Radio on the Ropes: Follow Your Consumers to Digital Audio

Digital audio wouldn’t be where it is today without terrestrial radio. From tube radios to car stereos to portable handsets, broadcast radio has been telling stories, playing songs, and keeping the world informed for over a century. 

If only it had come with us to the modern era. Listeners are spending 20% more time with digital audio than with AM/FM radio. It has the advancements audiences are looking for—like on-demand content with shorter, more relevant ad support. And digital audio offers innovations that allow brands to reach listeners more places, with better targeting, and more ad format options.

It’s time to bring your media budget into this century.

In and Out of the Car

Consumers have options beyond AM/FM radio when it comes to in-car entertainment. For example, SiriusXM reaches 24% of U.S. adults, with subscribers spending over 70% of their time behind the wheel with the content. And many drivers pair their phones to their car stereos to keep their favorite songs and shows rolling.

In the car and out, listeners want more control over what they’re listening to, fewer content constraints, and more options—and digital audio has all that and more. From expertly curated stations with skip and repeat options, to live talk with big name stars, to the play-by-play on sports, to podcasts for every taste, it’s all at the listener’s fingertips no matter where they are.

Less Cluttered Listening (and Advertising) Environment

Audiences get it: Free and low-cost content = Ads. But they’re so over the AM/FM-style disruption of long breaks with too many back-to-back brand messages. Digital audio offers shorter ad breaks, incentive-based ad formats, and ads that are more likely to be relevant to them (thanks to advanced targeting options). And that means higher SOV for advertisers, giving brands better opportunities to connect with consumers and inspire action. In fact, digital audio ads have a 49% better impact on lasting memory than AM/FM ads.

Go with Audio for the 21st Century

Sound check: More time, higher SOV, bigger impact. Oh, and our listeners find digital audio to be 4.2X more authentic than AM/FM, making it the ideal space for advertisers. Why wouldn’t you follow consumers to an environment where advancements and innovations are a win-win for listeners and advertisers? It’s time to shift your ad dollars from AM/FM to digital audio. 

Ready to update your media plan? Curious to see how digital audio compares to traditional TV, CTV, and social media? Check out Digital Audio vs.