Edison Research have worked with Share of Ear research about the “core audience” of different audio platforms. Most of us would be fairly confident in describing the details of a stereotypical consumer of our station or podcast.

This research goes one step further, identifying the demographic LEAST likely to tune in to each platform too. This is US based research but with some food for thought for Australian radio.

The least likely to listen to AM/FM radio is 18-24 men. The lowest audience for SiriusXM, the US subscription radio in most of their cars, is 18-24 women. 1% of that age group surveyed is consuming radio in this fashion.

Streaming music and music videos are where women aged 13-24 are gathering. After spending four hours trying to get Taylor Swift tickets yesterday (unsuccessfully) this is no surprise.

Men aged 18-34 – where do you think they are congregating?

Podcasts.

With the Hamish and Andy podcast often No 1 on the Australian Podcast Ranker, these stats probably aren’t really a surprise either.

The question then is, how does radio adapt to this? We’ve seen the drop off of listeners to youth stations like triple j as 13-24s look elsewhere for entertainment. Does it continue to target men aged 55+ (the core audience according to this data) or does it seek to broaden the output and possibly alienate the core, or risk pinching the 35-55s, men and women who seem to sit on the fence about enthusiastic online and radio uptake?