Commercial audio listening in the UK has reached a record high, with RAJAR MIDAS data showing strong growth driven by radio and digital listening.
The latest Autumn report shows commercial audio now delivers around 707 million listening hours each week, up from 581 million in 2019, representing a rise of 21 per cent over the period.
Commercial audio covers commercial radio on broadcast and IP, non-BBC podcasts and ad-supported music streaming services.
Broadcast radio continues to account for the largest share of listening, but the growth has been fuelled by increased use of connected devices. Listening via radio streams, podcasts and music streaming, grouped together as Digital Audio, has almost doubled since 2019, underlining how audiences are spreading their audio time across platforms while still relying heavily on radio.
The findings reinforce the scale delivered by commercial broadcasters, who provide access to both broadcast and digital audio in a single ecosystem. Earlier this year, Radiocentre’s Speed of Sound report showed commercial broadcasters account for around 90 per cent of all commercial audio listening, giving advertisers consistent reach regardless of how audiences choose to listen.
The MIDAS results also align with conclusions from High Gain Audio, a study carried out with WPP, which assessed the short and long-term return on investment from broadcast radio and digital audio separately. The research found that both formats outperform the all-media average, demonstrating the value of maintaining a balanced audio strategy rather than focusing on a single channel.
For advertisers, the research points to the importance of ambition in audio planning. The guidance highlights the benefit of supplementing broadcast radio with digital audio rather than replacing one with the other, and of using strong data inputs to understand how each element contributes to overall campaign performance.
RAJAR MIDAS, which measures internet-delivered audio services, returned with an Autumn release for the first time since 2023, providing a refreshed benchmark against pre-pandemic listening patterns and confirming the continued resilience and growth of commercial audio in the UK.