Radio's Lapsed Listeners Aren't Lost, Podcast Data Says

Here's something I didn't expect: the people who've drifted away from radio haven't actually left. They're still out there, still listening, just not as often. And new research says winning them back might be easier than anyone thought.

I've spent plenty of hours on the road since 2017, flipping between local radio stations and podcasts depending on where I am and what mood I'm in. Some mornings I want a local DJ telling me what's happening in whatever town I've landed in. Other times I want a podcast host I already trust, talking about something I care about. I've never thought of those two things as competitors. Turns out, the data agrees with me.

What the study found

A new report called The Podcast Study 2026, put together by Strategic Solutions Research and Point-To-Point Marketing, wrapped up its webinar series with a session titled "What Radio Can Learn From The Podcast Study." They surveyed 1,205 podcast listeners between 18 and 54, and the radio-specific numbers are worth paying attention to.

Here's the headline stat: 74% of these podcast listeners also listen to local radio weekly or more. Nearly half, 46%, tune in every single day. So the idea that podcasts are stealing radio's audience? Not really holding up.

What keeps people coming back is the host. Among radio listeners who have a favorite podcast, 81% say the host is either a big part of why they listen or the entire reason. For daily radio listeners, 24% say the host is the only reason they tune in, and 52% show up hoping to actually interact with that host somehow.

But here's where things get fragile. Among radio listeners, 55% will give a new podcast five minutes or less before bailing. Daily radio listeners are even quicker — 60% decide within five minutes. What kills it? Boring talk, and too much rambling before the show actually gets going. Sound familiar? I've clicked away from plenty of podcasts for exactly that reason.

The lapsed listener opportunity

About 26% of the people surveyed listen to local radio less than weekly. But don't write them off as gone. The study found 75% of them have listened before, and 48% still tune in every few months. These aren't strangers to radio — they're just distracted.

What pulls them back in? The host, again. Around half of these light listeners say they try new podcasts specifically because of who's hosting, and that number climbs to 51% among people who only drifted away in the past year.

They're also pickier about ads. Lapsed listeners skip ads at a rate of 59%, compared to 48% for regular radio listeners. Even when they like the host, 41% still skip the ad — versus 24% among steady listeners. That tells me ad fatigue is real, and it's pushing people away faster than boring content is.

On the flip side, host-read ads work. For daily radio listeners, 47% say they're strongly influenced by them. After hearing a host endorse something, people are more likely to notice the ad, remember the brand, trust it, and actually consider buying. That's not nothing.

Superfans, clips, and what stations should do next

The study also split listeners into groups: 17% are "Superfans" and 18% are "Prime Prospects." Both groups lean heavily toward daily radio listening, and a majority of Prime Prospects — 75% — say they'd likely subscribe to a host-read-only tier if one existed.

Social clips matter too. Nearly two-thirds of radio listeners say they need to see two or more clips before trying a new podcast, and a single clip can create real FOMO for 43% of them.

The researchers boiled it down to six moves: treat the host like the brand, give listeners real access, chase lapsed listeners with clips and on-demand content, sell host endorsements hard, fix the slow start in the first minute, and build a ladder — free VIP club, host emails, exclusive content, events, limited series.

None of that is complicated. It's just paying attention to what people already want. Which, honestly, is most of what works in life — in radio, in travel, in anything. You don't win people back with gimmicks. You win them back by being worth their five minutes.

Source: Radio Ink

See also our earlier piece: Too Many Podcasts, Not Enough Listeners? Here's Why That's Actually Good News