Americans have more audio options than ever in the car. While competition for people’s ears has heightened in the car, one platform remains the clear leader: AM/FM Radio.

Newly released Q1 2026 Share of Ear® data shows that the majority of time spent listening to audio in the car among Americans 13+ goes to AM/FM Radio either over-the-air or through streams.

As of Q1 2026, 55% of in-car audio time is spent listening to AM/FM Radio. The next closest platform in the car is Streaming Audio. Time with Streaming Audio has grown over the 12-year history of Share of Ear but remains a distant competitor to AM/FM Radio among the total population ages 13+, with 16% of in-car audio time going to streaming platforms.

While streaming audio has gained considerable ground among Americans 13-34, AM/FM Radio remains the primary in-car listening platform. Among Americans 13-34, 46% of their in-car audio time is spent listening to AM/FM Radio and 30% with Streaming Audio sources.

Additional in-car listening platforms can be seen with a full Share of Ear® subscription along with listening in other locations and by other age groups.

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Edison Weekly Insights include the latest research trends and stats from our public-facing studies, updates from our syndicated data sets, and more.