Share of Ear Q4 Highlights Dominance of AM/FM Radio
| RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, March 12, 2025 |
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 Cumulus Media and Westwood One |
Edison Research's latest "Share of Ear" study provides a comprehensive analysis of American audio consumption habits, surveying 4,000 participants to track the reach and time spent across various audio mediums. This week's Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group blog features an analysis of the Q4 2024 data focused on what advertisers care about -- ad-supported audio.
The Q4 2024 edition of the "Share of Ear" study reveals several critical insights about the American audio landscape:
- On a typical day, ad-supported digital audio platforms reach less than a third of the U.S. population, while AM/FM radio achieves a two-thirds reach, illustrating a significant disparity in daily audience engagement.
- Combined, ad-supported digital audio and AM/FM radio cover 74% of the daily U.S. audience.
- The study also shows a strong preference for AM/FM radio over digital services like Spotify and Pandora, with the majority of respondents exclusively tuning into AM/FM radio.
- AM/FM radio and podcasts together account for nearly 90% of all tuning minutes, demonstrating their dominance in the ad-supported audio sector.
- Specifically, AM/FM radio holds an 86% share of in-car listening, returning to pre-pandemic norms and highlighting its effectiveness in reaching consumers on the move.
The detailed analysis provides a stark picture of media consumption:
- Only 29% of the U.S. is reached by the combination of ad-supported Spotify, Pandora, and podcasts, whereas AM/FM radio alone doubles this reach at 61%.
- Incorporating AM/FM radio into digital audio strategies increases the total reach to 74%, indicating the necessity of radio inclusion for comprehensive media coverage.
- Notably, 61% of listeners engage exclusively with AM/FM radio, disregarding digital audio options.
The study also breaks down an average hour of U.S. ad-supported audio:
- AM/FM radio commands 41.2 minutes, while podcasts account for 11.1 minutes.
- Other platforms like ad-supported Spotify, SiriusXM, and Pandora contribute minimally, highlighting the concentrated nature of audio engagement towards traditional radio and podcasts.
In-car listening patterns reinforce the strength of AM/FM radio:
- It comprises 51.7 minutes of every in-car audio hour, far outpacing other formats.
- This dominant usage underscores AM/FM radio's pivotal role in reaching commuting audiences, a crucial time for influencing consumer purchasing decisions.
To read the entire blog post, click here.
