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Edison Research says 88% of Americans over the age of 16 own a mobile phone with 33% now using their phones to listen to audio, compared to 31% who still use a radio. It’s a trend we’ve been watching for years.
In 2014, around half (49%) of all audio content was consumed on a traditional radio receiver, compared with 18% that was consumed on a mobile phone. The traditional radio has been on a steady decline ever since as phones continue to be the go-to device for everything Americans do, and radio’s become harder and harder to even find.
Edison states that their graph doesn’t reference radio content, “which can also be consumed via smart speakers, radio station apps (also on a mobile phone), SiriusXM receivers (also a form of radio content) or smart TVs. It references the hardware – actual radio receivers. Mobile devices are multi-media devices, providing content from many sources. Radio receivers with their single-use functionality and near-impossibility to find outside of cars, just have not been able to compete.”