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# Radio dominates ad-supported audio: 66% vs 12% for streaming
- URL: https://www.hypebot.com/radio-dominates-ad-supported-audio/
- Published: 2025-05-21T13:16:06.000Z
- Updated: 2025-05-21T13:16:45.000Z
- Description: 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.
- Author: Bruce Houghton
- Tags: Music Marketing, Radio & Satellite, Streaming, ad supported audio, music, Music Business, music industry, musician, musicians, Spotify, #wp, #wp-post, #Import 2026-01-21 11:15

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.”

![Audio supported streaming and satellite radio channels among U.S. audiences, with a focus on podcasts and radio consumption trends for marketing insights.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3a/95/3a957c06-c825-4057-9939-0a274cc16d23/content/images/www-hypebot-com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/nielsen-record-q2-2025-share-of-daily-time-spent.png)

“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.

![Q1 2025 radio format audience share bar chart.](https://storage.ghost.io/c/3a/95/3a957c06-c825-4057-9939-0a274cc16d23/content/images/www-hypebot-com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/nielsen-record-q2-2025-radio-formats.png)

More on the survey [here](https://www.nielsen.com/insights/2025/the-record-q1-audio-listening-trends/?ref=hypebot.com).

***Bruce Houghton*** *is the Founder and Editor of [Hypebot](https://www.hypebot.com/), a Senior Advisor at [Bandsintown](https://www.bandsintown.com/?ref=hypebot.com), a [Berklee College Of Music](https://online.berklee.edu/courses/touring-101?ref=hypebot.com) professor and founder of the Skyline Artists Agency*

Radio dominates ad-supported audio first appeared on Hypebot.com.