Radio dominates ad-supported audio: 66% vs 12% for streaming
For all the attention that Spotify’s free tier and podcasting get, broadcast radio dominates ad-supported audio in time spent. That’s particularly true in older demos, according to a new Nielsen and Edison Research survey.
Radio dominates ad-supported audio
“Within the ad supported audio universe in the first quarter of 2025, consumers spent 66% of their daily listening time with radio, 19% with podcasts, 12% with streaming audio services and 3% with satellite radio.” according to the survey. “Compared to the fourth quarter of 2024, radio’s share of ad supported audio time was 1% lower this quarter, while podcasting’s share was 1% higher.”
“Radio accounts for anywhere from 47% of daily ad supported audio time among people 18-34 to 73% among 35+,” according to Nielson. “Meanwhile, podcasts are the inverse, representing 15% of daily audio time for people 35 and older compared with 32% among those 18-34.”
Radio Formats
The study also looked at radio listening by genre. While news, talk and sports collectively dominate Country, Classic and Pop are among the formats with substantial audiences.
More on the survey here.
Bruce Houghton is the Founder and Editor of Hypebot, a Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, a Berklee College Of Music professor and founder of the Skyline Artists Agency
Radio dominates ad-supported audio first appeared on Hypebot.com.
