Report: UK Surpasses U.S. in Online Audio Reach

RADIO ONLINE | Thursday, May 29, 2025 | 2:26pm CT

The Infinite Dial UK

New research from The Infinite Dial UK 2025 reveals significant shifts in digital media consumption across the United Kingdom, with strong growth in smart tech ownership, online audio listening, and podcast engagement. The findings were presented at The Podcast Show in London last week and expanded upon during a webinar hosted by Edison Research's Gabriel Soto and AdsWizz's Ollie Chadwick.

Sponsored by SiriusXM Media and AdsWizz, the study shows that 74% of UK adults 16 and over (36 million people) listened to online audio in the past week - a figure that now exceeds the U.S. rate of 72%. Weekly podcast listening in the UK has also surged, with 39% of the population (19 million people) now tuning in, narrowing the gap with the U.S. (41%).

Podcast viewing is also on the rise. 6% of UK adults report watching, but not listening to, a podcast in the past week, underscoring the growing role of visual formats in podcast consumption.

Smart Devices On the Rise

• Ownership of smart technology continues to grow rapidly in the UK:

• Smartwatch ownership has more than doubled since 2021, now at 23% of UK adults 16+.

• Smart speaker adoption has seen major growth: 37% own an Amazon Alexa (up from 19% in 2021), 16% a Google Home (up from 7%), and 5% an Apple HomePod (up from 2%). In total, 45% of UK adults now own a smart speaker.

• Wireless headphone ownership has nearly doubled, reaching 51% of UK adults.

• Conversely, traditional radio ownership is declining, with 25% of UK respondents saying they no longer have a radio at home, compared to 22% in 2021.

Social Media Shifts

• The study finds the UK surpasses the U.S. in reach for platforms like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and X (formerly Twitter). Notably, X reaches 35% of UK adults compared to just 21% in the U.S.

• However, usage patterns are shifting. Platforms like Facebook, Snapchat, and X have declined as users' primary platforms, while Instagram and TikTok have grown in prominence. Instagram is now used most often by 23% of UK users (up from 9% in 2021), and TikTok by 11% (up from 7%).

Additional Findings

• 32% of UK adults played games on a mobile device in the past week, while 22% used a gaming console.

• 18 million people in the UK listened to an audiobook in the past year.

The Infinite Dial UK 2025 is based on the long-running U.S. Infinite Dial series, now in its 27th year, and allows for international comparison among the UK, U.S., Australia, and New Zealand. The full study is available for download via Edison Research.