The latest edition of the Edison Research quarterly Share of Ear survey — the Q2 2025 release — shows that even as streaming audio on phones, computers, smart speakers and smart TVs has expanded, the traditional radio receiver remains the leading device for AM/FM listening among the U.S. population aged 13 and up.
Edison Research notes that in 2015, about 93% of all AM/FM listening time came through a radio receiver. A decade later, the share has declined only slightly, to 87%. Mobile devices and smart speakers have made modest gains, but the radio receiver still “dramatically outperforms” all other devices for AM/FM listening, according to the company.
The Q2 2025 Share of Ear release includes the chart below, which shows how AM/FM listening by device has shifted over the past ten years while maintaining the radio receiver’s dominance.
A large portion of AM/FM listening continues to take place in cars, where almost all listening is through a built-in receiver. Edison Research points out that in other settings too, most AM/FM listening still happens to the over-the-air signal on traditional receivers rather than via streaming.
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