Podcasting’s Most Engaged Consumers Are Already Heavy Radio Users

Strategic Solutions Research along with Point-To-Point Marketing presented the final webinar in The Podcast Study 2026 series on Tuesday October 20th 2026, examining what the research can teach radio leaders about talent, advertising, audience development, and the growing overlap between radio and podcast consumers.

“What Radio Can Learn from The Podcast Study” used findings from the national study of 1,205 U.S. podcast consumers to look specifically at the behavior of radio listeners within the podcast audience.

The Podcast Study 2026 was made possible with the support of Crooked Media, NPR, and PRX. Strategic Solutions Research and Point-To-Point Marketing thanked all three organizations for helping make the national research and webinar series possible.

One of the clearest findings was just how much the two audiences overlap. Seventy-four percent of podcast consumers in the study listen to local radio at least weekly, while 46% listen every day. That overlap also extends to podcasting’s most engaged consumers. Forty-three percent of daily radio listeners qualified as either a Podcast Superfan or Prime Prospect, compared with 26% of podcast consumers who are not regular radio listeners.

Looking at the relationship from the other direction, 79% of Podcast Superfans listen to local radio at least weekly and 58% listen every day. Among Prime Prospects, 82% are weekly radio listeners and 56% listen daily.

“The most valuable podcast consumers are not living in a separate universe from radio,” said Hal Rood, Partner/EVP of Strategic Solutions Research. “They are already using radio at very high levels. That creates an important opportunity for radio to think about how talent, content, community, and direct audience relationships can deepen the engagement it already has.”

The webinar also focused heavily on the selling power of the host.

Among daily radio listeners, 47% said host-read ads strongly influence them to try or buy a product, compared with 34% for prerecorded advertising. Sixty-two percent of daily radio listeners said they stay through host-read ads.

The effect of a host endorsement also appears to carry beyond the host-read commercial itself. Among radio listeners, 54% said they are more likely to notice an ad after hearing a host endorsement, 56% are more likely to remember the brand, 49% are more likely to trust the ad, and 46% are more likely to consider buying.

“Your hosts aren’t just why people tune in. They’re why people buy,” Rood said. “Nearly half of daily radio listeners say host-read ads strongly influence them to try or buy. That’s much more than just an ad. The data gives radio a strong case for treating talent as both a programming and advertising asset.”

The research also suggested that radio’s opportunity extends well beyond its current heaviest users. Among the 26% of podcast consumers who do not listen to local radio weekly, 75% have listened to local radio before. Nearly half, 48%, still listen at least every few months. The findings suggest that much of this audience is better described as lapsed or light radio users than consumers who have completely abandoned the medium.

The study also found that the host remains important among those lighter radio users. About half of consumers who listen to radio monthly or less said recognizing or liking a host can influence them to try a new podcast.

“This is a useful reminder that radio already has a meaningful relationship with many of the consumers that podcast companies most want to deepen,” said Tim Bronsil, Owner and CEO of Point-To-Point Marketing. “A significant number of the people most willing to follow, join, and pay are already radio users. The opportunity is to give them more ways to engage with the host, the content, and the brand.”

Additionally, the webinar examined how radio can apply podcast discovery and engagement behavior to its own audience-development strategies.

Social media and word of mouth remain the two leading sources of podcast discovery, while 65% of radio listeners said they typically see two or more social clips before trying a new podcast. The research also showed strong interest among daily radio listeners in joining free VIP programs, receiving communication directly from hosts, accessing exclusive content, and following coverage from events even when they do not attend.

Bronsil said those findings broaden the definition of audience development.

“The goal is not simply to create one more listener, download, or view,” Bronsil explained. “The bigger opportunity is moving someone deeper into the relationship. They may first encounter a host through a clip, then try the content, follow it, join a database, attend an event, or become part of a community. Radio has been building relationships like that for decades. The research gives us a better understanding of how those relationships can now extend across platforms.”

The October 20 presentation concluded The Podcast Study 2026 webinar series, which examined the power of the host, the development of Superfans and Prime Prospects, revenue opportunities beyond traditional podcast advertising, and lessons for the radio industry.

Additional information from The Podcast Study 2026 is available at ThePodcastStudy.com.

For more information:

• Hal Rood - Strategic Solutions Research: Hal@StrategicSolutionsResearch.com

• Tim Bronsil - Point-To-Point Marketing: Tim@PTPMarketing.com 513.702.5072