Traditional Radio Receivers Still Dominate AM/FM Listening

According to the latest Edison Research Share of Ear® study, 87% of all time Americans age 13+ spend listening to AM/FM radio in 2025 still occurs on a traditional over-the-air radio receiver — down only 6 percentage points from 93% in 2015.

This resilience stands in sharp contrast to the broader audio market, where streamed audio content (music services, podcasts, YouTube, etc.) delivered via smartphones, smart speakers, computers, and smart TVs now commands the majority of total daily audio time.

Key findings:

• Even though AM/FM stations are widely available through apps, websites, smart speakers, and car infotainment systems, the classic radio receiver remains the primary way listeners access broadcast radio.
• Smartphones and smart speakers have made modest gains over the past ten years, but together they have chipped away only a small fraction of the traditional receiver’s dominance.
• In-car listening — which accounts for roughly 40–50% of all AM/FM consumption — is almost exclusively done via built-in car radios receiving over-the-air signals.
• At home and at work, where digital alternatives are readily available, the majority of AM/FM tuning still happens on physical radios (clock radios, kitchen radios, portable units, etc.).

Context: When the Share of Ear study began tracking device usage in 2015, smart speakers were in their infancy, and smart TV ownership was far lower. Since then, broadcast radio companies have aggressively expanded digital distribution — launching apps, podcast networks, and smart-speaker skills — yet consumer behavior for AM/FM listening has shifted only marginally.

Bottom line: While digital platforms have conquered overall audio consumption, the century-old radio receiver continues to dramatically outperform every modern alternative when Americans choose to listen to their local AM/FM stations.