Happy 10th birthday to the formidable “Share of Ear” Study! Edison Research has been tracking how we listen to Audio since 2014. This quarterly study covers everything from AM/FM radio to the latest in podcasts and streaming, giving us a fascinating look at how our listening habits change over time. It’s a treasure trove of insights into the Audio landscape and its evolution. 

In honor of this milestone, here are the top 10 insights from Edison’s Share of Ear:

1 | For the last decade, AM/FM has dominated time spent listening. 

2 | Over the years, the time we spend listening to owned music has decreased (physical media, purchased downloads).

3 | With new technologies, came new ways of listening: Both streaming and podcasts’ reach and share of listening increased. 

4 | Among Audio channels, podcast listening has seen the most rapid growth increasing +400% time spent listening, and +320% daily reach — higher increases than streaming (+81% share of listening, +156% daily reach).

5 | We’ve made more time for listening at home over the years, especially after COVID. Today, at home listening has a balance of AM/FM and digital listening. 

6 | We have been listening to more than 4 hours of Audio per day. Viewing time has not impacted listening time over the past years. 

7 | Radio listening remains strong in the car. Audiences have added streaming and podcasts to their time spent listening in vehicles. 

8 | Time spent listening to spoken word has increased over the years. And the shift begins young. Audiences as young as 23 start shifting listening time from music to spoken word.

9 | AM/FM holds the majority of time spent listening to spoken word. Over the years, audiences have also added podcasts and audiobooks to their time spent listening to this form of Audio. 

10 | Majority of listening is on ad-supported Audio, across age groups.