Record highs for online and smart speaker listening

Online and smart speaker radio listening have hit record levels according to the latest RAJAR figures released today for the first quarter of 2025, demonstrating changing listening habits as more people opt to tune in via connected devices like laptops, mobile phones and smart speakers.

Total online listening to all radio has reached a record high of 28.5%. As part of that, smart speaker listening has also hit record levels, now accounting for 17.6% of total listening, up from 16.6% in the same quarter of 2024.

Commercial radio listeners are at the forefront of this shift, as online now accounts for almost a third of all commercial radio listening, rising to 32.3% from 32.1% in Q1 2024. Listening via smart speakers also continues to climb, reaching 21.4%, which is up year-on-year from 20.7% in Q1 2024.

Commercial radio’s overall audience share has also increased year-on-year, now sitting at 55% (54.9%) which is up from 54.2% on Q1 2024. This widens the gap with the BBC, whose share is now 43% (43.1%).

The total UK radio audience remains high, reaching 50.1 million a week, up from 49.9 million in the same period last year. Commercial radio now reaches 8.5 million more listeners than the BBC, up from 8.4 million in Q1 2024.

Time spent listening to commercial radio has remained steady, with average weekly listening hours at 14.1 compared to 14 in Q1 2024.

Radiocentre CEO Matt Payton says:

“These latest figures are a testament to how broadcasters have embraced innovation to keep radio strong and relevant. By ensuring content is available and accessible across connected devices, radio has continued to thrive and remains a vital part of people’s daily lives. In turn, this means radio can continue to help advertisers reach huge audiences in a trusted environment.”