CarPlay and Android Auto Bring Digital into the Car, but Radio Remains Popular
By Edison Research
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Share of Ear® illustrates how radio remains an integral part of Americans’ audio diet in 2025, especially in the car. Americans 13+ spend most of their daily in-car audio time listening to AM/FM radio, especially those who do not have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in their primary vehicle. Radio continues to dominate in-car audio listening across many different audience segments, but the presence of Apple CarPlay or Android Auto does weaken the platform’s dominance while driving.
In-car audio listening has transformed significantly since Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have made their way into more and more vehicles. As of Q2 2025, just over one-third of Americans 13+ have Apple CarPlay or Android Auto in their primary vehicle. Not only is the presence of these technologies in vehicles becoming more popular, but they are also becoming more ingrained in consumers audio habits. Recently, we published that 83% of Americans 18+ who have access to Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, use either technology.
While radio’s share is lower among those with these new technologies in their cars, it still garners the most time spent listening at 47%. As the nearby graph shows, the biggest platform gainers among those who have CarPlay or Android Auto are Streaming Audio and SiriusXM Radio, both accounting for 20% of in-car audio time respectively.
Another surprising element of this graph is the percentage of time spent listening to podcasts among both audiences. While more time is spent with other digital platforms once someone has Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, time spent with podcasts remains relatively modest and stable.
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