Q2 2025 Edison “Share Of Ear”: YouTube Music’s Fantastical Audience Claims Far Exceed Audience Reality
Click here to view a 14-minute video of the key findings.
Agencies report YouTube Music is making claims of massive audiences to their ad-supported audio service. The word ‘billions’ gets thrown around a lot. It is unclear the metric or countries represented in these claims.
Let’s verify these hyperbolic pitches.
Edison Research’s “Share of Ear” reveals YouTube Music’s ad-supported audiences are exceptionally small. YouTube Music’s tiny 1% ad-supported audience share is dwarfed by AM/FM radio (66%), podcasts (20%), Spotify (5%), and Pandora (4%).
Edison Research’s quarterly “Share of Ear” study is the authoritative examination of time spent with audio in America. Edison Research surveys 4,000 Americans annually to measure daily reach and time spent for all forms of audio.
Here are the key findings from Edison’s Q2 2025 “Share of Ear” report:
- YouTube Music’s fantastical audience claims far exceed audience reality
- Marketers and media agencies significantly overestimate audience shares to Pandora/Spotify and massively underestimate AM/FM radio audiences
- To reach political segments with audio, all roads lead to AM/FM radio
- Adding AM/FM radio streaming to over-the-air AM/FM radio campaigns generates incremental reach and amplified frequency; One-third of those who stream AM/FM radio only listen to the stream
- You cannot check the box of an audio media plan that only contains digital audio, you’ll miss 70% of America
- To reach consumers on the path to purchase, look no further than AM/FM radio; With an 85% in-car share, AM/FM radio is the “queen of the road”
AM/FM radio (66%) and podcasts (20%) lead ad-supported audio
An electron microscope is needed to observe YouTube Music audience shares.
AM/FM radio leads across all demographics; Podcast shares are very strong in younger demos
Marketers and media agencies significantly overestimate audience shares to Pandora/Spotify and massively underestimate AM/FM radio audiences
In an August 2025 study, Advertiser Perceptions asked 302 media agencies and marketers for the perceived audience shares of Spotify, Pandora, and AM/FM radio. The perceived audience shares of Pandora/Spotify (41%) are much greater than AM/FM radio (26%).
The reality? Edison’s “Share of Ear” reveals AM/FM radio shares are 2.5X greater than agency/advertiser perceptions.
What’s the Spotify/Pandora reality? AM/FM radio is 13X larger than ad-supported Spotify and 17X bigger than ad-supported Pandora.
To reach political segments with audio, all roads lead to AM/FM radio
Among registered voters, AM/FM radio has a 67% share of ad-supported audio, followed by podcasts (20%). Whether the target is Independents, Republicans, or Democrats, AM/FM radio shares are in the mid-60s to low 70s.
Streaming represents 13% of total AM/FM radio listening
Over the last decade, AM/FM radio streaming has grown from 7% of all AM/FM radio listening in 2017 to 13% in 2025.
Throughout the day, the share of streaming is consistent except for the noon lunch hour and the 5PM-7PM commute; Interestingly, streaming’s share of total AM/FM radio listening is strongest at night
Adding AM/FM radio streaming to your over-the-air 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, 7% only listen to the stream and not the over-the-air broadcast. 9% 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.
On smart speakers, AM/FM radio leads (54%) followed by podcasts (22%)
Interestingly, ad-supported SiriusXM beats both Pandora and Spotify on smart speakers.
To reach consumers on the path to purchase, look no further than AM/FM radio; With an 85% in-car share, AM/FM radio is the “queen of the road”
Across every in-car demographic, AM/FM radio has stunningly large audience shares
Podcasts break double-digit in-car shares among 18-34s and 18-49s.
You cannot check the box of an audio media plan that only contains digital audio, you’ll miss 70% of America
According to Edison’s “Share of Ear,” the combined ad-supported daily reach of Spotify, podcasts, and Pandora is only 31%, missing 70% of America. AM/FM radio, in contrast, has a daily reach of 60%, 2X digital audio.
The reality is when you put AM/FM radio into a digital audio plan, reach soars. As the “Share of Ear” reach accumulation reveals below, the addition of AM/FM radio causes a massive lift in daily reach.
Key findings from Edison’s Q2 2025 “Share of Ear” report:
- YouTube Music’s fantastical audience claims far exceed audience reality
- Marketers and media agencies significantly overestimate audience shares to Pandora/Spotify and massively underestimate AM/FM radio audiences
- To reach political segments with audio, all roads lead to AM/FM radio
- Adding AM/FM radio streaming to over-the-air AM/FM radio campaigns generates incremental reach and amplified frequency; One-third of those who stream AM/FM radio only listen to the stream
- You cannot check the box of an audio media plan that only contains digital audio, you’ll miss 70% of America
- To reach consumers on the path to purchase, look no further than AM/FM radio; With an 85% in-car share, AM/FM radio is the “queen of the road”
Click here to view a 14-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.