Nielsen's audience measurement reporting provides comprehensive overviews of the media universe and deep dives into the audio landscape. In its newest report, The Record, Nielsen partners with Edison Research and hones in on the most relevant part of the audio landscape for advertisers: ad-supported audio.
AM/FM RADIO IS THE DOMINANT SOURCE OF AD-SUPPORTED AUDIO LISTENING
When it comes to the audio sources that advertisers care about - the platforms on which they can reach consumers with messaging - the vast majority of that listening happens on AM/FM radio. 7 out of every 10 minutes spent with ad-supported audio is done listening to AM/FM radio. Consumers spend over 3x as much time with radio than they do with podcasts, and over 6x as much as with ad-supported streaming audio. Radio's dominance goes even further in the car, making up more than 80% of ad-supported audio in-car.
Click gray circle to enlarge chart.
WHERE MARKETERS CAN REACH LISTENERS
After looking at the share of time spent with all ad-supported audio, the next step is to delve deeper into the largest source, AM/FM radio, and examine what formats are drawing the most listening. AM/FM delivers engaging content across a variety of spoken word and music formats, each one offering advertisers a chance to reach a different target consumer. The Record also finds that format shares differ by platform preference as well, between all radio listening and AM/FM streams.
News/Talk (including commercial and non-commercial stations) earns the highest share of total radio listening across OTA and station streams for P18+ at 10.8%. Also landing in the top 5 for total listening are AC, Classic Hits, Country and Classic Rock. When looking at streaming-only listening, News/Talk is number one with a bullet at 21.7%, with AC and Classic Rock still placing in the top 5. All Sports and Urban AC/R&B also show up strong among AM/FM streams.
Chart is interactive; click gray circle to enlarge.
The growing appetite for AM/FM content has inspired consumers to find more ways to connect with their favorite local stations. Whether listeners are engaging with radio over-the-air or on station streams via apps, websites, or smart speakers, AM/FM is the best bet for brands to engage audiences through audio.