Edison Research’s “Share Of Ear” report for third-quarter 2025 again brings good news for AM/FM radio, whether it’s the medium’s continued dominance of ad-supported audio media, or its strength in vehicles.  Arguably, the report’s most important takeaway is how necessary AM/FM radio is to media plans focused on audio advertising. Edison shows that the unique daily reach of ad-supported Spotify, Pandora and podcasts among persons 18+ stands at 33%, just one-third of Americans.

The growth of podcasting has brought in more casual listeners, but a study from Audacy shows that the impact of podcast ads remains substantial. It reports that three in four (76%) podcast listeners say they have purchased a brand after hearing an ad from their favorite creator, and 56% have sought out more information about a brand based on hearing an ad. Those numbers are slightly higher than the impact of AM/FM radio (74% and 52%), according to the Audacy’s study. “When a

The global advertising economy is proving far more resilient than many analysts expected a year ago, according to WPP Media’s latest This Year Next Year global end-of-year forecast. The firm cites stronger-than-anticipated trade-tariff outcomes and surging AI investment as key factors lifting both worldwide and U.S. market expectations, with an especially robust outlook heading into 2026. WPP Media now projects global advertising revenue — excluding U.S. political spending —

The year-end holiday season disruption to normal listening habits is holding true in 2025. Podtrac says most of the publishers that it measures had softer download and unique listener numbers in November vs. the prior month. It says just three posted gains month-over-month. The top spot was again held by iHeartPodcasts and its related ad network. Podtrac says iHeartPodcasts had 165 million downloads and streams during November, and iHeart had 30 million unique U.S. listeners

The nominees for the first-ever Golden Globes for best podcast have been announced, with six of the most listened-to series up for the trophy. The list includes Wondery’s “ Armchair Expert with Dax Shepard ,” SiriusXM’s “ Call Her Daddy ,” Spotify’s “ Good Hang with Amy Poehler ,” SiriusXM’s “ The Mel Robbins Podcast ,” SiriusXM’s “ SmartLess ,” and NPR’s “ Up First .” Actors Marlon Wayans and Skye P. Marshall presented nominees for each of the 28 award categories at a press

Audiences are increasingly following their favorite podcast and radio personalities across multiple platforms, creating what some in the industry describe as an emerging “audio multiverse,” according to an Audacy Insights blog post . “The Sports Junkies” morning show on Audacy’s own sports “106.7 The Fan” WJFK-FM is but one example of creators extending their reach beyond traditional audio channels. Yes, it’s a radio show — but it also spans radio, podcasts, television and co

New measurement tools and shifting media habits are giving marketers a clearer picture of the return on investment from audio advertising, which continues to expand across traditional radio, podcasts, and streaming platforms, according to a report by the Association of National Advertisers . AM/FM radio remains the dominant source of ad-supported audio listening despite competition from digital media, according to Edison Research. In the first quarter of 2025, AM/FM radio, in

News/talk may not be at the levels of three years ago, however  Inside Radio’s monthly analysis of average quarter-hour share data in PPM markets (covering Monday-Sunday 6am-midnight) shows significant recent uptrends among persons 6+ and 18-34, suggesting the format may be on the comeback trail. During Nielsen’s November survey period (covering Oct. 16-Nov. 12), news/talk, which is top-ranked 6+, saw a steady 6% share gain from August to November (9.8-10.4) and a 24% lift 1

The seasonal slowdown in new podcast launches in November brought the fewest debuts of any month in 2025, according to Listen Notes. The podcast database and search engine says it detected 11,201 new podcasts last month, a decline of 5,000 from the prior month. It is also nearly half as many as the 20,201 new shows that debuted last January. The downturn had been expected. The end of the year has typically brought fewer show launches in recent years, with January and February

Actress Danielle Fishel — who signed a reported  seven-figure deal  in September to executive produce a new slate of shows for iHeartPodcasts — is launching a new series that will put her in front of the mic. Fishel will host the pop culture interview series titled “Teen Beat” when it debuts next month. The weekly series will feature Fishel sitting down with other celebrities to unearth details from their upbringings, cracking open childhood diaries for embarrassing fashion c