Click here to download a PDF of the slides.

Click here to view an 8-minute video of the key findings.

As automakers contemplate audio entertainment options and designs for their vehicles, several questions are raised:

• What is the current state of audio time spent among U.S. drivers?  
• How do the audio habits of OEM brands differ?

The second annual Edison “Share of Ear” among auto brand drivers

For the second year, the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group® conducted a special auto brand analysis of Edison’s “Share of Ear,” the long running audio tracking study.

Edison Research’s quarterly “Share of Ear” study is the authoritative examination of time spent with audio in America. Over the last ten years, Edison Research has surveyed 4,000 Americans annually to measure daily reach and time spent for all forms of audio.

“Share of Ear” captures audio use among auto brands’ drivers. Since the inception of the study in 2014, Edison has asked, “What is the model year and brand of your primary car or truck – that is, the one vehicle you spend the most time driving or riding as a passenger?”

This new Edison “Share of Ear” data among auto brand drivers serves two purposes. First, it helps product design and operations teams at auto manufacturers understand the massive use of AM/FM radio among their customers. For the auto brand marketing teams, it reveals how AM/FM radio is an ideal marketing platform to reach American drivers and in-market auto buyers.

Among U.S. drivers, AM/FM radio has a 60% share of all audio time spent in the car

According to the Q1 2024 “Share of Ear,” 60% of all forms of in-car audio minutes go to AM/FM radio. This included both ad-free audio content as well as ad-supported audio. At a 13% share, SiriusXM’s ad-free music channels place a distant second.

AM/FM radio is the queen of the road with an 86% share of in-car ad-supported audio

Of all the ad-supported listening that takes place in the car, AM/FM radio has a massive 86% share. What better place to build an auto brand with auto intenders than among in-car consumers daydreaming about their next vehicle?

Auto brand in-car listening: Consistent shares to all audio by OEM parent and auto brand

The charts below depict in-car audio shares for all forms of audio among auto brand drivers. The first table includes in-car shares rolled up to the OEM parent company. Below that are in-car shares among auto brand drivers.

Ad-supported auto brand in-car listening: Consistent shares by OEM parent and auto brand

The tables below represent ad-supported in-car listening shares among brand drivers. First are in-car shares rolled up to OEM parent company drivers. Next are ad-supported in-car shares among auto brand drivers. With an average ad-supported in-car share of 86%, these charts depict the huge opportunity that AM/FM radio affords auto OEM marketing teams.

The proportion of AM/FM radio listening occurring in-car has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels

Here is the nine-year trend of the proportion of AM/FM radio listening occurring in the car:

In the five years before the pandemic (2016-2020), in-car listening represented 48% of all AM/FM radio listening. During the pandemic years (2021-2022), the in-car share dropped to a low of 40%.

Compared to 2022, the proportion of AM/FM radio listening in the car grew five points in 2023 and is now up another four points in 2024. Over the last two years, the share of AM/FM radio listening occurring in vehicles has jumped sharply from 40% to 49%, returning to the pre-pandemic norms.

Key takeaways:

• For product design and operations teams at auto manufacturers, it is important to understand the massive use of AM/FM radio among their customers
• For auto brand marketing teams, AM/FM radio is a powerful platform to reach American drivers to build auto brands and reach auto intenders
• Among all U.S. drivers, AM/FM radio is the ad-supported queen of the road with an 86% share of in-car ad-supported audio
• The proportion of AM/FM radio listening occurring in-car has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels

Click here to view an 8-minute video of the key findings.

Pierre Bouvard is Chief Insights Officer of the Cumulus Media | Westwood One Audio Active Group®.

Contact the Insights team at CorpMarketing@westwoodone.com.