Is radio still popular in the US

Yes, emphatically. Radio reaches 92% of US adults every month, the widest reach of any medium in the country, and it still commands more ad-supported listening time than podcasts and streaming music combined. For all the talk of a digital takeover, radio remains woven into daily American life.

Radio first arrived late in the 19th century, so it would be easy to assume its best days are behind it. The most recent listening data tells a very different story. Below we walk through what the latest market research reveals about how Americans actually consume audio in 2026.

How much time do Americans spend with radio?

Start with The Record, the quarterly report card produced by Nielsen and Edison Research on how Americans consume audio. In their latest release, covering the fourth quarter of 2025, they found that the average American spends 3 hours and 54 minutes a day, nearly 20% of their waking hours, listening to audio of every kind, from radio and podcasts to streaming music.

You might expect podcasts and streaming to dominate that time. They do not. Among adults (18 and over), 61% of daily ad-supported audio time goes to radio, compared with 21% for podcasts, 15% for streaming music, and 3% for satellite radio. Radio and podcasts together account for 82% of ad-supported listening. (These proportions cover ad-supported audio only, so ad-free tiers like Spotify Premium are excluded.)

Radio is the single largest ad-supported category at every age. It remains the outright majority for everyone 35 and over (around 73% of their ad-supported time), and even among 18 to 34s, where podcasts are strongest, radio still leads the field at 47%. No matter the age group, no other format comes close.

Radio reaches more Americans than any other medium

Time spent is only half the story. Reach is the other half, and here radio's numbers are remarkable. According to Nielsen, radio reaches 92% of US adults every month, ahead of live TV, streaming video, and every other platform Nielsen measures.

That reach holds up among younger listeners too, which is where most people assume radio has lost ground. Radio still reaches roughly 89% of adults aged 18 to 34 each week. And in the car, 73% of Americans used AM/FM radio in the past month, down from 84% in 2016 but still the most widely used in-vehicle audio source (Edison Research, The Infinite Dial 2026).

Online radio's reach is expanding

We are an internet radio provider, so forgive us for championing online radio. The trend genuinely supports it. Per Westwood One's analysis of Edison's Share of Ear data, 13% of all AM/FM radio listening now happens via a digital stream, with the remaining 87% over the air. Streaming is still the minority route, but it is climbing steadily: it stood at just 7% back in 2017.

That fits the wider picture of American audio. The Infinite Dial 2026 reports that 81% of Americans aged 12 and over, an estimated 233 million people, listened to online audio in the past month. Streamed listening, including radio stations delivered online, is a growth tailwind, not a substitute for the medium.

We have an agenda, admittedly. But online radio's rising share of American listening should not be ignored, and neither should the steep barriers to launching a traditional over-the-air station. If you have ever considered starting a station, now is the time, and with RadioCult you could be broadcasting in a matter of minutes.

Radio owns the car

If there is one place radio is untouchable, it is the dashboard. In the car, AM/FM radio accounts for about 83% of ad-supported audio time, and 53% of all AM/FM listening now happens in-vehicle, up from 42% in 2015, according to Westwood One.

It is also worth retiring the idea that podcasts are simply stealing radio's young audience. The median age of the US podcast listener has actually risen from 29 in 2017 to 39 in 2025, as podcasting's growth is increasingly driven by older listeners. Radio, meanwhile, keeps its broad, all-ages mix.

So, is radio still popular in the US?

Emphatically, yes. In 2026, radio reaches more Americans than any other medium and takes the largest share of ad-supported listening at every age. Its dominance in the car and its broad, all-ages reach make it one of the most durable habits in American media. And with online radio claiming an ever-larger slice of that listening, there has never been an easier time to start your own station.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is radio still popular in the US in 2026?

Yes. Radio reaches 92% of US adults every month, more than any other medium, and accounts for 61% of adults' daily ad-supported audio time. It remains the country's most widely used audio format.

Do young Americans still listen to radio?

They do. Radio reaches around 89% of adults aged 18 to 34 each week. Podcasts take a larger share of this group's ad-supported time (32%) than of older listeners', but radio is still the single largest category among 18 to 34s at 47%.

Is online radio replacing AM/FM in the US?

Not replacing, but steadily growing alongside it. About 13% of all AM/FM listening is now streamed online, up from 7% in 2017. Most radio listening is still over the air, and the two increasingly work together.

Where do Americans listen to radio most?

In the car. AM/FM radio makes up roughly 83% of in-car ad-supported audio, and 53% of all AM/FM listening now happens in the vehicle. The dashboard remains radio's strongest environment.