Edison Research’s “Share of Ear” is the gold standard for understanding how Americans consume audio. The report quantifies the reach and time spent with of all forms of audio.

Here are key takeaways from the Q1 2018 data:

AM/FM radio remains the centerpiece of audio

AM/FM radio once again takes the top spot as America’s leading audio provider, accounting for 47% of all audio time spent among persons 18+. That’s important for brands because AM/FM radio is an ad-supported platform.

The three runner-up platforms are not. Advertisers cannot run audio ads on owned music, music videos on YouTube, or the advertising-free music channels on Sirius XM. The Sirius XM channels that do accept ads only have a 2% share.

Don’t believe the digital audio hype: ad-supported Spotify and ad-supported Pandora trail AM/FM radio by a huge margin with insignificant shares.

AM/FM radio’s reach remains steady as a rock

AM/FM radio’s share has been consistently strong throughout the last few years. What about reach? Edison reports AM/FM radio’s daily reach also remains stable.

Pandora continues to see losses in share and reach while Spotify grows

Americans’ time spent with Pandora is declining. Since 2016, Pandora’s share of ear dropped -17%. While Pandora drops, Spotify sees growth. Spotify’s share of audio time spent has increased +36% since 2016.

Pandora’s daily reach sees similar erosion. Since Q1 2016, daily reach among persons 13+ has declined -15%. Spotify continues to see growth with a 43% increase in the same time period.

Podcast daily reach soars

In emerging media trends, podcasting sees huge daily reach growth across key demographics. From 2016 to 2018, Millennials 18-34 daily reach saw a jump of 39%. Daily reach among persons 25-54 increased a significant 52%. With more people listening than ever, podcasting has become a burgeoning audio option for consumers.

AM/FM radio continues to be the reliable media outlet for advertisers while podcast represents an exciting audio frontier piquing interest across generations.

Key takeaways:

• AM/FM radio remains the centerpiece of audio
• AM/FM radio’s reach remains steady as a rock
• Pandora continues to see losses in share and reach while Spotify grows
• Podcast daily reach soars

Lauren Vetrano is Director of Content Marketing at Cumulus | Westwood One.

Contact the Insights team at CorpMarketing@westwoodone.com.