In an era of unlimited streaming, on-demand playlists, and podcasts covering every imaginable topic, you might assume that traditional AM/FM radio has been quietly losing the battle for your attention during the daily commute. But according to a wave of recent research, that assumption is dead wrong — at least for most American drivers. The numbers are striking, and they raise a question worth asking: do they match your own habits behind the wheel?
The Numbers Are Hard to Ignore
According to Edison Research’s Q2 2025 Share of Ear study, AM/FM radio captures a commanding 56% of all in-car audio time across U.S. drivers per InsideRadio. That puts it well ahead of satellite radio at 13% and streaming services like Spotify, which claimed just 6% of listening time. When the lens narrows to ad-supported audio only, AM/FM’s dominance becomes even more pronounced, accounting for a remarkable 85% of that category.
A separate global study commissioned by WorldDAB and conducted across more than 8,000 car buyers in Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom found that 83% of car buyers listen to broadcast radio in the vehicle, making it the top in-car audio source by a wide margin. Half of all respondents said radio is what they listen to most often — compared to just 20% who said the same about streaming services. Even more telling, 31% of those surveyed had listened to radio every single day in the previous week, more than double the 15% who could say the same about music streaming platforms.
And when asked which features are must-haves when shopping for a new car, 62% of respondents named radio — placing it above built-in navigation, touchscreen displays, and smartphone mirroring systems. That is a finding that should turn heads in both the broadcasting industry and on automaker showroom floors alike.
Even Tesla Owners Are Tuning In
One of the more eyebrow-raising findings comes from the electric vehicle world, where manufacturers like Tesla have faced significant criticism for removing AM tuners from their vehicles. Even among Tesla owners — drivers who have enthusiastically embraced cutting-edge technology and are arguably more digitally connected than the average motorist — AM/FM radio accounts for 51% of all in-car audio time. That easily outpaces podcasts at 12% and satellite radio at 10%, suggesting that the appetite for free, local, over-the-air broadcast content cuts across even the most tech-forward segments of drivers.
Radio Rebounds to Pre-Pandemic Levels
The research also highlights a meaningful recovery story. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when commuting and road travel dropped dramatically, the share of AM/FM listening that took place in vehicles fell to a low of 40%. As of 2024 and 2025, that figure has rebounded to 50% — back to pre-pandemic norms — underscoring just how tightly the car and broadcast radio remain linked in American daily life.
Radio’s New Challenge: Being Found
Not all the news is rosy for broadcasters, however. A separate 2026 industry report from Quu examined the 100 best-selling vehicle models in the United States and found that while AM/FM radio is technically present in all of them, it is becoming increasingly harder to find. Only 26% of those top-selling models now feature a physical radio button on the dashboard, down from 36% just a year earlier. Meanwhile, built-in streaming apps now appear in 53% of vehicles — more than double the 20% recorded in 2024.
The Quu report also identifies what it calls the “last touch” problem: because most modern vehicles default to the last audio source used when the engine is restarted, whichever platform earns a driver’s final listen at the end of a trip automatically wins the first listen at the start of the next one. In some newer models, returning to radio after another source was last used requires two or more button presses through an infotainment menu — a small friction that can quietly chip away at listening habits over time.
Drivers Act on What They Hear
Beyond pure listening numbers, research from Audacy’s Connected Car study suggests that in-car radio listeners are not just passive audiences. Among a survey of 966 connected car drivers, 56% said they had looked up more information about an advertiser after hearing a radio ad while driving, and 53% discussed the product with friends or family. That kind of active engagement is what advertisers and brands dream about, and it helps explain why radio continues to command such a large share of in-car audio despite the staggering variety of alternatives available today.
So What About You?
The data paints a clear picture nationally — broadcast radio remains the undisputed champion of the American car ride. But every driver is different, and commutes, tastes, and habits vary widely from person to person. Maybe you are firmly in the AM/FM camp, reaching for your favorite local station the moment you turn the key. Or maybe you are part of the growing minority who have fully migrated to Spotify playlists, curated podcasts, or satellite radio the moment you pull out of the driveway.
We want to hear from you. Do these studies reflect your own experience in the car? Are you still a loyal broadcast radio listener, or have streaming services taken over your daily commute? Let us know in the comments below — your answer might just tell a story that the data cannot.
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