Edison Research says that according to Q1 2025 data from its ongoing Share of Ear study the U.S. population 13+ spends most of its daily audio time with ad-supported audio sources (64%) compared to ad-free audio sources (36%). Ad-supported sources include AM/FM radio and radio streams, music on
YouTube with ads, SiriusXM talk channels, free versions of streaming audio sources, and podcasts. Breaking it down demographically, time spent with ad-supported sources is highest among Americans age 55+, with 75% of their audio time spent with ad-supported audio. While the 18-34 demographic spends the majority of its audio time with ad-supported audio sources, 46% of its listening time is spent with ad-free audio. Edison says, “The strength of ad-free audio with this age group is not surprising considering that younger Americans spend more time on platforms that make removing advertisements easy and not terribly expensive, such as Spotify and YouTube.”
