Podcasting has seen expansive growth in recent years. However, AM/FM radio remains the biggest audio medium in rural areas, according to a new study from Edison Research.
In numbers released in the company’s latest Share of Ear data shows that citizens in urban settings listened to podcasts at double the rate of those in rural areas. 13% of an Urban dweller’s daily audio time is spent listening to podcasts, compared to just 6% for those in rural areas. Suburban listeners spent 11% of their time with podcasts.
In rural areas, 43% of time spent with audio was with AM/FM radio, compared to 36% for suburban and 34% for urban dwellers.
Despite the fluctuations in mediums, both rural and urban listeners spent nearly identical percentages of their daily audio between the two mediums. Those in Urban areas spent 47% of their time with AM/FM radio and podcasting. Meanwhile, 49% of daily audio time for Rural listeners was spent between the two formats.
“You’ll see that in combination these numbers are essentially the same – between 47% and 49%. It appears that the ‘time budget’ for radio and podcasting combined is consistent across locations – it is just the apportionment of that time that varies,” Edison Research shared in a blog post discussing the findings.
