Edison Research hosted a free 30-minute webinar Thursday "The Top 10 Findings of 2025," drawing from the company's extensive data including Weekly Insights, custom studies, and syndicated services like Share of Ear® and Infinite Dial reports.
The presentation highlighted evolving audio consumption patterns, with particular relevance for traditional radio broadcasters facing competition from digital formats.
Key impacts on radio broadcasting include persistent dominance of AM/FM radio in ad-supported audio, holding a commanding 64% share compared to podcasts at 20%, according to the latest Q3 2025 Share of Ear data analyzed in the webinar context.
This underscores radio's resilience, especially in-car (84% share) and among older demographics, where it far outpaces newer platforms.
However, challenges persist as podcast audiences continue to grow and mature—the median podcast listener age rose to 39 in 2025, up sharply from prior years, driven by surges in 45-64-year-olds.
Overall U.S. podcast exposure reached an all-time high, with 70% of Americans 12+ having ever listened, fueling shifts in spoken-word audio toward on-demand options.
Broadcasters are closely watching these insights for strategic adjustments, including potential format changes to retain younger listeners (where podcasts claim up to 32% of ad-supported time among 18-34s) and emphasis on interactive or holiday-themed programming that performed strongly in 2025 metrics.
Emerging technologies like AI integration in audio delivery and the rise of video podcasts (with YouTube now the top platform for many listeners) were flagged as areas influencing future ad strategies.
On the revenue front, while overall U.S. media ad spending faces varied projections—some forecasts suggest robust growth driven by AI and digital channels—the webinar's findings reinforce radio's value in reaching broad, engaged audiences amid slower traditional ad recovery.
Stations may leverage these data points to pitch advertisers on radio's superior reach (11X larger than ad-supported Spotify), countering perceptions of decline and preparing for 2026 opportunities in political and event-driven spending.
Details and potential recordings are available via Edison Research's site, with the Top 10 list synthesizing a year of research into actionable trends for the audio ecosystem.