New research from Radiomonitor shows that radio remains the dominant music platform, outpacing streaming services in audience reach.
In Europe, radio provides five times the exposure of Spotify, rising to 48 times in markets like Nigeria.
Spotify’s top track of 2024, Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter, had 1.6 billion streams globally, while UK radio alone played it 1.3 billion times.
Beautiful Things by Benson Boone had 120 million Spotify UK streams but 1.8 billion UK radio listens.
Weekly chart comparisons highlight radio’s edge. In the UK (week 6, 2025), Spotify’s top song had 3.6 million streams, whereas the top radio track had 51.4 million listens. The average top 200 radio song is heard 10 times more than its Spotify equivalent.
Radiomonitor’s data confirms this trend globally, with Radio Multiples (RM) showing radio outperforms streaming in all examined countries. Even in markets where streaming is strong, radio remains the leading platform for music exposure.
Beyond numbers, radio’s curated programming and presenter-led context drive streams, downloads, and concert ticket sales. With live music revenues far exceeding recorded music, radio’s impact is more significant than ever.
A No. 1 on the Radiomonitor airplay chart signifies the most listened-to song across all platforms combined.
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This story first appeared on radiotoday.co.uk