While over-the-air radio listening remains strong in America, how does the land down under compare? While Australia’s traditional AM/FM/DAB+ habits trail behind the US, they remain one of the strongest markets for digital audio.
According to the 2023 Infinite Dial Australia report presented by Edison Research, AM/FM/DAB+ radio remains popular in Australia, with 79% of the population listening on a weekly basis. While lower than the States’ 91%, Aussie listening levels have remained stable over the past six years, demonstrating the resilience of the global audio industry.
Radio reaches approximately 17 million Australians each week, with notable popularity across all age groups. Younger Australians are almost as likely to listen to radio weekly as older Australians.
The study also reveals a significant increase in online radio consumption. 27% of Australians aged 12 and above streamed AM/FM/DAB+ radio stations online the week before the study, nearly double the percentage measured in 2022.
According to Edison, Australia also leads the world in podcast listening. 43% of Australians listen to a podcast every month, narrowly surpassing the US’s 42%. One third of Australians listen to a podcast every week, compared to the US’s 31%.
When it comes to the preferred platforms for podcast listening, Spotify takes the lead with 34% of respondents using it most often. YouTube follows with 24%, and Apple Podcasts ranks third with 11%. It’s worth noting that Apple Podcasts is not available on Android devices, and Android holds a 51.6% share in Australia, according to Kantar.
