Americans now listen to podcasts more often than talk radio, study shows

In a landmark shift, podcasts have now surpassed AM/FM talk radio as the leading choice for spoken word audio in the United States, as revealed by Edison Research’s Share of Ear survey. Over the past decade, data has consistently shown an upward trend in the percentage of time people dedicate to podcasts, while their engagement with traditional radio broadcasts has steadily declined. For the first time, podcasts accounted for 40% of listening time, compared to 39% for radio. The transition to podcasts gaining the upper hand has raised eyebrows, considering the long-standing presence of radio in American culture. It’s important to note that these figures do not encompass music listening on the radio, suggesting that the resilience of conventional radio speaks volumes about its historical significance. The report also clarifies that video podcasts are included in these statistics, highlighting the rising popularity of video content on platforms like Spotify and YouTube. This trend is further evidenced by Netflix's recent partnerships with iHeartMedia and Barstool Sports to introduce podcasts to its streaming services, aiming to modernize the concept of daytime talk shows. According to YouTube, podcast viewership on televisions has surged, with 700 million hours watched monthly in 2025, rising from 400 million the previous year. Interestingly, the growth of video podcasts does not seem to detract from audio podcast listenership. Triton Digital’s U.S. Podcast Report for 2025 indicates that 80% of consumers aged 18 and older are engaged with both audio and video formats; only 13% listen exclusively to audio, while 7% focus solely on video. Listener preferences also vary significantly by genre. Topics such as music, sports, comedy, and news tend to perform better in video format, while genres like science, history, arts, fiction, and true crime are more commonly enjoyed through audio. Edison’s findings underscore a similar trend, showing that 85% of weekly U.S. podcast listeners over the age of 13 engage with podcasts that incorporate video, marking a 7% increase from the previous year. The research estimates that there are approximately 115 million weekly podcast listeners in the U.S., with just 5% of them reporting that they watch podcasts without listening to them.