This Form of Media Is Now More Popular Than Talk Radio for the First Time. Here’s Why That Matters.
A recent report reveals that the format is finally inching ahead of its predecessor.
Key Takeaways
- For the first time, podcasts now account for a slightly larger share of U.S. spoken-word listening than AM/FM talk radio, with 40% of listening time versus 39% for radio.
- This crossover caps a decade-long shift in which radio’s spoken-word share fell from about 75% in 2015 while podcasts climbed from around 10%, steadily narrowing the gap year after year.
- Podcasts have become mainstream, with Edison estimating there are about 115 million weekly podcast listeners in the U.S. alone.
For the first time ever, podcasts have officially pulled ahead of talk radio in the U.S. A new Edison Research “Share of Ear” study found that podcasts now account for two in five minutes of spoken-word listening time, edging out AM/FM talk formats.
Edison’s latest data looked only at spoken-word audio, stripping out music to focus on news, talk and conversational formats. Within that realm, podcasts claimed 40% of listening in the fourth quarter of 2025 among Americans 13 years and older, while AM/FM spoken-word radio finished at 39%. A decade ago, radio dominated this category, with 75% of spoken-word listening versus just 10% for podcasts in 2015.
The milestone is meaningful because podcasts have been steadily narrowing the gap year after year, and the latest report shows that they are finally inching ahead for the first time. The new numbers also sit alongside estimates that about 115 million Americans now listen to podcasts weekly, highlighting just how mainstream the medium has become.
The study counted video podcasts in the total, reflecting how content distributed on YouTube, Spotify and similar platforms are now integral to what listeners consider podcasts to be.
Why podcasts are winning consumers
Several advantages are pushing podcasts past broadcast talk radio, according to iHeartMedia’s 2026 State of Podcasting Report. The first is on-demand convenience: listeners can start, stop and binge shows on their own schedule, and listen to podcasts on their phones, smart speakers and car dashboards.
Second is the sheer range of niches offered by podcasts, from business and true-crime shows to personality-driven comedy and sports. It’s easier for listeners to find something that feels tailored to their interests.
Distribution has leveled out as well. Nearly every major radio group now repurposes its shows into podcast form.
The end result is more podcast listeners than ever before. According to iHeartMedia, 55% of Americans listen to podcasts regularly every month.
What it means for radio
The new rankings, however, do not mean talk radio is dead; a 39% share indicates a remarkably resilient medium. AM/FM still owns key use cases, such as live, time-sensitive information like breaking news, traffic and weather.
For podcasters, surpassing talk radio in share of listening is both validation and pressure, according to the Edison report. With more than half of Americans now listening to podcasts monthly and consumption rising across every age group, competition for attention is intensifying. There are about 4.7 million podcasts available today, for a total of 190 million episodes.
Companies are also investing in podcasts. Netflix signed deals with iHeartMedia and Barstool Sports in December to bring podcasts to its platform.
“Now people get to have a podcast playing in the background while they’re doing things, and if Netflix can be the place where they go to do that, then I think it’s a win for the company,” Mikah Sargent, a podcast producer and host at TWiT.tv, told TechCrunch at the time.
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Key Takeaways
- For the first time, podcasts now account for a slightly larger share of U.S. spoken-word listening than AM/FM talk radio, with 40% of listening time versus 39% for radio.
- This crossover caps a decade-long shift in which radio’s spoken-word share fell from about 75% in 2015 while podcasts climbed from around 10%, steadily narrowing the gap year after year.
- Podcasts have become mainstream, with Edison estimating there are about 115 million weekly podcast listeners in the U.S. alone.
For the first time ever, podcasts have officially pulled ahead of talk radio in the U.S. A new Edison Research “Share of Ear” study found that podcasts now account for two in five minutes of spoken-word listening time, edging out AM/FM talk formats.
Edison’s latest data looked only at spoken-word audio, stripping out music to focus on news, talk and conversational formats. Within that realm, podcasts claimed 40% of listening in the fourth quarter of 2025 among Americans 13 years and older, while AM/FM spoken-word radio finished at 39%. A decade ago, radio dominated this category, with 75% of spoken-word listening versus just 10% for podcasts in 2015.
