Report: Radio Remains 'Centerpiece of Audio'

AM/FM radio once again takes the top spot as America’s leading audio provider, accounting for 47% of all audio time spent among persons 18+. And according to the Westwood One Blog that’s important for brands because AM/FM radio is an ad-supported platform.

The three runner-up platforms are not. Advertisers cannot run audio ads on owned music, music videos on YouTube, or the advertising-free music channels on Sirius XM. The Sirius XM channels that do accept ads only have a 2% share.

The blog, citing Edison Research 'Share of Ear' Q1 2018 figures, advises don’t believe the digital audio hype: ad-supported Spotify and ad-supported Pandora trail AM/FM radio by a huge margin with insignificant shares.

AM/FM radio’s share has been consistently strong throughout the last few years. What about reach? Edison reports AM/FM radio’s daily reach also remains stable.