It's a New Milestone for Podcast Listening

Talk radio just got moved down a peg. In a first, Americans are now giving more of their talk-time attention to podcasts than to traditional talk radio. A new "Share of Ear" survey from Edison Research finds podcasts edging past AM/FM spoken-word broadcasts for the first time, claiming 40% of spoken-word listening versus radio's 39%—a milestone a decade in the making. Back in 2015, AM/FM radio claimed 75% of the time Americans spent with spoken-word audio, with podcasts claiming 10%, according to Edison. Podcast listening has steadily climbed since then, while radio's share has slipped.

Edison estimates 115 million Americans now listen to podcasts weekly. The shift is unfolding as podcasting itself changes shape. Edison confirms its figures include video podcasts, a fast-growing format on platforms like YouTube and Spotify, per Tech Crunch. Some 85% of US podcast listeners consume podcasts with video, up from 7% just three years ago. YouTube says viewers watched 700 million hours of podcasts per month on TVs in 2025, up from 400 million a year earlier. Deals like Netflix's new partnerships with iHeartMedia and Barstool Sports suggest streamers see podcasts as a fresh spin on talk shows. Still, audio isn't being pushed aside: Research from Edison and Triton Digital suggests just 5% to 7% of podcast consumers watch, but don't listen.