After years of rapid expansion, the subscription-based media model is showing signs of strain. New research suggests “streaming fatigue” is accelerating among audio users as economic concerns grow, and that could be good news for traditional radio.
A December survey found that 27.8% of Americans are feeling overwhelmed by the number of platforms they’re expected to pay for, translating to real changes in behavior. The average American now spends $42.38 per month on streaming services, down 23% from $55.04 the year before.
According to Edison Research’s Share of Ear Q1 2025 report, just over half of Americans aged 13 and up pay for at least one audio subscription – a figure that’s remained relatively flat since 2022. But behind that stability lies a notable shift: the number of Americans who pay for just one audio service has grown from 28% in 2022 to 35% in 2025, while the number paying for more than two has dropped by more than half, from 13% to 6%.
In short, people aren’t ditching audio subscriptions entirely, but they are trimming the fat. Earlier this week, Digital Music News reported that Spotify’s US paid subscriber numbers have dipped 5% since the beginning of the year – something the Swedish-based streamer denies after declaring 12% year-over-year global subscriber growth in Q1.
This streamlining of listening habits comes as radio continues to dominate ad-supported audio. According to The Record Q1 2025 analysis from Nielsen and Edison Research, radio still commands 66% of time spent with ad-supported audio among adults 18 and older, with podcasts trailing at 19%. Despite the influx of digital audio options, free broadcast radio remains the most relied-upon ad-supported medium.
The return to simpler audio routines suggests a renewed appetite for what radio offers: free, frictionless access to trusted content, without subscriptions, login barriers, or usage caps. Whether listeners are scaling back from multiple streaming platforms or simply tired of navigating endless menus, radio is well-positioned to fill the gap.
More nonsense, like the “good news” in a recent Edison study that AM/FM radio has a 54% share of in car media consumption. 10 years ago that was probably closer to 90%. I have yet to meet anyone who streams a local radio station. You never hear radio stations playing in stores or at the beach or any of the dozens of places you once did. It’s not coming back, ever.
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I have been a streaming radio listener for over 10 years using TuneIn, Online Radio Box and Streema on my phone. I listen on my phone’s web browser with an ad blocker that eliminates the pre-roll ads before the live stream begins. And the streams I listen to are local AM/FM stations across the country, not digital-only channels or playlists. And it’s all free.
Whether or not subscription streaming is seeing a dip because of inflation and belt tightening, my experience and those of others is that we stream local radio on our digital devices because we want the local flavor and connection. I might be naive but I don’t understand why some online listeners are willing to pay for a service that streams the local content they can otherwise still stream for free.
Simple answer. Many people under 40 will not tolerate 12, 15, or more commercials in a row. Period. So they go to streaming. And many radio operators could care less, that the advertisers in the middle of those cluster breaks are getting completely shafted.
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