The newly published Infinite Dial 2026 study reveals that weekly and monthly digital audio and podcast consumption in the United States have climbed to unprecedented levels.
Presented by Megan Lazovick, Vice President of Edison Research, the annual tracking study shows that eighty-one percent of Americans aged twelve and older, representing approximately 233 million individuals, listened to online audio in the past month.
Furthermore, seventy-six percent reported listening within the past week. A significant factor in this expansion is the older demographic, with monthly online audio consumption among Americans aged fifty-five and older surging from fifty-two percent in 2024 to seventy percent in 2026. Podcast engagement also reached historic milestones, with eighty percent of the population having ever consumed a podcast, and forty-five percent listening on a weekly basis.
For media planners and radio operators, the research underscores that video elements are expanding the total audience rather than replacing traditional audio formats, establishing podcasting as a dual-format medium.
The study also tracks generative artificial intelligence awareness for the first time, finding that ninety-three percent of Americans are familiar with at least one artificial intelligence brand. Consumers using artificial intelligence assistants show significantly higher engagement with digital media, as eighty-seven percent of them listen to online audio weekly compared to just sixty-one percent of non-users.
Additionally, social media preferences continue to fragment by age group, with TikTok serving as the top choice for individuals aged twelve to thirty-four, while Facebook remains dominant for consumers aged fifty-five and older.
Source: Edison Research Dataset