Podcasts Surpass Talk Radio in US Audio Habits

For the first time, podcasts have overtaken traditional AM/FM talk radio as the primary choice for spoken-word audio consumption in the United States. Data from the latest Edison Research Share of Ear survey reveals a historic shift in how Americans engage with audio content.

The research indicates that podcasts now account for 40% of all spoken-word listening time, nudging past the 39% share held by traditional radio broadcasts. This milestone follows a decade-long trend where podcast engagement steadily climbed while interest in terrestrial spoken-word radio gradually softened.

The Rise of Video Integration

A significant factor in this growth is the expansion of video podcasts. Edison Research confirmed that their figures encompass both audio-only and video-based podcast formats. The industry has seen a surge in video consumption, particularly on platforms like YouTube and Spotify, which are increasingly competing for time spent in the living room.

Recent data highlights how this shift is impacting viewer behavior:

• YouTube reported 700 million hours of monthly podcast viewership on living room devices in 2025, a sharp increase from 400 million hours in 2024.
• Approximately 85% of weekly US podcast listeners aged 13 and older now engage with content that includes a video component, a 7% increase compared to 2023.
• There are an estimated 115 million weekly podcast listeners in the United States.

Genre Preferences and Consumer Habits

While video is becoming a staple, it does not appear to cannibalize traditional audio-first listening. According to Triton Digital’s U.S. Podcast Report for 2025, 80% of consumers over 18 engage with both formats. Only 13% of listeners stick exclusively to audio, while a mere 7% consume podcasts solely through video.

Listener preference often depends on the specific genre:

• Video-heavy content: Comedy, music, news, and sports podcasts typically draw larger audiences in video formats.
• Audio-focused content: History, science, true crime, art, and fiction remain preferred in audio-only formats.

Industry players are taking notice of these habits. Major platforms, including Netflix, are establishing partnerships with entities like Barstool Sports and iHeartMedia to integrate podcasts directly into streaming interfaces, treating them as modern evolutions of the traditional daytime talk show.