Major findings on UK digital media consumption from The Infinite Dial UK 2025 were presented last week at The Podcast Show in London.
Now, Gabriel Soto, Edison Research’s Senior Director of Research, and Ollie Chadwick, AdsWizz’s Regional Director, UK & Ireland, shared additional insights from the study in a webinar earlier today.
The Infinite Dial UK 2025 report reveals that weekly podcast listening in the UK has grown significantly, bringing it within just two percentage points of the United States. It also highlights rapid growth in digital audio consumption and tech ownership among UK adults.
According to the study, 39% of those aged 16 and over in the UK, around 19 million people, listen to podcasts weekly. That figure is up from 25% in 2021 and close to the current US figure of 41%. Additionally, 6% of people said they watched a podcast in the last week without listening to it.
Online audio listening has also grown: 74% of UK adults (about 36 million people) streamed audio in the past week, up from 66% in 2021 and now slightly ahead of the US figure of 72%.
Device ownership trends underline this digital shift. Ownership of smart speakers in the UK has nearly doubled since 2021, with 45% of those aged 16+ now owning at least one.
Amazon Alexa leads at 37%, followed by Google Home at 16% and Apple HomePod at 5%. Smart watch and wireless headphone ownership have also surged, while traditional radio ownership has declined.
On social media, platforms like Facebook, X, and LinkedIn have higher reach in the UK than in the US. However, usage has shifted, with Instagram and TikTok gaining ground as the most-used platforms.
Edison’s Infinite Dial UK offers a direct comparison to digital media trends in the US, Australia, and New Zealand and remains the industry benchmark for media consumption habits.
The study is sponsored by SiriusXM Media and AdsWizz and is available for download and viewing here.
