Despite the rise of paid streaming services offering ad-free experiences, Americans continue to spend the majority of their audio time with ad-supported platforms, according to new data from Edison Research’s Share of Ear study for Q1 2025.
The report, which tracks how Americans age 13 and older consume audio content, shows that 64% of total daily audio time is spent with ad-supported sources such as AM/FM radio and radio streams, music on YouTube with ads, SiriusXM talk channels, free versions of streaming platforms, and podcasts. Only 36% of time is spent with ad-free audio options, including services like Spotify Premium, YouTube Premium, and Apple Music.
This translates particularly well for radio, which continues to lead ad-supported audio listening across work, home, and in-car environments. Nearly 90% of ad-supported in-car audio listening belongs to AM/FM radio, and more than half of ad-supported home listening is attributed to AM/FM – triple that of streaming music.
At work, radio captures nearly two-thirds of ad-supported audio time.
Traditional radio maintains an even stronger hold among older generations. Baby Boomers dedicate 69% of their ad-supported listening to terrestrial radio, while Gen X listeners spend 64% of their daily listening time with it.
Listening habits vary significantly by age group. Americans 55 and older are the most loyal to ad-supported audio, spending 75% of their audio time with ad-supported content and just 25% with ad-free sources. Among adults 35-54, 65% of audio time is ad-supported, while listeners aged 13-34 show the closest split: 54% of their listening is ad-supported and 46% is ad-free.
Despite common perceptions, Gen Z remains engaged with AM/FM radio. The group spends 30% of their listening time with traditional radio, nearly matching the 32% spent on ad-supported streaming. Podcasts account for another 29% of their time. Millennials are similarly balanced, with 48% of their listening time spent with AM/FM radio, compared to 30% for streaming and 16% for podcasts.
I’ll listen to ad supported platforms. I can put up with 30 seconds of commercials a few times a hour as opposed to 7-8 minutes a couple of times an hour.