As streaming options multiply and podcasts challenge the medium on new fronts, traditional radio still isn’t going anywhere. AM/FM’s weekly reach remains “stable and dominant,” per new research from FMR/Eastlan National Radio Listening Survey.
FMR Associates and Eastlan found that radio’s reach among adults 25-64 held at 84% in 2026, down just two points from 2024, according to data collected from 1,000 demographically balanced adults nationwide. Two-thirds of all primary radio listening still comes from traditional AM/FM, with 16% from a stream and 11% through a phone app. In markets 31 and above, traditional AM/FM accounts for 68% of primary listening.
Podcast listening, which jumped from 24% weekly in 2024 to 39% in 2025 during the election year, stabilized at 40% in 2026. However, the survey found that growth did not cannibalize radio, streaming, or satellite consumption, as podcasts continue to offer an additive option for broadcasters.
The survey also broke new ground on podcast video consumption, finding that among listeners who watch podcasts on video platforms, YouTube dominates at 72%, with Instagram and TikTok each at 10%.
This joins another recent study, adding additional context and good news for radio.
Edison Research’s Q4 2025 Share of Ear study found AM/FM accounts for 83% of all in-car ad-supported audio listening among adults 18-plus, which has held near that level for nearly a decade. In a typical hour of ad-supported in-car listening, radio captures nearly 50 minutes, with podcasts at 4.9 minutes, SiriusXM at 2.1, Spotify at 1.6, and Pandora at 1.3. The pattern holds across age and gender groups, with AM/FM’s ad-supported in-car share ranging from 77% among adults 18-34 to 83% among adults 35-64.
