UK radio audience hits record-breaking high

More people are listening to radio in the UK than ever before, according to the latest audience figures published by RAJAR today.

The new figures for the first quarter of 2024 reveal that the combined weekly audience for all radio in the UK is at an unprecedented high of 49.9 million, representing 88.6% of the adult population and breaking the previous record of 49.7 million set in Q1 2022.

Commercial radio has also set a new record with its highest ever audience reach of 39.7 million, which is up from its previous record of 39.3 million in the third quarter of 2023. Its share of listening has also grown year-on-year and is now at 54.2% compared to 51.4% in the same period last year. The BBC’s share now stands at 43.4%.

Online listening continues to grow and has now overtaken listening on analogue FM and AM platforms for the first time on all radio, with the highest ever online listening share of 27.8% compared to analogue which is 27%. Much of the online growth can be attributed to commercial radio which continues to outpace the radio industry as a whole.

For all radio, smart speaker listening continues to grow and is now at 16.6% of total listening which is a massive 19% increase year-on-year. Smart speaker listening on commercial radio alone is even higher and stands at 20.7% overtaking commercial analogue listening (19.3%) for the first time.

Radiocentre’s CEO Matt Payton said:

“Radio is on a roll. It’s fantastic to see this record-breaking set of listening results, showcasing the industry’s strength and its commitment to delivering for audiences and advertisers. To see commercial radio reach record audiences just shy of 40 million people each week is a fantastic achievement and shows how much people in the UK really value and trust the medium. The sustained growth of listening online and on smart speakers is also a timely reminder of the importance of new legislation safeguarding UK radio in the form of the new Media Bill, which returns to parliament next week.”