Edison Research recently released its “Share of Ear” report for the first quarter of 2025, and its chock full of useful findings radio industry executives can use to further tout its exceptional reach and ROI for advertisers. For Audacy SVP of Research and Insights Ray Borelli, one finding really stood out.
Listening to ad-supported AM/FM radio at-work jumped “a stunning” 10 share points compared to a year ago.
This, Borelli says, indicates that the COVID-19 pandemic’s upending of work routines and media habits has significantly ebbed. With work-from-home opportunities fading and more employees returning to a regular in-office work schedule, in-office radio consumption is predicted to increase, too.
For those who may argue that podcasts, Spotify and other non-Radio forms of audio entertainment could gain a bigger “Share of Ear” than AM or FM radio stations, think again: Borelli combed through the Edison Research data and finds that “the resurgence of AM/FM listening at work (63% among ad-supported sources, up from 53% in Q1 2024) combined with AM/FM’s dominance in the car (84% of ad-supported listening) reinforces radio’s unique ability to reach consumers when they are closest to the point of purchase.”
And, data from Edison show, two-thirds of U.S. adults listen to broadcast or streaming AM/FM radio daily. Where there is no radio, the “smart speaker” is the solution. Radio is the top ad-supported listening choice on smart speakers, Edison finds, with Borelli noting that AM/FM radio overtook streaming music’s share of ad-supported listening on smart speakers in 2022, and now commands a 17-point advantage (48% vs. 31%).
For those who insist that podcasts are the biggest growth engine for radio, here’s a statistic for you: Podcasts overtook streaming music in 2022 and now holds a commanding double-digit share advantage. In the current study, nearly half (46%) of all ad-supported digital audio listening was to podcasts.
