Canadian radio captures five times the listening time of ad-supported Spotify
Digital radio streams reached 80% of respondents in Austria’s “Online Audio Monitor Austria 2026,” a survey of 4,000 people aged 15 and older. The study, conducted by Ipsos for media regulator RTR from May 28 to June 29, also found that 93% used online audio services at least occasionally.
Online audio use continued to rise. The share of respondents using these services monthly increased to 82%, from 80% in 2025, while weekly use reached 72%, up from 69%. Half listened daily or almost daily, compared with 46% the previous year.
The survey distinguished between radio streams and on-demand audio. Sixty-one percent listened to stations available both online and over the air, while 32% listened to services available exclusively online. That figure was up from 27% in 2025, though the study cautioned that changes to the questionnaire affect comparisons.
On-demand audio reached 88% of respondents; 83% used music streaming, while 42% listened to podcasts or on-demand radio programs. The habits overlapped: 75% used both online radio and on-demand audio, and only 5% used online radio streams exclusively.
Digital radio use extended across age groups, reaching 85% of respondents aged 15 to 29, 87% of those aged 30 to 49 and 73% of people over 50. The average age of monthly stream users was 46.7, compared with 40.9 for podcast listeners.
Smartphones were the most common way to access digital audio, used by 81% of its consumers. Half used a smartphone connected to a car radio. Respondents also used connected TVs (47%), laptops (46%) and internet or Wi-Fi radio receivers (38%). On average, each user listened on 3.5 devices.
You can view or download the survey report below.
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