#digital-vs-radio

#digital-vs-radio

A new app called TikTok was ascendant, bringing a whole new kind of vertical video to phones everywhere. And another app - not as popular, but growing fast, and already hugely influential among the tech set - looked like it might have an entirely new social idea on its hands. It was called Clubhouse, and it was a huge bet that audio might be the future.

In an annual cycle perhaps representing a new-year resolution trend, the February total was 12,852 launches, compared to 18,863 in January. In the chart above, the February total is revealed to be not only a sharp monthly downturn, but a full 13-month low point.

Social platforms like TikTok, Instagram and Facebook offer huge opportunities for marketers. They are the new de facto gatekeepers to huge audiences, and there are very few other means to reach younger audiences at scale with ease. But that access comes with trade-offs, and different platforms emerge and disappear rapidly. As part of our Predictions season, The Drum Network seeks to examine where brands and agencies fit into that environment.

Trade organization RAJAR, which measures UK radio usage, has released its Q4 2025 data. The headline takeaway tells us that 50 million adults (86% of the adults UK population) listens to the radio at least weekly. That usage adds up to just over one billion listening hours. On a per-listener basis, the average person hears 20-30 hours of live radio per week. These numbers do not necessarily indicate turning on an analog radio. Forty-four million 15+ UK'ers use a digitally enabled platform each week.

The Podcast Metrics division of Edison Research has released an interesting output of its relentless podcast metrics research: Top Ten New Podcasts of 2025. We compare that list with Edison's Top 50 Podcasts of Q4 list. First, the top ten new podcasts of 2025: Now, Edison's top 50 of all podcasts in Q4 - the top 10 shown below: The Joe Rogan Experience Crime Junkie