Key Points
- Broadcast and streaming radio accounted for 62 percent of ad-supported listening during the first three months of 2026, with podcasts capturing 20 percent.
- Linear radio maintained or grew share across most demographics, highlighting its resilience in a fragmented audio market.
- News and Talk remained the top format, benefiting from heightened interest in current events; Adult Contemporary maintain its dominance as the most-consumed music format on radio, though its share declined compared to the prior quarter.
Americans spent an average of nearly four hours each day consuming audio content during the first quarter (Q1) of 2026, according to new data released by Nielsen Audio and Edison Research this week.
The findings, published in the latest edition of “The Record,” show that traditional broadcast radio and digital streaming radio together accounted for 62 percent of daily ad-supported audio listening among adults age 18 and older during Q1. Podcasts represented another 20 percent of daily listening time, while streaming music services captured 16 percent of the ad-supported audio day.
The report draws on data from Edison Research’s “Share of Ear” survey and Nielsen’s Portable People Meter (PPM) audience measurement system. The radio industry trade publication Inside Radio was the first to report on Nielsen Audio’s newly-released data on Wednesday.
Radio’s share of listening increased across most key demographic groups compared with the fourth quarter of 2025, suggesting the medium continues to maintain a strong position within an increasingly fragmented audio marketplace.
News and Talk remained the largest radio format among adults 18 and older, posting a 10.9 percent share of listening during the quarter, up slightly from 10.8 percent in the previous quarter. The All-News format also recorded gains, rising from a 2.7 percent share to 2.9 percent.
Nielsen attributed the growth in news-oriented programming to heightened consumer interest in domestic and international events during the quarter.
Among music formats, Adult Contemporary experienced the largest decline, falling from an 8.4 percent share in the fourth quarter to 7.1 percent in the first quarter. The decrease reflects a return to more typical listening levels after the format’s annual boost from holiday music programming.
Country radio maintained a steady 5.8 percent share of listening, while several formats gained traction among younger audiences: Classic Hits increased from a 5.1 percent share to 5.4 percent among listeners ages 18 to 34, while Hot Adult Contemporary posted an even larger gain, rising from 4.9 percent to 5.6 percent among the same demographic. Alternative also grew among younger listeners, climbing from 3.8 percent to 4.2 percent.
Nielsen said a busy awards season and several high-profile album releases likely contributed to the stability and growth seen across music radio formats during the quarter.
Several formats targeting Black and Hispanic audiences also posted gains. Urban Adult Contemporary/R&B held steady at a 5.1 percent share overall, while Urban Contemporary/Hip-Hop R&B increased from 2.7 percent to 2.8 percent among all listeners and from 4.6 percent to 4.8 percent among adults ages 18 to 34.
Mexican Regional likewise recorded modest growth, increasing from a 3 percent share to 3.1 percent overall and from 3.4 percent to 3.6 percent among younger listeners.
