Podcasts have officially surpassed AM/FM talk radio as the leading medium for spoken-word audio in the United States for the first time, according to Edison Research's Share of Ear survey for Q4 2025.
Podcasts now account for 40% of time spent on spoken-word listening among Americans aged 13+, narrowly edging out AM/FM radio at 39%.
This marks a historic shift: a decade ago in 2015, radio dominated with 75% of spoken-word time, while podcasts held just 10%. Over the years, podcast listening has steadily risen while radio's share has declined.
The data includes video podcasts, which are increasingly prominent on platforms like Spotify and YouTube. Video's rise doesn't appear to undermine audio-only consumption—most listeners engage with both formats.
According to Triton Digital’s 2025 U.S. Podcast Report, 80% of U.S. consumers aged 18+ consume both audio and video podcasts, 13% listen to audio only, and 7% watch video only.
Genre preferences drive differences: music, sports, comedy, and news often skew toward video, while science, history, art, fiction, and true crime remain predominantly audio.
Edison's research aligns, showing 85% of weekly U.S. podcast listeners aged 13+ consume podcasts with some video component (up 7% from 2023). The U.S. has an estimated 115 million weekly podcast listeners, with only 5% reporting they watch but don't listen.
Video podcasts are booming on big screens. YouTube reported viewers watched over 700 million hours of podcasts monthly on living-room devices like TVs in 2025 (specifically October figures cited), nearly double the 400 million hours from the prior year.
This trend highlights podcasts evolving into a versatile format. Major players like Netflix are partnering with iHeartMedia and Barstool Sports to feature podcasts as modern daytime talk-show alternatives.
Despite video's growth, the overtake of traditional radio speaks to podcasts' on-demand appeal—though radio's enduring presence shows its lasting strength in the audio landscape.