Edison: Audio Key to Reaching 2026 Voters

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, July 29, 2026 | 2:20pm CT

Edison Research at SSRS

A new analysis from Edison Research's Share of Ear study highlights the importance of ad-supported audio as political campaigns gear up for the 2026 U.S. election cycle, finding that 81% of voting-age Americans are reached by ad-supported audio every day.

The report examines which audio platforms most effectively reach Republican, Democratic and Independent voters, showing that listening habits vary by political affiliation.

Among Republicans, AM/FM radio and SiriusXM's ad-supported spoken-word channels deliver the strongest reach. AM/FM Radio posts an index of 117, indicating Republicans are 17% more likely than the average adult to listen on a typical day. Ad-supported spoken-word programming on SiriusXM ranks even higher with an index of 157.

Democrats show slightly above-average usage of several digital audio platforms, including ad-supported streaming music (index 101), music videos on YouTube (103) and SiriusXM Radio (103). Podcasting is the most efficient platform for reaching Democratic voters, with an index of 107.

The study also identifies podcasts as the strongest platform for reaching Independent voters, a key voting bloc in many elections. Independents are 19% more likely than the average adult to listen to podcasts daily, resulting in an index of 119. They also over-index for ad-supported streaming music and music videos on YouTube, both at 105.

Edison Research said the findings demonstrate that audio remains a powerful medium for political advertising, while illustrating how different platforms can help campaigns more efficiently reach targeted voter groups during the 2026 election season.