AM/FM radio accounts for 39% of the time Canadians spend with advertising-supported audio, according to Signal Hill Insights’ “Audio on the Move 2026” study. YouTube and YouTube Music follow with a combined 25%, while music-streaming services account for 24%. Audio and video podcasts capture a further 9% of ad-supported listening time.
The study found that advertising supports 49% of Canadians’ total daily audio consumption, with the remaining 51% taking place without advertising. SiriusXM represents 2% of ad-supported audio time, while Stingray television music channels account for 1%. Signal Hill Insights based the findings on a nationally representative sample of 6,161 Canadians aged 12 and older, surveyed about their previous day’s listening during May and June 2026.
Overall, 90% of respondents reported using at least one form of audio during the previous day. The study covered AM/FM radio across all devices, music streaming, music on YouTube, audio and video podcasts, SiriusXM, audiobooks, Stingray music channels and physical media. Signal Hill Insights distributed its survey interviews proportionally across weekdays and weekends to reflect average daily audio consumption.
The findings also highlight significant differences in how Canadians access each audio category. Among AM/FM radio users, 68% listened through a car radio during the previous day, compared with 15% on a smartphone and 6% on a laptop or desktop computer. The car therefore remains central to broadcast radio listening in Canada, while mobile devices dominate music streaming.
Role of larger screens
Smartphones accounted for 77% of music-streaming use, followed by computers at 21% and smart TVs at 15%. Almost one-fifth of streaming listeners also used a smart speaker. For YouTube and YouTube Music, smartphones reached 55%, computers 40% and smart TVs 25%, reflecting the greater role that larger screens play in YouTube consumption.
Signal Hill Insights combines YouTube and YouTube Music because its research indicates that consumers do not always distinguish between the two services. It estimates that no more than one-fifth of their users pay for a subscription. The company also noted that advertisers generally buy YouTube’s video inventory differently from radio or streaming inventory, while YouTube Music offers audio advertising.
Listening patterns varied substantially throughout the weekday. AM/FM radio reached its highest point during morning drive, when 26% of its audience was listening at 7 a.m. Music streaming peaked at 3 p.m., with 25% of users listening, while YouTube reached its high point at 8 p.m. with 20%.
The results reinforce YouTube’s growing position within the wider audio market, particularly for podcasts. Signal Hill Insights’ “Canadian Podcast Listener 2025” study found that 40% of monthly podcast consumers most often used YouTube to access podcasts, placing it ahead of every other platform. The full subscription-based “Audio on the Move 2026” report also examines total daily audio consumption, platform reach, the advertising-supported share of each category and the division of AM/FM listening between broadcast and streaming.
You can subscribe with Signal Hill Insights to access the full “Audio On The Move 2026” report here.
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