In-Car Listening

Despite newer technologies evolving as options for in-car entertainment, on-the-go consumers still prefer radio as their top in-car selection.

According to The Infinite Dial 2025:¹

• 74% of A18+ that have driven/ridden in a car in the past month have tune into AM/FM radio.
• 24% of A18+ have driven/ridden in a car in the past month listen to CDs.
• 22% of A18+ have Apple CarPlay in their vehicles while 10% have Android Auto.
• 55% of people 12+ listen to online audio in their car through a cell phone.

According to Jacobs Media Tech Survey 2025:

• Broadcast radio still leads with percent of time spent in car during the average weekday:³
• AM/FM radio - 53%
• SiriusXM - 20%

• 66% of radio listeners state that radio is the easiest to listen to in the car.³

Radio's Share of Ear In-Car.

• Nearly three-quarters (73%) of all radio use during morning and afternoon drive happens in the car. ⁵
• Number of minutes spent with ad-supported audio platforms in the car in a typical hour: ²
• AM/FM radio - 52 minutes
• Podcasts - 4 minutes
• Ad-Supported SiriusXM - 2 minutes
• Ad-Supported Pandora - 1 minute
• Ad-Supported Spotify - 1 minute

• 51% of AM/FM radio's proportion of listening occurs in the car among adults 25-54, in Q2 2025.⁹
• 85% of share of ad-supported audio time spent in the car, among persons 18+, came from AM/FM Radio.⁸
• In the car, in an hour of ad-supported audio, listeners spend 51 minutes with AM/FM Radio.⁸

Type of audio respondents listen to in the car:⁷

• Music – 84%
• News and local information – 35%
• Podcasts – 32%
• Talk Radio – 26%
• Live sporting events – 20%
• Audio books – 16%
• Do not listen in the car – 11%

Where respondents who listen to music in the car get the music from:⁷

• AM/FM radio – 69%
• Streaming music services – 53%
• Satellite radio – 30%
• Personal digital music collection – 24%
• CDs – 18%

Reasons for listening to AM/FM Radio in the Car (Age 13-24):⁴

• 85% because it is free.
• 69% it's easier to listen to in the car than any other type of audio.
• 68% it's part of their daily routine.
• 50% they want to hear specific programs and personalities.
• 49% they want to hear local news and local information.

Between AM/FM Radio and Streaming Audio (Ages 13-24):⁴

• Quicker to turn on and off in the car:
• 70% AM/FM radio.
• 30% streaming audio.
• Easier to use in the car:
• 61% AM/FM radio.
• 39% streaming audio.
• More convenient to listen to in the car:
• 54% AM/FM radio.
• 46% streaming audio.

When outside of home, most of radio listening happens in the car:⁶

• 68% of radio listening happens in the car during the week.
• 65% of adults listen to the radio in the car during the weekday.
• 79% radio listening happens in the car during the weekend.

In car share of ad-supported audio spent by age and demographic:²

• Persons 18-34 - 80%
• Persons 35-64 - 88%
• Women 18-34 - 77%
• Women 35-64 - 90%
• Men 18-34 - 82%
• Men 35-64 - 86%

Share of ad-supported audio time spent in the car among African Americans 18+:⁸

• AM/FM radio - 89%
• Podcasts - 4%
• Ad-supported SiriusXM - 3%
• Ad-supported Spotify - 3%
• Ad-supported Pandora - 1%

Share of ad-supported audio time spent in the car among Hispanics 18+:⁸

• AM/FM radio - 84%
• Podcasts - 9%
• Ad-supported Spotify - 3%
• Ad-supported Pandora - 2%
• Ad-supported SiriusXM - 2%

Sources: 1) The Infinite Dial 2025 - Edison Research/Audacy/Cumulus Media/SiriusXM Media; 2) Edison Research, "Share of Ear", Q1-Q4 2024; 3) Jacobs Media Tech Survey 2025 ; 4) Edison Research Survey 2023; 5) Edison Research, Share of Ear, Q1 2023; 6) Nielsen, Audio Today, June 2023; 7) Xperi, Connected Car Entertainment Trends Report, June 2024; 8) Edison Research, Share of Ear, Q2 2024 - Q1 2025; 9) Edison Research, “Share of Ear”, 2016 – 2025

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