28 Top Radio Statistics For 2024 (AM/FM, Digital & More)
Looking for the latest radio statistics? You’ve come to the right place
In this post, we’ll be taking an in-depth look at 24 of the most fascinating internet radio statistics you need to know this year.
These stats will shed light on how many people still listen to the radio, where and when they listen, the channels they listen through, and more.
But first, let’s have a look at our top picks from the list…
Radio statistics – top picks
- Over 3.2 billion people around the world will listen to radio by 2029 (Statista3)
- The traditional radio market is estimated to reach $35.35B while the internet radio market is estimated to reach $66.5B over the next few years (Industry Expert Research, Statista3)
- 82% of the US and 88% of the UK listen to radio weekly (Pew Research Center, Rajar)
- More Americans listen to AM/FM radio than any other form of audio (Edison Research)
- The average person listens to the radio for around 20.5 hours per week (Rajar)
- 84% of radio listeners do so over-the-air, while only 5% do so over the internet (Edison Research2)
- iHeartRadio is the number one radio station in the US (Statista)
General radio statistics
Let’s get started with a selection of key radio statistics to help you learn more about how many people are listening to the radio and the general size and shape of the market.
1. There will be 3.2 billion radio users by 2029
According to projections listed on Statista, over 3.2 billion people around the world will listen to radio within the next five years. To put that into perspective, that’s around 40% of the current global population.
If this projection proves to be true, it shows that radio is far from a dying medium. On the contrary, it’s still hugely popular.
Source: Statista3
2. The global traditional radio market is estimated to be worth $35.35B
That’s according to revenue projections for this year available on Statista. And keep in mind that it’s only taking traditional radio revenues into account—it doesn’t factor in the online radio market size (but we’ll get to that later).
The leading country for traditional radio revenue generation is the US, accounting for 12.48B, or more than a third of the global market.
Source: Statista3
3. 82% of US citizens listen to terrestrial radio every week
With the rise of new music and internet streaming services, it would be easy to think that radio is a dying medium. However, the US’s listenership figures for terrestrial radio paint a different picture—they’re still very high.
According to Pew Research, the vast majority of US adults tune into the radio every week, proving that radio is still an important media channel for listeners, creators, and advertisers.
Source: Pew Research Center
4. 88% of UK adults tune into the radio every week
It’s not just in the US where radio is popular. In the UK, an even greater share of the population is still listening to the radio on a weekly basis—88%, to be exact. For reference, that’s about 49.5 million listeners.
Source: Rajar
5. Americans spend more time listening to AM/FM radio than any other audio source
According to Edison Research’s latest Share of Ear report (2023), radio accounts for 36% of the total time the US population spends listening to audio sources. That’s significantly more than any other source of audio.
Streaming music had the next highest share of audio listening at 20%, YouTube came third at 14%, podcasts came fourth at 11%, and SiriusXM (radio streaming service) ranked fifth with 8%.
Source: Edison Research2
6. Americans now listen through on-demand platforms more than radio platforms
While so far, the stats we’ve shared paint a pretty good picture for radio and show it’s still going strong, that’s not the whole story.
As of Q2 2023, 50.3% of Americans were listening to audio through on-demand platforms like streaming services and podcasts, whereas only 49.7% were doing so through linear platforms like over-the-ear radio and online radio.
This marked a turning point—it’s the first time that on-demand platforms have overtaken linear listening. And as a long-term trend, it spells bad news for the future of radio.
Source: Edison Research2
7. Weekly listenership of radio stations dropped significantly during the pandemic
2020 was the year that the coronavirus pandemic really started to hit. That year, most forms of media saw a huge uptick in consumption. For example, video content and livestream viewership went through the roof.
However, radio was one of the only forms of media that saw consumption drop. In 2019, 89% of US adults listened to radio, but this fell to 83% in 2020.
The reason for this may have something to do with the widespread business shutdowns that happened as a result of the outbreak. With fewer people commuting to the office and instead working from home, many people who usually only listened to the radio in the car or at work may have stopped listening.
Source: Pew Research Center
8. There are 15,393 radio broadcast stations in the US
Of those, 4,444 are AM stations, 6,663 are commercial FM stations, and 4286 are educational FM stations. This is according to data from the FCC as of December 2023.
Source: FCC
Radio listener statistics
Next, let’s look at some statistics that tell us more about radio listeners, and when/why/how they like to enjoy radio content.
9. 61% of listeners tune in to radio at home
Radio is a content medium that can be enjoyed in a variety of different settings. As it’s audio only, it’s easy to tune into whilst taking part in other activities, like driving. However, according to Rajar, the vast majority of listeners like to tune in within the comfort of their own homes.
Source: Rajar
10. 25 % of people listen to the radio in their car or other vehicle
After listening at home, the second most common place for listeners to get their radio fix is in the car or whilst commuting.
According to Rajar, 25% of people tune into the radio whilst on the road. This includes commuters in cars, as well as truckers, etc.
Source: Rajar
11.14% of people listen to the radio at work
The third most popular place listeners like to enjoy radio content is in the workplace. Around 11% of people tune into their favorite radio stations whilst at work.
This is great news for advertisers, as people who play radio shows in shared public workplace settings like shops, bars, and restaurants increase the reach of radio ads.
Source: Rajar
12. 27% of radio listeners tune in to consume music
The main reason people listen to the radio is for the music. Over a quarter of listeners—a segment dubbed ‘Rhythm Rockers’ in a recent report—tune in mainly to hear their favorite songs. However, this isn’t the only reason people listen to the radio.
A further 18% listen to get news and information, 16% of people listen for the sense of connection and company it brings, 17% listen just to have something on in the background, 13% listen only when it’s the only option available, and 9% listen for multiple audio needs.
Source: NPR and Edison Research
13. The average radio listener listens to around 20.5 hours of radio weekly
That’s right, the average radio listener spends almost a full day’s worth of hours listening to radio each week. That’s significantly more than many other media channels, by the way, and one of the reasons radio is still such a valuable medium.
Source: Rajar
14. 43.2% of UK radio listeners tune into BBC stations
As this stat shows, the BBC is the dominant player in the UK radio market. It holds many of the most popular regional and national public radio stations. Other popular commercial radio stations not owned by the BBC include Absolute and Capital.
Source: Rajar
15. 55% of Gen Z users listen to AM/FM radio
A lot of people mistakenly think that younger people don’t listen to traditional radio anymore—but as this stat shows, that just isn’t true.
Over half of listeners in the ‘Gen Z’ demographic report listening to AM/FM radio—that’s two percentage points more than those who report streaming radio through online channels.
Source: Edison Research
Radio advertising & revenue statistics
Advertisements are a big part of radio and are responsible for most of the revenue generated by the industry. Here are some radio statistics about advertising.
16. The average advertising revenue per user of traditional radio is $11.44
If we divide the total number of radio listeners by the market size, it tells us that the average advertising revenue per use (ARPU) of traditional radio is around $11.44. That’s significantly less than the average ARPU of online music streaming, and many other channels.
Source: Statista2
17. 47% of people feel that listening to radio ads is fair because they are receiving free content
In the age of internet marketing, many businesses opt for social media ads, SEO marketing, and other channels to draw in customers. In doing so, they often overlook radio as an advertising channel—and that’s a mistake.
Radio has good reach, particularly in local areas, and almost half of radio listeners feel that listening to ads is a fair exchange as they don’t have to pay anything to enjoy their favorite radio shows. So, consumers are probably less likely to ignore or skip radio ads compared to, for example, TV ads.
Source: NPR and Edison Research
18. 46% of AM/FM radio listeners have considered buying a product or service after hearing an ad on the radio
If proof be needed that radio ads are effective, then this is it. Unlike online ads, listeners can’t click ads they hear on the radio to go straight to the brand website or landing page. But nonetheless, they’re still great at driving sales and brand awareness. And that’s no doubt why many businesses continue to invest in radio advertising.
Source: NPR and Edison Research
Digital radio statistics
Here are some digital radio statistics you might find interesting.
19. 76% of the UK tune into digital radio every week
43 million adults in the UK—over three-quarters of the population—access radio via a digitally-enabled platform (like a DAB, app, or smart speaker) every week.
Source: Rajar
20. 35% of radio listening time in North America is done digitally
A study from 2021 looked at radio consumption in Canada and the US. It found that in a given week, surveyed radio listeners spent 61% of their time listening to radio through traditional analog channels, and 35% listening through digital channels.
However, it’s important to put that into its wider context. Since 2013, the share of time spent with traditional radio has dropped from 81% to 61%, while the share of time spent with digital radio has increased. So the long-term trend seems to be that listeners are shifting to digital.
Source: Statista1
21. The UK has sold over 46 million DAB digital radio receivers since 2008
DAB stands for Digital Audio Broadcasting. These receivers transmit sounds digitally, rather than via radio waves like traditional AM/FM receivers. As this stat shows, a good chunk of the UK population has purchased a DAB and now listens to radio digitally.
Source: World DAB
22.100% of new cars in Norway are fitted with a DAB radio
Norway has completely turned its back on analog radio signals. 100% of new cars in the country come fitted with DABs—more than in any other country. In Switzerland, 99% are fitted with DABs. In the UK, 97.5%. And in Italy, 90%.
Source: World DAB
Internet radio statistics
Internet radio refers to listening to radio content online, usually through streaming platforms. It’s different from listening to radio digitally and through AM/FM channels as it requires an internet connection. Here are some internet radio statistics you might find interesting.
23. Only 5% of radio listeners only ever listen via online streaming
Despite the rise in online content consumption over the last decade, only a small fraction of people (5%) choose to listen to the radio over the internet. In comparison, 84% of radio listeners only ever listen over-the-air. And the other 11% listen via a mix of both over-the-air and online streaming.
This is according to Edison Research’s Share of Ear report from Q2 2023 and refers only to daily radio listeners in the US.
Source: Edison Research2
24. iHeartRadio is the most popular US online radio station
With over 128 million listeners, iHeartRadio is by far the most popular online radio station in the US.
According to data available on Statista, it averaged over 390,000 active sessions in September of 2021. That’s almost 4x as many as the next most popular online radio station, NPR.
Source: Statista
25. 26% of UK listeners use web apps or smart speakers to listen to the radio
According to data from Rajar, almost a quarter of radio listeners in the UK access online radio content via web apps or smart speakers.
Source: Rajar
26. 32% of people listen to online radio or podcasts in their car
A study held in early 2022 looked at audio sources commonly used in the car in the US. It found that 32% of people used online radio as of 2022—up from 28% in 2018.
That’s still less than CD players (35%), owned digital music (53%), and AM/FM radio (73%). But at least the use of online radio in the car is trending upwards, whereas the use of AM/FM and CD players is trending down.
Source: Statista2
27. The global internet radio market will reach $66.5B by 2028
The internet radio market is projected to reach a market size of $66.5B by 2028—that’s almost double the size of the traditional radio market. Most of that value will no doubt come from advertising revenue and online radio streaming subscriptions.
Source: Industry Expert Research
28. Spotify accounts for over a quarter of global internet radio revenue
According to market forecasts, Spotify accounts for 27.63% of global internet radio revenues. That shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given that it’s the most popular audio streaming service in the world, closely followed by Apple Music.
Source: Industry Expert Research
Final thoughts
So there you have it—28 of the latest radio statistics to give you an inside look at how the radio industry is thriving in the modern world.
As these stats have shown, despite the rise of podcasting and online audio streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, radio is still a popular listening channel for users around the world, including younger generations.
If you want to learn more about the audio listening industry, check out some of our other stat roundups such as these music industry statistics and Amazon music statistics.
