Click here to view a 13-minute video of the key findings.

Click here to download a PDF of the deck.

Edison’s “Share of Ear” study is the authoritative gold standard of American audio time use. Edison surveys 4,000 Americans annually to measure daily reach and time spent with all forms of audio. Significantly for advertisers, the “Share of Ear” platform permits analysis of ad-supported audio for media planning purposes.

Each quarter, Nielsen publishes an AM/FM radio programming format analysis that compares streaming shares to total U.S. shares based on a roll-up of their markets. The report appears on the Nielsen site called “The Record.”

Here are five head snappers on AM/FM radio streaming:

1. Want digital audio in your media plan? AM/FM radio streaming should be at the top of your list as it beats Spotify and Pandora in ad-supported audience share.
2. Supercharge targeting precision while consumers are at home, where the vast majority of AM/FM radio streaming occurs.
3. Always add AM/FM radio streaming to the base AM/FM radio buy to generate incremental reach and amplified frequency.
4. Ensure your digital audio buy loads up on News/Talk and Sports stations as they represent 28% of all 25-54 AM/FM radio streaming audiences.
5. Targeting younger audiences? 18-34 AM/FM radio streaming shares for News/Talk and Sports are shockingly large.

1. Since 2017, AM/FM radio streaming shares have grown and now beat Pandora and Spotify

In 2017, ad-supported Pandora led streaming platforms with a 9 share among persons 18+, followed by AM/FM radio streaming (6%) and ad-supported Spotify (2%). Today, AM/FM radio is the leading streaming platform with an 8% share, beating both ad-supported Spotify (5%) and ad-supported Pandora (5%).

2. Most time spent with audio streaming occurs at home.

Surprisingly, 65% of all time spent with ad-supported Spotify occurs at home. 74% of AM/FM radio streaming occurs at home. Erik White, VP of Performance Digital at Cumulus Media notes, “The ‘at-home’ listening aspect of AM/FM radio streaming is exciting, since we often strive to target our campaign audiences while they’re at home.”

3. Adding AM/FM radio streaming to your AM/FM radio campaign generates incremental reach and amplified frequency; One-third of those who stream AM/FM radio only listen to the stream

Edison reports that among those that listen to AM/FM radio, 6% only listen to the stream and not the over-the-air broadcast. 10% listen both to the stream and over the air. 84% listen only to the over-the-air platform and don’t listen to the stream.

Among those who stream AM/FM radio, one-third only listen via the stream. Two-thirds also listen both over the air and to the stream.  

Adding AM/FM radio streaming to your media plan generates incremental reach, and amplified frequency.

4. Spoken word programming formats have 2.4X larger shares via the AM/FM radio stream

“The Record” is a free utility on Nielsen Audio’s website that provides a quarterly, downloadable PDF with format shares from Portable People Meter measured markets for streaming as well as overall AM/FM radio.

Among 25-54s, spoken word formats have a massive 28% streaming share, 2.4 times larger than the overall spoken word share (12%). 

The News/Talk format has a 6.7% share of total AM/FM radio listening. The streaming share for New/Talk is a stunning 15.4%, more than double its total share.

The Sports format has a 12.5 share of the streaming audience, 2.5X bigger than its overall 5 share.

5. 18-34 AM/FM radio streaming shares for News/Talk and Sports are shockingly large

Think Sports and News/Talk are older skewing programming formats? Think again! In the stream, Nielsen’s PPM reports massive 18-34 shares for Sports and News/Talk stations.

The Sports and News/Talk streaming share is a combined 19.6% share, 2.6 times larger than the overall 7.4% spoken work share.

Streaming is the “fountain of youth” for spoken word AM/FM radio programming! Spoken word programming formats generate an astonishing twenty share of 18-34 streaming AM/FM radio audiences.

According to Nielsen, the 18-34 share for the Sports format (9.9%) is nearly triple their total 3.5 share. The 18-34 streaming share for News/Talk (9.7%) is two and half times bigger than its total share 3.9% share.

Conclusions:

1. Want digital audio in your media plan? AM/FM radio streaming should be at the top of your list as it beats Spotify and Pandora in ad-supported audience share.
2. Supercharge targeting precision while consumers are at home, where the vast majority of AM/FM radio streaming occurs.
3. Always add AM/FM radio streaming to the base AM/FM radio buy to generate incremental reach and amplified frequency.
4. Ensure your digital audio buy loads up on News/Talk and Sports stations as they represent 28% of all 25-54 AM/FM radio streaming audiences.
5. Targeting younger audiences? 18-34 AM/FM radio streaming shares for News/Talk and Sports are shockingly large.

Click here to view a 13-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.