There may not be any ball drop or champagne, but Edison Research has a countdown of its own of the ten biggest research findings it has released during the past year. It includes data from its Share of Ear reports that shows how audio usage has changed significantly during the past decade. Edison says Americans age 13+ now spend an average of 18% of their audio day listening to streaming music, with 10% of listening time going to podcasts. But Edison says AM/FM radio still takes the largest portion of the audio day on a 13+ basis with 36%, driven heavily by in-car listening.
This year’s research also shows that podcast listening isn’t just for adults. More kids under age 12 are also consuming on-demand audio. Edison Podcast Metrics shows the top five shows among young podcast listeners this year were Wow in the World, Circle Round, and What if World — Stories for Kids.
On the other end of the spectrum is True Crime, and another of Edison’s top research findings this year is that many True Crime consumers listen to podcasts — but not true crime podcasts. The opportunity to grow the genre was revealed in the True Crime Listener Report that Edison released with several publishers. It shows 17% of the U.S. population age 13 and older — or 48 million Americans — are True Crime consumers who listen to podcasts, but not True Crime podcasts.
While True Crime may have room for growth, Edison says another finding was that the genre has 19% reach among weekly podcast listeners in the U.S. That compared to 11% of podcast listeners in the UK. Its Podcast Metrics data also shows that U.S. listeners are far less likely to consume a podcast while on public transportation. Edison says 6% of UK weekly podcast listeners consume a show while on a bus, train or plane vs. 2% in the U.S.
Perhaps a way to bring them onboard is with video, especially Hispanics. Edison’s Latino Podcast Listener Report, which it released with several publishers, shows Gen Z and Millennial U.S. Latino listeners are more likely to listen or watch podcasts with other people. Edison says among U.S. monthly Latino listeners who listen or watch podcasts with other people, those aged 18-24 are 47% more likely to share their podcast listening experience with others. Those 25 to 34 years old are close behind at 46%. And listeners 35-44 are the most likely to listen or watch podcasts with others at nearly half (49%).
The focus on video isn’t limited to Latinos. Edison says another of its biggest research findings this year was that YouTube, typically known as the go-to platform for video content, has risen to the top as the most popular service used for podcast listening in the U.S. It reports three in ten weekly podcast listeners 13 and older choose YouTube as the service they use most to listen to podcasts.
Beyond podcasts, Edison says among its other top research findings this year is the growth of sports audio — especially among women. Its Sports Audio Report says 57% of the U.S. females 13 and older consider themselves sports fans — an estimated 83 million Americans. The result is a third of female sports fans listened to sports audio content in the last week. And 37% of weekly female sports audio listeners spent five or more hours listening to sports audio in the last week.
Streaming music also continues to gain users — and many are using it for discovery. In 2016, 4% said Spotify was the one source they use most often to keep up to date with new music. That number skyrocketed to 18% in 2024, beating out all other platforms in Edison’s Infinite Dial research.
The Infinite Dial is the source of another of Edison’s top findings for the year. It says smart devices “have triumphed” as 93% of the U.S. population 12 and older own a smartphone, smart TV, or smart speaker — an estimated 267 million Americans.
Something they aren’t using those devices for is to go on the social media site formerly known as Twitter. Edison says 19% of Americans 12 and older are currently using X. That is a 30% drop from the Infinite Dial study in 2023.
Under its new owner, Elon Musk, Twitter has become home to mostly conservative content with many progressives shunning its use. On the political front, Edison was the source of most of the exit poll data that came out on Election Day in November. Its biggest finding from that was that voters’ attitudes about abortion rights may have changed, but not enough to change their votes. Exit poll data from the 2024 election shows the number of Americans who think abortion should be legal in all or most cases has jumped to 65%, up from 51% in 2020 before the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that returned abortion law to the state level.