In 2026, more listeners than ever before are tuning in to audio platforms and making spoken word part of their daily lives. National Public Media has compiled the key insights for brands from top industry research sources, illustrating The Power of Audio.
Download the report to see the top-line info on the state of audio, its various platforms, and why it’s the underestimated media format all marketers should add to their next buy.
According to The Infinite Dial 2026 from Edison Research, streaming audio listening is at an all-time high. As audio listenership continues to grow, spoken word is expanding and becoming part of the routines of millions.
of the population age 12+ listens to online audio weekly, 219M people.¹
of the population age 13+ listens to spoken word audio daily, 131M people.³
of daily audio time among those ages 13+ goes to spoken word.³
Edison’s 2026 Share of Ear found that podcasting is now the #1 platform by share of spoken word listening, narrowly surpassing radio with a 40% share.³
And its reach has broken previous records, according to The Infinite Dial, with 45% of the population listening weekly.²
Share of Ear notes that radio is still #1 in daily reach among audio channels.³
The medium reaches 93% of all U.S. adults every month, according to Nielsen’s 2026 Audio Today Report, higher than any other measured device.⁴
Edison’s Infinite Dial 2026 found that smart device ownership has become a mainstay in most people’s lives, with 91% of the population owning a smartphone.¹
Smart speaker ownership saw its largest gain this past year since 2021, jumping up to 39%, a 4% increase in only a year.¹
Emarketer’s US Digital Audio Forecast for 2026 shows that the share of ad spend for these media does not align with the share of time spent, making audio a highly valuable investment for brands.⁵
weighted ROI for podcasts, despite only 54% perceived effectiveness.⁵
of respondents recalled podcast sponsorships, the #1 media platform for recall.⁵
agree the advertising on podcasts feels authentic and natural.⁵
weighted ROI for radio, despite only 46% perceived effectiveness.⁵
of respondents recalled radio sponsorships, the #3 media platform for recall.⁵
agree the advertising on radio feels authentic and natural.⁵
Sources:
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