Podcasts surpass AM/FM radio in U.S. listening time

Podcasts have officially overtaken AM/FM talk radio as the more popular medium for spoken-word audio in the United States. According to the Share of Ear survey—an audio consumption tracking study conducted by market research firm Edison Research—podcasts captured 40% of spoken-word audio listening time, compared to 39% for radio. This milestone represents a significant shift in American media consumption, marking the first time that podcasts have eclipsed traditional spoken-word radio broadcasts in the survey’s history of tracking these statistics.

The transition is increasingly visual, driven by the growth of video podcasts on platforms like YouTube and Spotify. According to data reported by YouTube, viewers watched 700 million hours of podcasts per month in 2025 on living room devices like televisions, representing an increase from the 400 million hours watched per month in 2024. This visual trend has caught the attention of major streaming services looking to expand their content offerings. For instance, Netflix is currently inking deals with media companies iHeartMedia and Barstool Sports to bring podcasts to its streaming service.

Despite the rise of visual formats, the popularity of video podcasts does not seem to be detracting from traditional audio-first listening. Triton Digital, a digital audio measurement and advertising technology firm, published its U.S. Podcast Report for 2025, which outlines how consumers over the age of 18 split their consumption habits:

• 80% of consumers tune into both audio and video podcasts.
• 13% of consumers only listen to audio.
• 7% of consumers only watch video.

Edison Research’s findings show a similar trend regarding the integration of video components. An estimated 115 million weekly podcast listeners in the U.S. tune in to the medium. Among weekly U.S. listeners above the age of 13, eighty-five percent consume podcasts with some sort of video component, which is up 7% from 2023. However, the audio element remains dominant: only 5% of listeners report that they watch podcasts but do not listen to them, indicating that the visual component serves as an addition to, rather than a replacement for, traditional audio habits.

Why it matters

The shift from traditional radio to on-demand audio—and increasingly video—podcasting signals a fundamental change in how media is consumed in the U.S., forcing streaming platforms to adapt their content strategies.