Tops of 2013: Audio

As the year draws to a close it’s time to reflect on the format preferences of radio listeners in the U.S., where more than 90 percent of Americans use the medium on a weekly basis.

In 2013 we have seen Country grow among younger listeners and set all-time highs for audience shares across the 48 Nielsen portable people meter (PPM) markets; Pop Contemporary Hit Radio (Pop CHR) mature by increasing its listening share in the 25-54 demographic; spoken word (News/Talk and Sports) made a big rebound during the fall; and both Urban Contemporary and Hot Adult Contemporary had banner years—among their best ever.

Below is a look at the listening landscape of the top 10 radio formats of 2013, based on Nielsen’s PPM markets.