patterns, demographics, psycho-demographics, and listening behaviors across multiple countries.
• The Canadian Podcast Listener Annual nationally representative landscape survey of podcast consumption in Canada, providing comprehensive market insights and tracking consumption trends across audio and video platforms.
• Radio On The Move Insights report on radio listening habits and consumption patterns, with particular focus on mobile and on-the-go listening behaviors.

Quantifiable outcome

• Red Hat branded podcast Command Line Heroes achieved a 29% lift in brand affinity among engaged listeners vs. control group
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Ulster MediaflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 May 2025Signal Hill Insights co-publishes the 'Canadian Podcast Listener' (CPL) report with Ulster Media — the only full-census landscape survey of podcast consumption in Canada. The 2025 edition includes enhanced video podcast metrics, breaking out audio vs. video consumption by genre and top podcasts. CPL is a flagship syndicated research product for the Canadian market.
• Sounds Profitable / Medium Moves the MessagecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 March 2023Signal Hill Insights partnered with Sounds Profitable to produce the 'Medium Moves the Message' webinar — the first-ever comparison of the brand impact of podcasts, linear TV, and AM/FM radio. This research pioneered cross-medium brand lift benchmarking.
• Triton DigitalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 October 2021Signal Hill Insights partnered with Triton Digital to expand demographic data in Triton Digital's podcast metrics offerings, including the Demos+ product. Signal Hill provides the survey-based audience intelligence and methodology that powers Triton Digital's audience measurement enhancements. Networks in the US, Australia, and Netherlands subscribe to Demos+ for nationally representative audience demographics.
• Cumulus Media / Westwood OneflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCumulus Media/Westwood One and Signal Hill Insights co-produce the bi-annual 'Podcast Download' report — one of the most widely cited industry research publications in US podcasting. The partnership has produced 16+ editions of the report, conducted twice yearly (spring and fall), tracking podcast consumption trends, platform preferences, and advertising effectiveness. This is Signal Hill's flagship syndicated research product and primary industry visibility driver.
• Radio ConnectscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIn partnership with Signal Hill Insights, Radio Connects brings invaluable audio insights to their member organizations, advertisers, and radio research organizations in Canada, the US, and the UK, extending Signal Hill's research reach into the radio industry.
• Sounds ProfitablecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSignal Hill Insights serves as the research partner for Sounds Profitable, providing methodology and survey data for landmark studies including 'The Podcast Landscape 2024.' This partnership allows Signal Hill to contribute to and access proprietary cross-industry data assets.
• Edison ResearchminorOthersSignal Hill's Podcast Download report references Edison Research's Infinite Dial data as a benchmark for US podcast audience size comparisons. This is a data reference partnership rather than a formal commercial collaboration.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sounds Profitable: Sounds Profitable is an audio research and education organization that partners with Signal Hill on the Podcast Landscape and Medium Moves the Message studies. It produces adjacent research products (Super Listens, Podcast Landscape) targeting the same podcast industry buyer.
• Edison Research: Edison Research is the most directly comparable audio research firm, producing the Infinite Dial and Share of Ear studies referenced by Signal Hill. Both firms produce nationally representative syndicated audio/podcast audience research and conduct custom studies for broadcasters and advertisers.

Others

• Triton Digital: Triton Digital is both a Signal Hill partner (Demos+) and a measurement/analytics provider in podcast and digital audio. Its audience measurement products overlap with Signal Hill's podcast audience intelligence offering, though Triton focuses on platform-side metrics while Signal Hill provides the survey methodology layer.
• Cumulus Media / Westwood One: Cumulus Media/Westwood One is Signal Hill's flagship syndicated research partner and a major radio broadcaster/podcast network. While more of a partner than a competitor, Cumulus's own research team and podcast measurement capabilities overlap with the audience intelligence and brand effectiveness segments Signal Hill serves.

Emerging players

• Veritonic: Veritonic is an audio attribution and effectiveness platform that measures audio creative and campaign performance using technology-driven (rather than survey-driven) methods. It targets the same advertisers seeking to prove audio ROI, positioning as a tech-forward alternative to Signal Hill's survey methodology.
• Magellan AI: Magellan AI provides podcast advertising analytics and intelligence including spend tracking and campaign performance benchmarking. It competes for the same advertiser and agency research dollars seeking podcast effectiveness insights, using data-driven rather than survey-based approaches.

Broad incumbents

• Comscore: Comscore is a cross-platform audience measurement incumbent offering digital audio and podcast measurement solutions. It competes for enterprise research budgets and audience intelligence mandates that Signal Hill serves, particularly with broadcasters and podcast networks.
• Ipsos: Ipsos is a global market research firm with established audio and advertising effectiveness practices. It competes for the same brand lift, audience intelligence, and content testing engagements Signal Hill delivers, with significantly broader geographic and vertical reach.
• GfK: GfK (now part of NielsenIQ) is a global market research firm with media and consumer panels that overlap with Signal Hill's audience intelligence offering. It competes for advertiser and broadcaster research mandates at scale, particularly in international markets.
• Nielsen: Nielsen is a global measurement incumbent whose audio division (Nielsen Audio, formerly Arbitron) competes for the same advertiser and broadcaster measurement budgets Signal Hill serves. Both firms deliver audience intelligence and effectiveness research across radio, streaming, and digital audio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/signalhillinsights
• Xx.com/SH_Insights

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Signal Hill Insights