AM/FM Radio Still Dominates Ad-Supported Audio, New “Share of Ear” Report Shows

Edison Research’s latest Share of Ear report for Q3 2025 reinforces the continued strength of AM/FM radio in the U.S. audio landscape, especially for advertisers. The study shows that AM/FM remains the dominant ad-supported audio platform, delivering far greater daily reach and time spent than Spotify, Pandora, YouTube, and other streaming services. While ad-supported digital audio platforms collectively reach only about one-third of Americans 18+, adding AM/FM radio boosts daily reach to 74%, underscoring its essential role in audio media plans.

The report also highlights a major perception gap among advertisers and agencies. Marketers consistently underestimate AM/FM’s audience share, believing it to be 26% when the actual is 64%, while dramatically overestimating the reach of Spotify and Pandora. In reality, AM/FM is 11 times larger than ad-supported Spotify and 13 times larger than Pandora.

AM/FM’s dominance extends to in-car listening, where it commands 84% of ad-supported audio time among adults, far outperforming podcasts and streaming platforms even among younger listeners.

The study also notes continued rapid growth in podcast listening. Podcast reach and time spent have surged across all demographics, pushing the median listener age from 29 in 2017 to 39 today, driven largely by gains among 25–44 and 45–64 listeners. With a 20% share of daily audio time, podcasts now represent a major media platform with broad and growing appeal.

Overall, Share of Ear underscores two key realities: AM/FM radio remains the most powerful ad-supported audio channel, and podcasts have evolved into a significant and increasingly mature medium.

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