Let’s be honest. Every year, someone declares radio dead. And every year, the numbers come back and say: not so fast.
The Infinite Dial Australia 2026 report, the tenth edition of Edison Research’s landmark annual study, commissioned by Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA), has landed with findings that should give both radio puritans and digital evangelists plenty to think about.
Surveying 1,600 Australians aged 10+ in April 2026, it captures something that’s easy to miss when you’re scrolling through the noise: Australians are listening more than ever. Just not always in the ways you’d expect.
An estimated 18 million Australians listened to total radio – AM/FM/DAB+ broadcast and streaming combined – in the past week.
Listenership was consistent across age groups: 70% among 10-24-year-olds, 77% among 25-54-year-olds, and 80% among those aged 55 and over.
Incredibly, Australia recorded the highest weekly radio reach of any comparable market surveyed – 28 percentage points ahead of the US at 60%, and ahead of New Zealand at 68% and the UK at 64%.
Commercial radio reached 61% of Australians weekly – an estimated 15 million people – up from a low of 54% in 2022.
The ad-supported comparison
The report identified a significant gap between commercial radio and Spotify in terms of advertiser-accessible audiences.
While 47% of Australians listened to Spotify weekly, only 34% were on the free, ad-supported tier.
That puts ad-supported Spotify’s weekly reach at an estimated four million Australians, compared to commercial radio’s 15 million.
Lizzie Young, Chief Executive Officer of Commercial Radio & Audio, said the findings reflected audio’s broader position in the market.
“Millions of Australians choose commercial radio every week, and the continued growth of podcasting reinforces that audio reaches Australians across every format – anytime and anywhere.
“No other medium has audio’s unique combination of trusted scale, resilience and versatility. For brands seeking growth, audio is essential.”
Lizzie Young.
Podcasting crosses 50%
If the radio story is one of resilience, the podcasting story is one of momentum.
Monthly podcast consumption – audio only – reached 50% of Australians aged 10+ for the first time, according to the report.
Including video podcast consumption, that figure rises to 55%. Weekly consumption stood at 45%, now level with the US. An estimated 12 million Australians consumed a podcast monthly.
Video podcasting continued to grow, with 40% of Australians watching a podcast in the past month.
YouTube was the dominant platform for video podcast viewing at 89% of monthly video podcast consumers, ahead of Spotify at 47%, Netflix at 37%, and Apple Podcasts at 27%.
Among monthly podcast listeners, 23% tuned in every day and 46% at least once a week.
The car and connected devices
The car remains radio’s heartland – 67% of listeners still tune in from a vehicle. But the dashboard itself looks very different to even five years ago.
Apple CarPlay or Android Auto was present in 52% of primary vehicles – up from 10% in 2019 – the highest penetration of any market surveyed.
Forty per cent of weekly listeners consumed podcasts in the car. Smart speaker ownership held at 40%, with 19% of radio listeners accessing the medium via a smart speaker each week.
Overall, streaming audio reached 84% of Australians monthly – an estimated 20 million people – and 81% weekly.
Live-streaming radio among adults aged 25-54 rose from 18% in 2022 to 35% in 2026.
Main image: Image by freepik