The Sonic Planet is Roots and Americana Music’s Widening Island in the Stream
Broadcast radio remains the king of in-car audio in 2026 but facing the fastest digital challenge it has ever seen according to Edison Research’s annual Infinite Dial report.
The study tracks American media and technology adoption across age, gender, and platform, found among Americans who drive, 73% reported listening to traditional radio in their vehicles in the past month, making it the most-used audio source on the road by a wide margin. Online audio includes streaming music services, reached 48%, more than double its 21% figure from a decade ago.
Digital migration in-car is no longer a gradual drift; it is accelerating, particularly among younger drivers. Among those aged 18 to 34, 73% listened to online audio in the car in the past month, and 55% listened to podcasts.
That loyalty may no longer translate outside of vehicles, though. Online audio monthly listening among Americans 55 and older jumped from 52% in 2024 to 70% in 2026.
Overall, 81% of all Americans aged 12 and older now report listening to online audio in the past month, an all-time high representing an estimated 233 million people. But while listening among younger age groups has been essentially flat for three years, the growth engine is now firmly in the 55-plus demographic, historically over-the-air radio’s most loyal and heaviest-listening audience.
Radio Ink’s Cameron Coats generated this story.