Commercial radio continues to dominate the Australian audio market, reaching 15 million listeners weekly, four times the audience of ad-supported Spotify.
That’s according to The Infinite Dial Australia 2025 report released today by Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) and Edison Research.
Now in its ninth year, the report tracks audio consumption habits across traditional broadcast, digital, and podcast formats.
While radio holds its ground in reach and in-car dominance, podcasting continues its steady rise, particularly in genres like true crime, which are drawing highly engaged, on-demand audiences.
Podcast habits expand
Half of all Australians aged 10 and over now listen to podcasts each month, according to the report.
This growing appetite is being shaped by real-world events, with true crime consistently among the most consumed podcast genres.
One recent example is Mushroom Case Daily, the ABC’s podcast covering the ongoing criminal case involving Erin Patterson.
The show debuted at number five in the May 2025 Australian Podcast Ranker, attracting more than 625,000 monthly listeners. Its success demonstrates how rapid-response, event-based storytelling can capture public attention in ways that rival broadcast news and talk radio.
Unlike linear audio, podcasts allow for niche targeting based on content and user profiles, creating new layers of personalisation.
Commercial radio holds scale
Despite podcasting’s growth, total radio remains the number one audio source for in-car listening, with 84% of Australians aged 18+ who travelled in a car last month tuning in to live radio.
The digital evolution of radio is also evident, more than one-in-four Australians now stream radio content via connected car systems, up from previous years.
CRA CEO Lizzie Young said the data reinforces commercial radio’s strength across devices and age groups. “One in three Australians aged 25–54 are now streaming radio weekly, up 6.5% on last year,” she said. “The message is loud and clear: audio delivers scale, impact and connection.”
Edison Research President Larry Rosin added that, “Even as other options proliferate, commercial radio continues to deliver the most reach of any audio format available to Australian advertisers.”
Lizzie Young
Smart speakers, brand recall and the customer journey
The report also found that 40% of Australian households now own a smart speaker, further embedding audio into daily routines.
These voice-enabled devices are driving more frequent and spontaneous listening occasions, especially for radio and short-form content.
For marketers, the findings underscore audio’s role across the entire customer journey.
Audio not only builds top-of-funnel awareness at scale but also delivers precision engagement through podcasting and digital streaming platforms.
“Whether it’s trusted scale for brand awareness or influencing highly engaged niche audiences, audio’s versatility makes it a critical element in any media strategy,” Young said.