Streaming Radio, Podcasts Reaches Affluent Audiences.

Advertisers planning digital audio campaigns may be overlooking affluent consumers who increasingly pay to avoid advertisements on streaming music services, according to a new report from Audacy.

The report, which examines the relationship between digital audio listening habits, household income and advertising accessibility, argues that marketers should look beyond streaming music platforms to reach consumers with greater spending power. It draws on Edison Research’s Share of Ear study and Nielsen Scarborough data to compare the audiences of streaming music, streaming radio and podcasts.

Among streaming music services, including Spotify, Pandora and Amazon Music, listeners who subscribe to ad-free services have an average household income of $111,000 vs. $82,000 for listeners using ad-supported services. The difference represents nearly $30,000, or 26%, in household income.

The disparity presents a challenge for advertisers seeking affluent consumers, Audacy said. Although streaming music services may attract substantial audiences with significant purchasing power, a growing portion of those listeners cannot be reached through traditional advertising placements.

Spotify’s listening trends illustrate the shift. According to Edison Research’s Share of Ear study, daily ad-free listening on the service increased from four minutes to 21 minutes over the past decade. Ad-supported listening rose from four minutes to seven minutes.

Approximately 75% of Spotify listening time is now ad-free, according to the report.

The findings suggest that advertisers may be paying to reach an audience that increasingly spends its listening time outside the advertising-supported environment.

Streaming radio offers another option for marketers seeking consumers with higher household incomes. Its listeners have a median household income of $92,000, approximately 12% higher than the $82,000 median for ad-supported streaming music listeners.

Audacy said its digital audio platforms reach 94 million monthly listeners in an advertising-supported environment, giving marketers access to audiences without requiring them to subscribe to an ad-free service.

The report also highlights the relative share of digital audio listening across different formats. Streaming radio accounts for approximately 17% of ad-supported digital audio listening, while podcasts represent 44%.

Combined, the two formats account for 61% of ad-supported digital audio listening, nearly twice the 33% attributed to streaming music services, according to Edison Research’s Q2 2026 Share of Ear study.

Podcast listeners also represent an affluent audience, with household income averaging $110,000, the report said.

Audacy argues that streaming radio and podcasts can provide advertisers with additional opportunities to reach consumers whose household budgets make them attractive targets for brands selling automobiles, financial services, travel and other products.

The report recommends that marketers examine the portion of a platform’s audience that can actually hear their advertisements rather than relying solely on total listening figures or audience demographics.

Audacy said advertisers concentrating their digital audio budgets on streaming music services could be missing opportunities to reach consumers with greater purchasing power through streaming radio and podcasts.

The Edison Research figures cover U.S. adults 18 and older and audio-only sources, excluding television viewing and videos on YouTube.