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As part of a marketing campaign, SiriusXM sent an email to consumers asking, “Why waste your time with AM/FM Radio?” Negative advertising, selling products or services by putting the competition down, is a marketing strategy that demonstrates a lack of strength in the product or service as a standalone. In the case of SiriusXM, when you look at their most recent earnings report, it’s no wonder their strategy was to go after the undisputed leader in the audio space, AM/FM broadcast radio. The SiriusXM email, naturally, was met with an emotional reaction by radio professionals, but the email contained no rationale for their leading question.
Broadcast radio leads with facts:

• Radio is free. Always has been, always will be.
• Radio reaches EVERYONE and not just those that subscribe.
• Radio reaches 212M people 18+ weekly as compared to Sirius XM’s 33M subscribers. (Sources: Nielsen, RADAR 164, March 2025; SXM Q1 2025 Results)
• Radio reaches 84% of adults every month compared to satellite radio at 20%. (Source: Scarborough USA+, 2024 Release 1 Adults 18+ (Jan 2023 – Apr 2024))
• Most people listen to AM/FM radio and not SiriusXM - 69% of people listen to AM/FM radio while 3% only listen to SiriusXM (Source: Edison Research Share of Ear Q4 2023-Q3 2024)
• AM/FM radio is the audio source used most often in the car: 74% of adults use it vs. 24% using SiriusXM with an even greater gap among Hispanic and Black audiences. (Source: The Infinite Dial 2025, Edison Research/Audacy/CumulusMedia/SiriusXMMedia)
• 56% of radio listeners state that their connection with radio is a main reason why they listen and 61% of radio listeners state that radio’s on-air personalities are a main reason why they listen. (Source: Jacobs Media, Techsurvey 2025)
• With over 15,000 local radio stations providing live and on-demand content 24/7 across a variety of formats, languages and platforms, radio delivers what the consumers want, whenever they want it. (Source: FCC, December 2024)
• Radio is trusted more than any other media.
• Radio doesn't just reach the community; it is woven into the fabric of community. Radio stations bring consumers together and motivates them to act.
• Radio is essential to consumers and communities. Time after time, when disaster strikes, radio stations are "on the ground" and often the first and only source to provide timely information and provide the support to the communities it serves.
• In exchange for obtaining a valuable license to operate using public airwaves, broadcast radio stations are required by law to operate in the public interest. This is simply the foundation. Radio stations go well beyond what is required to unite audiences around common interests and social and community values.

Radio, across its platforms, is a go-to source for its great storytelling, the emotional connections it provides, the talent that consumers consider to be their friends and the trusted information and entertainment, whenever and wherever the listener wants and needs it. From rock to religion, from country to hip-hop, in Spanish, English or another language, radio is there offering diversity of content to a diverse listening audience.
No other media option can do all this. No other media offers this to consumers for FREE. The reality is quite simple, time spent with AM/FM radio is time well spent.

In Spanish: El Tiempo con la Radio es tiempo bien invertido.

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Radio has the ability to reach small business owners and self-employed workers.

• Everyweek, Radio reaches 83% of small business owners.¹
• Every week, Radio reaches 83% of adults 18+ who are self-employed.¹
• 43% of professional/managerial employed adults typically listen to the radio at home during the weekday.⁵

Radio drives awareness, relevance, and consideration for B2B advertisers.

• Based on an analysis of 16 B2B campaigns:
• Radio increased ad awareness by 128% for those exposed to radio ads versus those who were not. ²
• Radio increased brand relevance by 64% for those exposed to radio ads versus those who were not.²
• Radio increased brand consideration by 37% for those exposed to radio ads versus those who were not.²

Radio is a source for education as well as entertainment for Business Service occupations:

• 40% attribute radio to putting them in a good mood.³
• 41% stated radio is pure entertainment.³
• 39% stated radio keeps them informed/up to date.³
• 28% indicated that radio is a good escape.³
• 26% said radio makes them think.³
• 28% said radio is a good source for learning.³
• 15% said radio is their main source of entertainment.³
• 14% identified radio for giving them good ideas.³
• 12% enjoy the ads on the radio.³

Radio is an aid for many self-employed business owners:

• 40% stated that radio keeps them informed and up to date.⁴
• 31% attribute radio for learning⁴
• 15% believe radio gives them good ideas.⁴

Radio drives online activity for B2B and consumer campaigns.

Federal Contractor Builds Awareness with Radio

• Background:
• A Federal Government Contractor that provides innovative technology services was experiencing branding and awareness challenges.
• Goals:
• Increase awareness of their services, drive contracts, etc.
• Solution
• A multi-platform campaign featuring spots voiced by the company leader that provided personal storytelling and insights on the brand, services and results they provide to their customer base.
• Results:
• 2MM+ people within the target audience were reached.
• The Federal Government Contractor saw increases in brand buzz, awareness, etc.
• The campaign has been renewed for 3 consecutive years. (Read full case study here.

Sources: 1) Scarborough USA+ 2025 Release 1 Total (Jan 2024-May 2025); 2) radioGAUGE from the RAB U.K [strongly agree scores]; 3) 2025 MRI-Simmons Spring Doublebase; Adults 18+; type of business: business service; Media Attitudes; 4) 2025 MRI-Simmons Spring Doublebase; Adults 18+ who are self-employed in their own business; Media Attitudes; 5) 2025 MRI-Simmons Spring Doublebase; Professional/Managerial Self-Employed; Typical Weekday Home

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An analysis by Media Dynamics Inc., of varied weight level schedules illustrates that the greater the number of stations included within a buy will deliver higher reach and lower frequency when compared to those same weight levels purchased on fewer stations.

The analysis also showed that as weight levels increased, reach levels also increased. The same was also true as additional stations were included within the buy at those same increased weight levels.

It is important to determine the goal of the overall campaign. The goal will determine the structure of the plan. Simply stated: A reach campaign should include numerous stations over an extended period of time. If the goal is to increase frequency, then the converse is true: Reduce the number of stations and weeks and increase the number of spots placed on the stations purchased.

Estimated Reach By Multiple GRP, Week and Station Levels
	3-Station Buy		5-Station Buy		7-Station Buy		10-Station Buy
GRPs	1 WK.	4 WK.	1 WK.	4 WK.	1 WK.	4 WK.	1 WK.	4 WK.
100	26.6	28.9	28.9	30.9	30.3	32.2	31.0	34.8
150	30.9	34.0	39.3	36.5	36.5	39.5	38.5	42.4
200	35.0	38.8	44.3	43.5	42.0	45.0	43.9	49.1

www.MediaDynamicsInc.com

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Radio remains relevant in today's world of time-starved consumers. As the original mobile and social medium, it provides programming content meeting the entertainment needs of people according to their demography, geography, ethnography, etc., via its thousands of commercial radio stations, streams, multicasts and podcasts.

Radio is ubiquitous, reaching consumers on-air, online, on-site and on demand whether they are at home, at work or in their car. It is a passive medium allowing consumers to multi-task and listen while they work or play in today's world.

It is a reach medium, delivering messages 24/7 to consumers personally, one-on-one, in an attentive environment. It provides information as it reaches consumers closest to their time of purchase, as they drive to or from work, or even during a lunch break. When used synergistically with other media, it increases brand awareness, brand recall, and an advertiser's ROI. In various studies, it has also proven to increase website visitation and purchase likelihood.

Radio's core strength continues to be the power of words and sound. With its human voice to convince, it can be used as a branding medium. Advertisers continue to use radio personality endorsements to build trust and drive business, with these same personalities often providing personal experiences with the brand, on-air mentions and authentic chatter within their shows.

Radio is resilient. Its accessibility continues to expand with technology. Innovations in this same technology are both enhancing and expanding radio's ability to provide content to listeners whenever, wherever they want it on-air, online, or on demand. Today's technologies can increase and enhance the consumer's radio experience thru text messaging, mobile applications, visual experiences, time shifted listening via podcasts, and even on smart speaker devices.

There have been studies that prove radio's ability to complement other media and drive brand awareness, as well as increase return-on-ad spend. Additionally, as today's advertisers and agencies begin to focus on attribution, radio can now quantify its impact on campaigns. Various organizations can now pinpoint shifts in behavior with digital technology.

As the top source for music discovery and audio entertainment, radio has a dominant role among listeners of all generations and age groups. Radio and the personalities on those stations are companions, something that keeps the listener company, elevates their mood, informs them and makes them think and laugh.

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Which commercial length is most effective? This is a difficult question to answer, as spot length must be dictated by the goal of the message. Allowing an ad budget to dictate the length of the ad is the most common mistake made by advertisers. Never try to get by with :15s and mentions when :30s or :60s are called for to adequately convey your message.

If your budget is limited, reduce Reach instead of cutting the length of your ad, or buy a less expensive time of day or advertise on a smaller station. Ad messages must always be exactly as long as they need to be or nothing else will matter.

Following are some parameters to keep in mind when determining what length spot you need to create. Additionally, keep in mind that for some ad categories, commercial length may be pre-determined based on boilerplate disclaimers required by law.

:60 Ads

• For complex messages to avoid leaving doubts and questions
• To include specific details to help persuade - more believable than generalities
• For a business category that's new and not easily understood - to create realization of need before selling your solution
• For highly entertaining ads geared to inspire consumers to "like you better" - effective for generic businesses and commodities

:30 Ads

• To make an easy-to-understand offer for a product or service that is clearly understood
• To make a single point in an ad

:15 Ads

• To convey an incredibly powerful, simple message
• To reinforce simple name recognition to make customers think of your name when your are the sole advertiser in your business category

Mentions (:10 or less)

• Use frequently to generate top-of-mind awareness when selling a commodity in a crowded market arena
• To add additional frequency to a schedule that is delivering barely sufficient frequency of your :60 or :30 message

Source: "Radio Ads: How Long Should They Be?" by Roy Williams, founder and president of The Wizard of Ads

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The commercial length and effectiveness can be impacted by various elements such as the number of brand mentions or ideas within the ad and even by the ad's format. According to Radio Recall Research, LLC, ad formats depicting a "Slice of Life" have the greatest recall across both :60 second and :30 second ads -- 22% and nearly 19%, respectively, Interview/Testimonials ranked second across both lengths. Announcer/Sing & Sell formatted commercials had the lowest recall scores with :60 and :30 second spots -- nearly 16% and 14%, respectively.

FORMAT

Length	Announcer/ Sing & Sell	Slice of Life	Interview/Testimony	Total
30 Sec Av. Recall Score	13.6	18.9	17.3	15.2
Percent of Ads	64	18	18	100
60 Sec Av. Recall Score	15.7	22.4	20.6	19
Percent of Ads	44	33	23	100

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The number of brand mentions contained within the traditional length commercials also has a positive effect on recall. Commercials with less than 3 brand mentions scored the lowest in contrast to those that had 6-10 mentions. Typical spots that contained anywhere from 4-5 mentions delivered 19% for 60-second spots and 17% for 30-second spots.

Brand Mentions

Length	Few	Typical	Many	Total
	(1-3)	(4-5)	(6-10)
30 Sec Av. Recall Score	12.4	17.3	15.8	15.5
Percent of Ads	31	52	17	100
	(1-4)	(5-7)	(8-10)
60 Sec Av. Recall Score	17.7	18.6	19.4	18.6
Percent of Ads	24	49	27	100

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There is also a direct correlation between the number of ideas contained within a commercial and the recall score. Commercials that limited the ideas to no more than 3-5 delivered the greatest average recall scores of nearly 20% and 17% for :60 and :30 second spots, respectively. Spots that contained 6-10 ideas had the poorest recall.

IDEAS

Length	1 or 2	3 to 5	6 to 10	Total
30 Sec Av. Recall Score	14.9	16.6	12.6	15.5
Percent of Ads	15	64	21	100
60 Sec Av. Recall Score	17.6	19.9	16.2	18.6
Percent of Ads	13	61	26	100

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60-second spots have a higher recall than 30-second spots; they also normally have more words than 30-second spots. The number of words in a commercial correlates more to recall than the length of the commercial.

If two commercials are exact in length, the commercial with the greater amount of words will have a higher recall.

Words

Length	Few	Typical	Many	Total
30 Sec Av. Recall Score	13	14.4	17.5	14.7
Percent of Ads	17	68	15	100
60 Sec Av. Recall Score	16.8	18.4	22.3	19.8
Percent of Ads	9	53	38	100

There are two features that are used often in radio commercials: Humor and music. In Radio Recall Research's analysis of over 2500 different radio commercials, humor and type of music proved inconclusive. Specifically, the use of humor provided little help.

RRR suggests that radio commercials that do contain humor should be pretested on target audiences and determine whether or not the target found the spots funny.

Music appears to have no direct impact on recall. The most prevalent format is the "sing and sell" format that performs like an announcement.

Music should not absorb time that can be used to present the advertiser's message, says RRR. Inclusion of music should be limited to background, jingles which emphasize the brand, or gaining listeners' attention.

Source: Radio Recall Research, LLC.
"Characteristics of Radio Commercials And Their Recall Effectiveness"

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As the audio landscape broadens, connecting with listeners’ ears is more important than ever.  It is important for advertisers and marketers to not only reach listeners but also understand the impact and effectiveness of various ad lengths.

So, is there a difference in effectiveness between a short or long form ad? The answer? It depends.

• Which length impacts brand, store traffic and online lift?
• A seasoning brand used both short and long form ads. While both versions showed brand lift increases, the short form was more effective.
• An online fare and accommodations travel site used three lengths: 10, 15 and 30-seconds. The 15 and 30-second ads were effective at driving online traffic. The 10-second ad was more effective at driving more people to use the site/convert.
• Do different age groups respond equally to various ad lengths?
• Ad length effectiveness does not vary by age group. The effectiveness is determined by the brand/campaign.
• A snack company used both 10 and 30-second ads and each ad delivered a return on ad spend. The 10-second spot drove a higher ROI against 35-49 year olds and it also increased awareness among 18-34 year olds.
• Are 30-second spots effective?
• As noted in another FAQ, longer length ads should be used when the product is understood and has a single brief message.
• An insurance company used both 10 and 30-second ads promoting its services. While the 10-second ad initiated requests for more information, it was the 30-second ad that drove greater customer acquisitions.

Source: Integrating Short-Form Audio Ads Into Your Strategy, Pandora, 2019

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Smart speakers are amplifying the audio experience as more Americans are adding them to their households annually.

• Smart speaker awareness and ownership
• 60% of A18+ who own smart speakers at home listen to AM/FM radio.³
• In 2025, 35% of P12+ own one smart speaker.¹
• 22% of P12+ have listened to audio through a smart speaker in the last month, while 18% had listened in the last week.¹
• 28% of radio listeners use smart speakers to stream their favorite radio stations.²
• 43% of Millennials own a smart speaker.²
• 34% of Boomers own a smart speaker.²
• Sixty-seven percent of smart speaker owners have a household income of $75,000+.³
• Top reasons for getting a smart speaker.⁴
• Listen to music.
• Ask questions without the need to type.
• Seems like a fun new gadget.
• Top smart speaker ownership by brand in the U.S as of March 2024:⁶
• Amazon Echo: 65%
• Google Home: 24%
• Apple HomePod: 18%
• Google Nest: 17%
• Bose: 14%
• JBL Link Series: 12%
• Increased time with smart speakers⁴
• Share of time spent listening to audio through a smart speaker among the U.S. population 13+ has grown 400% - from one to five.
• Share of time spent listening to podcasts through a smart speaker has grown 200% - from two to six.
• Reasons for wanting a smart speaker:⁴
• 49% of people say that smart speakers can entertain their children.⁴
• 63% of people say that they can discover new songs on it.⁴
• 47% of people say that they can use it to listen to podcasts on it.⁴
• 51% of people say that they want to replace an old radio.⁴
• 53% of people say that they want to control smart home devices.⁴
• 30% of people say that smart speakers can help an elderly person.⁴
• 24% of people say that smart speakers can help with a disability.⁴
• Based on smart speaker owners, the percentage who listen to audio on smart speaker most often:⁴
• A18-24 - 4%
• A25-34 - 17%
• A35-44 - 18%
• A45-54 - 28%
• A55-64 - 16%
• A65+ - 21%
• Smart speaker owners who are radio listeners have done the following:
• 78% listened to live radio.³
• 65% obtained news updates.³
• 64% made a phone call.³
• 66% played a game.³
• 63% purchased/ordered a product or service.³
• 64% listen to a podcast.³
• 62% obtained information like local information, movie times, recipes, etc.³
• 59% listen to music via a streaming service.³
• 58% have controlled smart home devices.³
• Smart speaker owners who are radio listeners believe that radio:
• Puts them in a good mood - 44%³
• Is pure entertainment - 42%³
• Keeps them informed/up to date - 42%³
• Is a good source of learning - 30%³
• Share of ad-supported audio time spent on the smart speaker, among persons 18+:⁵
• AM/FM radio - 56%
• Podcasts - 12%
• Ad-supported SiriusXM - 12%
• Ad-supported Spotify - 10%
• Ad-supported Pandora - 10%
• Time spent listening to the news on smart speaker in a typical week:
• Less than an hour - 22%⁴
• One hour to less than 3 hours - 44%⁴
• Three hours or more - 34%⁴
• Smart speakers' frequency of use in the U.S. in 2023:⁷
• Daily - 50%
• Monthly - 26%
• Never/Rarely - 24%

Sources: 1) The Infinite Dial 2025, Edison Research/Audacy/Cumulus Media/SiriusXM Media; 2) Jacobs Media Tech Survey 2025; 3) 2025 MRI-Simmons Spring Doublebase; 4) NPR, Edison Research, The Smart Audio Report, Spring 2022; 5) Edison Research, "Share of Ear," Q2 2024 - Q1 2025. Persons 18+; 6) Statista Consumer Insights, March 2024; 7) Enterprise Apps Today, 2023;

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A podcast is a series of on-demand audio files that focus on a certain topic or have an overall theme. They are free to listeners and can be downloaded online, via smartphones, computers, or tablets. Thousands of podcasts are produced weekly, and listeners can subscribe to their favorite podcasts to get notified when a new episode becomes available. As of Q2 2025, podcasts have a 19% share of ad-supported audio by adults 18+. ⁵

• 245 million (85%) P12+ are familiar with audio podcasts, while 202 million (70%) have ever listened to a podcast.¹
• 76% of African Americans and 54% of Hispanics 12+ are familiar with podcasts.²
• 48% of P12+ listened to or watched a podcast in the last month - more than double from 21% in 2016.¹
• 35% listened or watched in the last week.¹
• 48% of African Americans and 45% of Hispanics listened in the last month.²
• 35% of African Americans and 32% of Hispanics listened in the last week.²
• U.S. monthly podcast listeners 18+ by gender:⁸
• Men: 52%
• Women: 48%
• Monthly podcast listeners by age in 2025:¹
• Ages 12-34: 58%
• Ages 35-54: 55%
• Ages 55+: 33%
• Median age of podcast listeners: 34 years old.⁴
• 115 million people listen to or watched a podcast weekly.¹
• 35% of the U.S. population listen to podcasts on a weekly basis.¹
• Among weekly podcast listeners: ³
• 42% started listening 4+ years ago.
• 25% started 2-3 years ago.
• 33% started within the past year.
• Percentage (%) of people who listen to podcasts daily:¹³
• Ages 18-24 - 33%
• Ages 25-34 - 38%
• Ages 35-44 - 32%
• Ages 45-54 - 19%
• Ages 55 -64 - 13%
• Ages 65+ - 7%
• Of those adults 18+ who have listened to a podcast in the last 30 days:¹⁴
• 63% are homeowners
• 58% work full-time jobs
• 51% are married
• 47% have received a bachelor's or graduate degree
• 56% have a child living at home 17 years old or younger
• Podcast listeners have been influenced by a podcast:³
• 60% have watched a movie, read a book, or listened to music because of a podcast.
• 52% have followed the social media account of their favorite podcast or its host(s)
• 36% have made or tried a lifestyle change (e.g., a new workout, new diet, or journaling).
• Podcast listeners spend 5 hours and 22 minutes listening to podcasts daily.⁴
• 32% of adults 18-34 listen to podcasts daily.⁵
• 23% of adults 25-54 listen to podcasts daily.⁵
• Locations and time where podcast listening occurs throughout the day:⁴
• Where:
• Home - 67%
• Work - 15%
• In the car - 12%
• Other - 6%
• When:
• 10am - 3pm - 32%
• 6am - 10am - 22%
• 3pm - 7pm - 20%
• 7pm - midnight - 17%
• Midnight - 6am - 9%
• Percentage of podcast downloads by genre:¹²
• News - 25%
• True Crime - 19%
• Comedy - 13%
• Society & Culture - 9%
• Other - 8%
• Sports - 7%
• Business - 4%
• Health & Fitness - 3%
• Arts - 2%
• The top 10 podcast networks, in sales, as of June 2025:¹⁸  
• iHeart Audience Network - 62.7M
• NPR -27.5M
• Audacy Podcast Network - 14.7M
• Audioboom- 12.2M
• Cumulus Podcast Network - 5.1M
• Paramount - 3.7M
• BBC - 2.6M
• Salem Podcast Network - 2.6M
• Soundrise - 2.2M
• American Public Group - 1.8M
• Top 10 podcasts in the U.S. as of June 2025:¹⁸
• NPR News Now (NPR)
• Up First (NPR)
• Stuff You Should Know (iHeart Audience Network)
• 48 Hours (Paramount)
• The Charlie Kirk Show (Salem Podcast Network)
• My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstack (iHeart Audience Network)
• Shawn Ryan Show (Cumulus Podcast Network)
• Fresh Air (NPR)
• On Purpose with Jay Shetty (iHeart Audience Network)
• VINCE (Cumulus Podcast Network)
• Duration of podcast episodes:¹⁵
• Less than 10 minutes - 15%
• 10 - 20 minutes - 16%
• 20 - 40 minutes - 32%
• 40 - 60 minutes - 21%
• Over 60 minutes - 16%
• Frequency of published episodes:¹⁵
• 0-2 days - 6%
• 3-7 days - 34%
• 8-14 days - 39%
• 15-29 days - 19%
• Over 30 days - 1%
• Platform used most by weekly podcast consumers:¹⁶
• YouTube - 39%
• Spotify - 21%
• Apple Podcasts - 8%
• Why weekly podcast consumers started watching podcasts on YouTube:¹⁶
• I like the video part of the podcast - 21%
• I like YouTube's recommendations for related content – 18%
• I like the comments and/or community - 16%
• YouTube is my primary destination for information and entertainment - 13%
• I like YouTube’s autoplay feature - 12%
• I manage my podcast subscription on YouTube - 9%
• These podcasts are not available elsewhere - 5%
• I don't watch/listen to podcasts elsewhere - 3%
• Podcast preferences between podcast newcomers and pioneers:¹⁶
• Podcast Newcomers (Those who started listening to podcasts within the past year):
• Audio only w/o any video - 26%
• Video you play in background/minimize - 34%
• Video you actively watch while listening - 41%
• Podcast Pioneers (Those who started listening to podcasts 4+ years ago):
• Audio only w/o any video - 30%
• Video you play in background/minimize - 29%
• Video you actively watch while listening - 41%
• Platforms used to listen to podcasts:¹⁷
• YouTube - 59%
• Spotify – 44%
• Apple Podcasts - 26%
• Facebook - 20%
• Amazon Music - 19%
• Web browser - 17%
• Google podcasts - 16%
• TikTok - 15%
• Instagram - 15%
• Apple iTunes - 13%
• Podcast advertising grew to $1.9B in 2023.⁹
• Forecast to exceed $2.2B in 2024 and reach to over $2.6B by 2026.⁹

Female Podcast Listeners

• 45% of U.S. Women 18+ have listened to a podcast.⁶
• 39% are between the ages of 18-34.⁶
• 29% have a household income of $100k or more.⁶
• 51% have a college degree.⁶
• 29% are parents or guardians of a child under the age of 18.⁶
• 95% worry about the economy.⁶
• 82% worry about the future of women's rights.⁶
• Top 10 listened to topics by women:⁶
• True Crime - 40%
• Music - 38%
• Wellness/Self-improvement - 35%
• Entertainment, Celebrity, & Gossip - 34%
• News/Information - 34%
• Comedy - 33%
• Love & Relationships - 32%
• Food/Cooking - 28%
• Politics - 28%
• Society & Culture - 27%
• Female podcast listeners who've done the following:⁶
• Followed a podcast or host on social media - 53%
• Signed up for a newsletter from a podcast - 23%
• Purchased merchandise from a podcast - 16%
• Paid a subscription fee to access early or exclusive content from a podcast - 15%
• Attended a virtual event hosted by a podcast - 14%
• Joined a podcast's fan club - 13%
• Attended a live show or event hosted by a podcast - 13%
• Donated or given money to a podcast - 12%
• Sources women had used to find out about podcasts:⁶
• Social media posts - 74%
• Recommendations from family & friends - 73%
• Searching the internet - 61%
• The services you use to listen to podcasts - 57%
• Hearing about them on another podcast - 57%
• Social media influencers and celebrities - 55%
• Seeing or hearing about it on TV - 38%
• Advertisements on other audio programs - 37%
• Other audio program hosts - 34%
• Recommendations from or ads on AM/FM radio - 34%
• Recommendations found in publications - 19%
• Reasons women enjoy listening to or watching female podcast hosts:⁶
• Can relate to stories from female podcast hosts - 33%
• Female podcast hosts talk about and explain complicated or underrepresented topics - 30%
• Female podcast hosts talk about consider multiple viewpoints - 29%
• Trust the point-of-view from female podcast hosts - 27%
• Feel like the female podcast hosts are your friends - 19%.

Gen Z Podcast Listeners

• Estimated 35 Million people age 13-24 listened to a podcast in the last month.¹
• Podcasts drive Gen Z action:⁷
• 43% of Gen Z listeners have discovered new brands or products while listening to podcasts.
• 41% pay attention to brands that sponsor or collaborate with their favorite podcast show or host.
• 37% prefer brands that share the same values as podcast shows or hosts.
• Podcast hosts connect with Gen Z listeners everywhere:⁷
• 40% of teens say that they have followed their favorite podcast creator on social media.
• 1 in 4 teens have subscribed/followed to the show to know when new episodes are released.
• Top 10 topics that Gen Z monthly listeners listen to:⁷
• Comedy - 37%
• Music - 35%
• Entertainment - 30%
• True Crime - 29%
• Sports - 26%
• Games/Hobbies - 25%
• Pop culture - 25%
• Mystery/Thriller - 23%
• Horror - 21%
• History - 21%
• How Gen Z discovers podcasts most often:⁷
• Searching on YouTube - 28%
• Social media post - 26%
• Friends or family - 19%
• Searching on the internet - 15%
• Ads on other audio programing - 3%
• Other - 9%
• Podcasts foster fun and connection for Gen Z:⁷
• 64% agree that podcasts keep them entertained and engaged with topics they're interested in.
• 45% agree that podcasts help them focus on positivity and personal growth.
• 39% agree that podcasts provide them with sense of community.

Black Podcast Listeners

• By age in 2022:⁸
• Ages 18-34: 42%
• Ages 35-54: 36%
• Ages 55+: 22%
• Black monthly podcast listeners 18+ by gender:⁸
• Men: 45%
• Women: 55%
• What they listen to:⁸
• 49% - comedy podcasts.
• 47% - music podcasts.
• 33% - sports podcasts.
• 30% - true crime podcasts.
• Where they listen:⁸
• At home: 95%
• In a car/truck: 64%
• While walking around/on foot: 57%
• While riding public transportation: 43%
• At work: 43%
• At a gym/while working out: 40%
• 75% say they "frequently" or "occasionally" follow or seek out content that focuses on Black stories and perspectives on podcasts.⁸

Latino Podcast Listeners

• U.S. weekly Latino podcast listeners spent 5 hours listening to podcasts in the last week.¹⁰
• 43% of U.S. Latinos aged 18+ have listened to a podcast in the past month.¹⁰
• 32% report listening to podcasts in the past week.¹⁰
• Latino monthly podcast listeners by age:¹⁰
• Age 18 - 34 - 47%
• Age 35 - 54 - 39%
• Age 55+ - 14%
• Top 5 Podcast topics listened to by U.S. monthly Latino podcast listeners:¹⁰
• Comedy
• Music
• True Crime
• Health & Fitness
• Sports
• 42% of Latino monthly podcast listeners say it’s very important or somewhat important that the podcasts they listen to are hosted by Latinos.¹⁰
• 78% of U.S. Latino monthly podcast listeners strongly or somewhat agree that the reason they listen to podcasts is because they want to be entertained.¹⁰
• 34% of Latino monthly podcast listeners say it’s very important or somewhat important that the podcasts they listen to are in Spanish.¹⁰
• Location of podcast listening by U.S. monthly Latino podcast listeners:¹⁰
• At home - 64%¹⁰
• In a car or truck - 13%¹⁰
• At work - 9%¹⁰
• While walking around or on foot - 7%¹⁰
• Someplace else - 7%¹⁰
• How often do consumers listen to podcasts by demographic:¹¹
• Age:
• 13% - Ages 18-24
• 20% - Ages 25-34
• 20% - Ages 35-44
• 15% - Ages 45-54
• 10% - Ages 55-64
• 7% - Ages 65+
• Gender:
• 11% - Male
• 17% - Female
• Income:
• 17% - $75+
• 12% - <$75k
• Activities done while listening to podcasts:¹¹
• Doing household chores - 30%
• Driving around - 30%
• Commuting to/from work - 26%
• Unwinding after a long day - 24%
• Taking a walk - 24%
• Working - 22%
• Eating a meal/lunchbreak - 18%
• Getting ready for the day - 17%
• Working out - 17%

Sources: 1) The Infinite Dial 2025-Edison Research/Audacy/Cumulus Media/SiriusXM Media; 2) The Infinite Dial 2025-Edison Research/Audacy/Cumulus Media/SiriusXM Media: A Look at Hispanics & African Americans; 3) Pew Research, Survey of U.S. adults conducted Dec 5-11, 2022; 4) Edison Research, "Share of Ear," Q3 2024.; 5) Edison Research, "Share of Ear," Q2 2025; 6) Edison Research, Women's Podcast Report 2025; 7) Edison Research, Gen Z Audio Study Q4 2024; 8) Black Podcast Listener Report 2.0, Edison Research; 9) PwC/IAB Full Year 2023 Podcast Ad Revenue Study; 10) Edison Research, Latino Podcast Listener Report 2024; 11) Disqo Report, Podcast Ad Effectiveness, 2025; 12) Triton Podcast Metrics from January - December 2024; 13) Edison Research, "Share of Ear," Q1 2024; 14) 2025 MRI-Simmons Spring Doublebase; 15) Podcast episode trends, Buzzsprout Platform Statistics, June 2024;  16) Cumulus Media and Signal Hill Insights' Podcast Download - Spring 2025 Report; 17) Analytics IQ, Podcast Listening Behaviors 2024; 18) Triton U.S. Podcast Ranker Average Weekly Downloads from June 2025

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NOTE: In 2023, the FTC updated endorsement ad guidelines*

• Definition: an endorsement is an advertising message that consumers are likely to believe reflects the opinions or beliefs of someone other than the sponsoring advertiser.
• Endorsements must contain disclosures in radio/podcast ads.

Brands seek celebrity or radio personality endorsers because they are well-known in their communities and listeners feel a certain bond with radio hosts.
Radio, with its human voice to convince, can be used to persuade and influence listeners.

• 61% of A18+ listen to AM/FM radio because of the DJs/Hosts/Shows.¹
• 65% female¹
• 58% male¹
• A18+ who listen to AM/FM radio because of the DJs/Hosts/Shows by generation:
• 55% Gen Z¹
• 63% Millennials¹
• 64% Gen X¹
• 59% Boomers¹
• 59% Greatest¹
• 51% of radio listeners are interested in connecting with their favorite on-air talent.¹

Radio listeners have a strong personal connection with radio station personalities.

• 1 in 2 radio listeners have a favorite radio personality whom they've been listening to for an average of 8 years.²
• 84% of radio listeners would follow their favorite radio personalities to a new station.²
• 87% of radio listeners know any personal detail about their favorite on-air radio personalities/DJs.²
• 82% of radio listeners have visited a radio personality's website in the past month. ⁴
• 75% of radio listeners know about the marital status of their favorite radio personality.²
• 68% of listeners know if their favorite radio personalities have children or not.²
• 53% of listeners know the hobbies & interests of their favorite radio personality.²
• 21% of radio listeners listen to radio for their on-air personality.¹⁰

Listeners have an emotional connection with on-air personalities.

• 81% consider DJ's a friend, family member or an acquaintance.²
• 59% of listeners follow their favorite radio personality on social media.²
• 83% value & trust their favorite personality's opinion.²
• 77% of radio listeners would try a brand recommended by their favorite radio personality.²
• 78% talk to friends about what they hear from their favorite Radio personalities.²
• 64% of A18+ strongly/somewhat agree that if their personality went to another station, they'd probably follow them.³
• 61% of A18+ strongly/somewhat agree that their favorite AM/FM personality makes them think.³
• 14% of radio listeners listen to radio because they are looking for companionship.¹⁰

Listeners trust their favorite on-air personalities.

• 53% of adults 18+ agree that they trust the information that they get from their favorite on-air personalities. ⁵

During times of crisis, on-air personalities are an important connection seen as a relied upon connection.

• 53% of adults 18+ agree that their favorite on-air personalities make them feel more informed about the things they need to know. ⁵
• 46% of listeners agreed that it helped them to know what stores were open and where to shop.⁵
• 46% agreed that their favorite on-air personalities make them feel more connected to their community.⁵
• 44% adults agree that their favorite on-air personalities make them less alone.⁵

Listeners form meaningful connections with AM/FM radio personalities.

• 90% of radio listeners agree that their favorite DJs make them laugh.⁸
• 73% agree that personalities understand what makes their city/town unique.⁸
• 64% agree that personalities make them think.⁸
• 64% would follow their favorite DJs to another station if they moved.⁸
• 53% pay more attention when their favorite DJ reads an ad.⁸
• 46% believe that their favorite personality or show are opinion leaders that they trust.⁸

AM/FM radio personalities drive listener action.

• 51% have visited the DJs web page.⁸
• 48% follow their favorite DJ, personality, or show on social media.⁸
• 34% have called into the AM/FM station while the personality was on air.⁸

Where radio listeners like to listen to their favorite personalities/talk shows.

• At home - 42%¹¹
• In the car - 42%¹¹
• At work - 44%¹¹
• Any other place - 54%¹¹

Since listeners feel connected with radio personalities, their statements about brands and product recommendations are assumed to be based on personal preferences.

• 83% of listeners value and trust their favorite personality's opinions.²
• 77% of listeners would try a brand recommended on-air.²
• 63% of listeners have talked to their friends about what they heard on the show. ⁸
• 30% of listeners have searched for a product or service that the personality had recommended.⁸

As the original social media influences, DJ endorsements work well to build trust, drive business and website traffic for advertisers.

• 79% of marketers consider radio station on-air personalities as celebrity influencers. ⁶
• 85% say trust is the most important quality they look for in an influencer. ⁶
• A regional utility company used radio and included radio personality endorsements. The endorsements outperformed campaign averages by 13%.⁷

Radio and DJ endorsements are great at reaching a large number of consumers and getting them to your location, and can be customized by brand:

• Authentic chatter inside their shows
• Personal experiences conveyed to listeners.
• Via radio personality or specific radio show apps
• Social media engagement
• On-air mentions/billboards/promos
• Podcasts
• Interviews

Visit www.rab.com for additional case studies .

* FTC Endorsement Guides are available here and FTC Endorsement Guides FAQs can be found here.

Sources: 1) Jacobs Media Tech Survey 2025; 2) Katz Media Group, Inside the Power of Local Radio Personalities, 2019; 3) Vision Critical / MARU Nation Study, November 2017; 4) 2025 MRI-Simmons Spring Doublebase; 5) Custom Nielsen Study conducted March 2020 via an online survey, weighted sample of 1000 adults 18+; 6) RAB Audio Pulse Poll October 2019, June 2020; 7) Katz Radio Group, AnalyticOwl 2020; 8) MARU/Matchbox National Study, Adults 18+ November 2019-January 2020, 1571 respondents; 9) Federal Trade Commission, Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising; 10) Provoke Insights, The Latest Trends on Alcohol & Restaurants, August 2023; 11) Edison Research, "Share of Ear", 2023

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Click here for FTC Endorsement Guides FAQs

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The U.S. 12+ population base increased from 316.1 million in 2013 to 334.9 million in 2023 according to the U.S. Census Bureau. As of March 2025, one of AM/FM radio's key factors is its ability to reach 211 million listeners.

With the plethora of new media choices, radio still offers near universal coverage of the broad 12+ demo, underscoring radio's appeal to listeners young and old.

(Source: Nielsen, RADAR 164, March 2025, Monday - Sunday 24-Hour Weekly Cume Estimate)

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An important element of any campaign is to ensure that it is effective.
Frequency is a key component.

• Ad exposure within a purchase cycle matters.¹
• 3x is ideal.
• Three exposures at minimum within a purchase cycle over a 4 to 8-week period will deliver the greatest effectiveness.
• There is data that supports that two exposures are sufficient while one exposure may be effective in only the rarest of cases.
• Three or more exposures will continue to build effectiveness but at a slower pace (and will not diminish impact).
• 3+ frequency influences online and in-store behavior.²
• Based upon a Nielsen study, consumers exposed and recalled 3+ radio ads (vs. those who did not recall):
• 21% increase in store visits
• 75% increase in website visits
• 159% increase in click-throughs
• 41% increase in additional product information
• 100% increase in product in-store purchase
• 300% increase in retailer product web purchase
• How to determine the right frequency level.³
• Use 2+ frequency:
• Maintain awareness and attitude for a known campaign with unique and newsworthy messaging.
• Competitive advertising should be at a minimum.
• Highly recognized brand with low brand loyalty for competitive products/services.
• Use 4+ frequency:
• To create/increase awareness and strengthen current brand/product attitudes.
• Ideal for a new campaign and/or a simple message.
• Competitive advertising should be moderate.
• Use 6+ frequency:
• To create attitudes and for complex messages used in a competitive market and/or a low interest category/product.

Sources: (1) RAB analysis of Mike Naples "Effective Frequency" (2) Nielsen, 2016 - total 898 (3) FCB Research)

Frequency Wearout - Download Slides