Nearly four hours. That’s how much time the average American spent with audio every day in Q1 2026, new data from Nielsen Audio show.
It’s an achievement that comes as Americans have access to an ever-expanding menu of listening options.
The latest edition of The Record from Nielsen and Edison Research finds both over-the-air and digital streaming radio claimed 62% of daily ad-supported audio time among persons 18+, with podcasts adding another 20%. Streaming music services, by comparison, accounted for just 16% of the ad-supported audio day.
Data was sourced from Edison Research’s Share of Ear survey and Nielsen PPM Cross-Market AQH Share. Radio’s share of daily listening posted gains across most key demographic groups compared to the prior quarter, a sign of the medium’s staying power even as the audio landscape continues to fragment.
News/Talk led all formats with a 10.9% share of total radio listening among persons 18+, edging up from 10.8% in Q4 2025. All News also climbed, moving from 2.7% to 2.9%, with both formats benefiting from heightened interest in domestic and international news events during the quarter.
Adult Contemporary saw the sharpest single-format swing, retreating from an 8.4% share in Q4, inflated by holiday programming, to 7.1% in Q1, settling back near its historical baseline.
Country stayed flat at 5.8%. Classic Hits and Hot Adult Contemporary each posted gains among 18-34 listeners, with Classic Hits moving from 5.1% to 5.4% and Hot AC climbing from 4.9% to 5.6% in that demo. Alternative also grew among younger listeners, rising from 3.8% to 4.2%. Nielsen attributed the music format stability in part to a busy awards season and a wave of major album releases in the quarter.
Among Black and Hispanic-focused formats, Urban Adult Contemporary/R&B held at 5.1%, while Urban Contemporary/Hip-Hop R&B ticked up from 2.7% to 2.8% overall and from 4.6% to 4.8% among 18-34 listeners. Mexican Regional rose from 3.0% to 3.1% overall and grew its 18-34 audience from 3.4% to 3.6%.
