If you’re planning a media buy in today’s fragmented landscape, the latest data from The Record — a quarterly audio report powered by Nielsen and Edison Research — offers a clear look at how audiences are spending their listening time, especially to AM/FM Radio.
In the second quarter of 2025, AM/FM Radio accounted for 64% of all daily time spent with ad-supported audio, far ahead of podcasts, streaming audio, and satellite radio.
That figure offers a stark reminder that even as digital options multiply, the dominance of traditional radio in the ad-supported space remains virtually unchallenged.
Edison Research’s “Share of Ear” data shows that while consumers are spending an average of 3 hours and 50 minutes per day with audio content across all formats, nearly two-thirds of that time on ad-supported platforms is still going to AM/FM Radio.
Podcasts captured 19%, followed by streaming audio services at 14%, and satellite radio with just 3%.
The generational breakdown adds further context. Among listeners aged 35 and up, AM/FM Radio takes a massive 71% of ad-supported audio time. Even among the younger 18-34 demographic, where newer formats like podcasts tend to thrive, radio still commands 45% of the listening pie.
Podcasts draw 32% from that younger group, but the numbers reinforce the staying power of AM/FM Radio with core audiences advertisers often covet.
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