Podcasts have surpassed AM/FM radio as the leading platform for spoken-word audio listening in the United States, according to Edison Research’s “Share of Ear” survey, which captures time spent with spoken-word audio sources and the platforms used to access them. 

As of Q4 2025, podcasts accounted for 40% of daily spoken-word listening time among Americans aged 13 and older, compared to 39% for AM/FM radio, marking the first time podcasts have held the top position since Edison began tracking the metric. Edison Research notes that spoken-word audio accounts for 25% of all daily audio listening time in the U.S.

The shift signals a reversal from a decade ago. In 2015, AM/FM radio held 75% of spoken-word listening time, while podcasts accounted for 10%, representing a 65-percentage-point gap. Edison Research attributed the change to a quarter-by-quarter, year-over-year decline in AM/FM radio listening time and a corresponding increase in podcast consumption.

Video Podcasts a Growing Factor

Edison Research’s findings show that 85% of weekly U.S. podcast listeners aged 13 and older consume podcasts with a video component, up 7 percentage points from 2023. Edison also estimates there are 115 million weekly podcast listeners in the U.S., with 5% reporting they watch podcasts but do not listen to them.

YouTube reported that viewers watched 700 million hours of podcasts per month on living room devices in 2025, up from 400 million hours the prior year. On another front, Netflix has signed deals with iHeartMedia and Barstool Sports to bring podcasts to its streaming service.

Edison’s data shows that audio-first podcast listening has continued to grow alongside the rise of video podcasting rather than declining in response to it.