The 'Infinite Dial 2024 Australia' report, a collaborative effort between Commercial Radio & Audio (CRA) and Edison Research, reveals Australian radio has expanded its audience to 81% of the population and is the preferred choice for in-car listening.

According to the report, the reach of Australian radio is five times larger than ad-supported music streaming platforms like Spotify. Only one-third of Spotify listeners can be reached by advertising. The study also found that the number of 25-54 year-olds listening to radio online has more than doubled in the past three years.

In-car listening remains dominated by radio, with 88% using it as an audio source in cars. In-car streaming radio listening has seen a 75% increase in two years. Smart speaker ownership in Australia has doubled in four years, now matching US adoption rates. 65% of smart speaker owners have listened in the past month.

The report, now in its eighth annual edition, was presented in a webinar by Edison Research president Larry Rosin and CRA chief commercial officer Jo Dick.

“The Infinite Dial 2024 Australia shows that more than 8 out of 10 Australians are tuning in to radio, with significant engagement across all demographics, proving Australia is a world-leader for radio listening," Jo Dick said. “The results show Australian radio continues to go from strength to strength, delivering content to audiences whenever and wherever they choose to listen.”

Rosin said the Infinite Dial 2024 Australia study demonstrated the strong global position of the Australian audio industry.

"There's robust engagement across different platforms, including traditional AM/FM/DAB+ radio, online radio, and podcasts. These findings underscore the industry's ability to adapt and innovate, providing diverse and compelling audio content for listeners,” he said.

The 'Infinite Dial 2024 Australia' study was conducted by Edison Research in the first quarter of 2024 in a national survey of 1,719 respondents in Australia aged 12 and over. The research was sponsored by CRA, SCA, Nine Radio, ARN, and Nova Entertainment.