Julia Stoll
Research expert covering TV and video media
Online radio in the United Kingdom - statistics & facts
While other audio formats such as music streaming or podcasts have experienced a steady increase in popularity, radio is considered as an outdated or old format of audio consumption. However, in reality, radio has been a consistently consumed form of audio entertainment. In 2021, 70 percent of respondents to a survey in the United Kingdom stated that they consumed live radio compared to a mere five percent who said that they listened to podcasts. While radio in general has enjoyed a relatively stable audience reach, online radio has become increasingly popular with the rise of the internet and smartphones. This is also reflected in the weekly reach of digital radio in the United Kingdom, which has increased year by year, surpassing 65 percent in 2020. A total of 12 percent of respondents even stated that they had listened to the radio digitally in the previous week, while only seven percent did so less frequently.
