Mobile Devices, Radios Compete for Audio Time in Q2

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, September 24, 2025 | 2:19pm CT

Edison Research

Edison Research's latest Share of Ear study highlights how Americans are dividing their daily audio listening time across devices, showing a close contest between mobile devices and traditional AM/FM radio receivers.

Among listeners age 13 and older in the second quarter of 2025, 38% of daily audio time was spent on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets, while 30% was spent using an AM/FM radio receiver. Edison first noted mobile devices surpassing radio receivers in Q3 2022, but the latest data shows the gap shifting depending on community type.

In urban areas, mobile listening is most dominant, accounting for 40% of daily audio time compared to 28% for radio receivers. Suburban audiences also leaned toward mobile, with 36% of time spent on those devices versus 30% on radios. In rural communities, however, both platforms were tied, with each capturing 34% of listening time.

Edison said the findings underscore how audio consumption habits vary across geography, giving advertisers and content providers important insight for shaping audience acquisition strategies. The Share of Ear study tracks all the ways Americans engage with audio daily, providing detailed breakdowns by platform, device, and demographic segment.