New Report From Nielsen Highlights Radio's Dominant Reach and Usage

The breadth of Nielsen's audience measurement capabilities enables them to produce comprehensive overviews of the media universe, including an expanded view of the audio landscape. Nielsen's latest analysis, Audio Today 2023: How America Listens, answers some major questions about radio listening and addresses AM/FM's place in consumers' lives.

WHO IS LISTENING? 

According to Nielsen, nearly everyone is listening. 9 in 10 adults engage with radio - ahead of all other measured media, both digital and linear. Radio's high reach extends to consumers across age breaks and among Black Americans and Hispanics. Focusing on the audio landscape in particular, listeners young and old turn to AM/FM at far greater levels than every other audio platform measured by Nielsen. And while the popularity of other audio sources fluctuates by age bracket, AM/FM radio maintains a consistently high reach across the generations. 

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WHAT ARE THEY LISTENING TO? 

Nielsen includes data from Edison Research's "Share of Ear," which shows that radio makes up the largest share of listening among all audio sources - more than twice the time spent with its nearest competitor, audio streaming services. And when it comes to the audio sources that advertisers care about, the ad-supported platforms on which they can reach consumers with messaging, the vast majority of that listening is AM/FM radio. With dominant reach and usage, AM/FM is the only audio platform that can deliver the scale and messaging opportunities advertisers need. 

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HOW ARE THEY LISTENING?

The majority of listeners consume AM/FM radio content over-the-air, but evolving tech, media, and lifestyle changes have inspired consumers to find more ways to connect with their favorite local stations. As of Q1 2023, AM/FM streams have grown to comprise 20% of all radio listening, marking a 5 point increase over last year. Consumer appetite for AM/FM content on digital platforms has increased, including streaming via station apps, websites, and on smart speakers. As ubiquitous as smart devices are today, there is still an overwhelming number of use cases and listening occasions where OTA radio is the most accessible, convenient, and preferred audio source. That is why 8 in every 10 minutes spent listening to AM/FM radio still occurs over-the-air.  

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As in all previous releases of Nielsen's cross-platform reports, radio's position as a powerhouse media platform is evident. The answers to the big questions continue to point in radio's favor: Who's listening? Everyone. What are they listening to? AM/FM radio. How are they listening? OTA, with a growing appetite for AM/FM streams. Even as the media landscape changes, there continues to be a dominant place for AM/FM radio in consumers' lives.