The most recent GfK Survey 8 revealed a record 12.2 million people listened to commercial radio each week, beating an all-time high of 12.14 million recorded in GfK Survey 7.
This is the ninth consecutive rise in cumulative audience growth.
The survey revealed time spent listening to commercial radio increased across all younger demographics. On average, Australians aged 10-24 tuned in an extra 1 hour and 48 minutes each week across the five major metro markets, bringing their total average listening to 10 hours and 54 minutes.
The number of people listening to comm radio via streaming increased by 46% to close to 3.7 million. Commercial DAB+ station listeners also increased 18.5% YOY to over 2.7 million.
CRA chief executive officer Ford Ennals said young audiences were driving the increase in streaming-era commercial radio listening habits.
“We’re delighted that commercial radio has delivered a record-breaking set of numbers. The latest survey indicates close to 950,000 more people are listening to commercial stations each week compared to last year.
“The data also debunks a myth that radio listening is on the decline for young Australians, with people aged 10-24 listening to radio an extra 20% compared to last year. This is fuelling the growth in streaming with people mixing their listening between broadcast and online options,” he said.
The data showed that the number of commercial radio listeners in the car grew by 947,000, and share of listening in the car accounted for close to a third of all listening, indicating people are back on the roads after the impacts on commuting patterns through 2021 during the height of the pandemic.
The number of commercial radio listeners at breakfast time recorded growth, reaching nearly 8.7 million Australians, an increase of over 18% from the same time last year. Additionally, weekend listeners jumped up 1.4 million this year, or 16%, to nearly 10 million total listeners.
