AM/FM radio accounts for 70% of ad-supported audio time in the car among Americans ages 13 to 34, according to Edison Research’s second-quarter 2026 Share of Ear data.

The finding gives radio sellers a strong answer to one of the industry’s most persistent questions: Can broadcast radio still reach younger consumers in the place where audio remains central to daily life?

Among ad-supported in-car audio, podcasts received an 11% share, streaming music 10%, music on YouTube 7% and ad-supported SiriusXM 2%, according to Radio Ink’s report on the Edison data.

The denominator matters

The 70% figure does not mean AM/FM receives 70% of all listening by young people in cars. It describes radio’s share after paid and advertising-free listening are removed from the calculation.

Edison has previously placed AM/FM’s share of total in-car audio time among this age group at 46%. Both figures can be accurate because they answer different questions. The broader figure measures every kind of in-car audio; the larger figure measures only audio environments in which advertising can reach the listener.

That distinction should appear prominently in any sales presentation. Overstating the result may produce a more dramatic slide, but it can also weaken an otherwise useful case for radio.

What stations and advertisers should ask next

The data suggests that radio remains the dominant ad-supported audio channel in the automobile for younger Americans. It does not establish that every station, format or campaign reaches that audience equally well.

  • How much of the AM/FM listening occurred over the air rather than through station streams?
  • How does the result vary by age, market, format and time of day?
  • Has radio’s share increased, declined or remained stable across recent quarters?
  • How many respondents and listening occasions produced the estimate?
  • Which campaign outcomes should advertisers measure beyond reach?

Radio News Now has requested additional methodological detail, including the sample size and the over-the-air versus streamed-radio breakdown.

The practical message is substantial without exaggeration: when advertisers want to reach young consumers through commercial audio in the car, AM/FM remains the largest channel in the mix.

Source: Edison Research, Share of Ear; reporting published September 10, 2026 by Radio Ink.