Survey: Radio Continues To Command Share of Ear

New 1Q 2018 data from Edison Research shows AM/FM radio continues to dominate Share of Ear in the marketplace.

According to Edison,  terrestrial radio (AM, FM and online) owns 50% “share of ear”.  However, broadcast radio receivers are far and away the top device for listening to audio.

InsideRadio reports Edison’s quarterly Share Of Ear studies have become the de facto way to stack various audio sources up against one another to see how Americans allocate their audio time. With AM/FM, streaming and podcasts each measured by different measurement providers, using different methodologies, Share Of Ear has emerged as the definite single-source barometer for all things audio.

At 50%, the amount of time Americans 13+ spend with AM/FM is more than triple that for streaming audio (16%), which ranks second, followed by owned music (14%), SiriusXM (8%), TV music channels (5%) and podcasts 4%.

Despite the ubiquity of smartphones and the quick adoption of smart speakers, most AM/FM content is consumed on a traditional radio receiver. Breaking out audio consumption time by device, AM/FM radio receivers have a commanding lead (47%), more than double that of mobile devices (23%) and computers (10%). After that it’s SiriusXM receivers (6%), TV audio channels (6%), CD players (4%), internet-connected TV/devices (1%) and smart speakers (1%).

Although AM/FM radio remains dominant overall, regular podcast listeners show markedly different behavior. Podcasts command a 33% share for those who have listened to one within the past 24 hours. “Podcasts are the No. 1 source of audio for podcast listeners,” Webster said. “If you are a podcast consumer, you spend 33% of your audio time listening to podcasts.” For these podcasts enthusiasts, AM/FM radio is second (25%), followed by a near-tie between owned music (15%) and streaming audio (14%).