A decade ago, you may not have been able to name a single podcast (unless it was Serial). Now, if you're on social media or music streaming platforms, you're inundated with them. Because of their growing popularity, a survey from Edison Research's Share of Ear found that for the first time ever, more Americans aged 13 years or older listen to podcasts (40%) than to AM/FM radio (39%) as of the end of 2025.

Although there is only a 1% difference, it's a historic number because podcast listenership has never surpassed radio, and the gap between the two has become increasingly smaller over the past decade. By comparison, in 2015, 75% of participants listened to AM/FM radio, while a mere 10% said they listened to podcasts.

"Spoken-word audio has changed dramatically over the past 10 years," Edison Research says in a statement about the survey. "Consumers now listen using different platforms, devices and services to engage with spoken-word audio."

In recent years, podcasts have also become increasingly influential. In 2024, during Donald Trump's presidential campaign, Joe Rogan -- whose podcast The Joe Rogan Experience often ranks as one of the most listened-to podcasts in the United States -- endorsed Trump the night before the election.  A post-election Harvard CAPS / Harris Poll (PDF) of 1,732 registered voters found that 37% of participants said Rogan's endorsement had significant or some impact on their vote, while 40% said they were aware of Rogan's endorsement when they went to the polls.