New data from Edison Research’s Q4 2025 Share of Ear study shows AM/FM radio remains the clear leader in in-car audio listening, maintaining a commanding share of ad-supported audio among drivers even as podcasts and streaming services continue to expand.
The analysis, published by Cumulus Media’s Pierre Bouvard for the Westwood One Audio Active Group, finds AM/FM radio accounts for 83% of all in-car ad-supported audio listening among persons 18+. That figure has held steady for nearly a decade, slipping only slightly from 88% in Q4 2017. Measured by time spent, a typical hour of ad-supported in-car audio listening, AM/FM radio captures 49.7 minutes. Podcasts account for 4.9 minutes, SiriusXM for 2.1 minutes, Spotify for 1.6 minutes, and Pandora for 1.3 minutes.
When both ad-supported and ad-free listening are combined, AM/FM radio still holds the largest share of total in-car audio at 54%. Ad-free SiriusXM follows at 14%, with ad-free Spotify at 7% and podcasts at 5%.
Among persons 18–34, AM/FM accounts for 77% of ad-supported in-car audio listening. The share rises to 78% among persons 18–49, 80% among persons 25–54, and 83% among persons 35–64. Listening patterns among women closely mirror those totals, with women 25–54 devoting 79% of their in-car ad-supported audio listening to over-the-air radio, while women 35–64 reach 84%. Men show a similar range, with AM/FM shares between 79% and 81% across the major age groups.
The report also points to the growing role of the car as radio’s primary listening environment. Among persons 13+, in-car listening now accounts for 53% of all over-the-air AM/FM time spent. That share has increased from 42% in 2015.
Younger listeners also concentrate much of their radio listening in vehicles. Among persons 18–34, 63% of all over-the-air AM/FM listening occurs in the car.
Underlying the strength of in-car listening is a long-standing commuting pattern. According to US Census data cited in the report, 78% of Americans commute by car, truck, or van, and 88% of those commuters drive alone.
Outside of New York City, where 48% of commuters use public transit, most major US metros remain heavily car-dependent. In Dallas, 81% of commuters drive. Houston registers 80%, while Los Angeles reaches 71%. Chicago, Philadelphia, and Washington, DC also maintain driving majorities despite broader transit networks.
