Streaming shows symbiotic ties to broadcast radio

Story by Inside Radio

The number of people who listen to webcasts keeps growing, and while it threatens to eat into time spent with broadcast radio there may be a silver lining. Bridge Ratings looked at web listeners’ behavior and found an upside for FM/AM radi its curation role is stronger than ever.

The survey of streaming audio users found 86% listen to broadcast radio for the songs they know. But even more noteworthy is how Americans rely on their favorite radio station to discover new music.

The latest survey found 43% of web radio listeners still go traditional radio to learn about what’s hot musically. That’s up seven points over the last Bridge survey in 2012. In fact 59% of people surveyed say listening to FM/AM helps them pick which songs to listen to online. And 40% says their favorite broadcast station is still an important part of their music streaming experience.

Bridge president Dave Van Dyke says the data suggests web radio listeners are “learning to appreciate” radio’s ability to select music worth hearing. “For this panel, radio serves as a curating funnel which on-demand streamers utilize to help them determine not only what they stream but also what they download and ultimately purchase,” he concludes.

The survey results are based on a national sample of 2,000 persons age 12 and older. The margin of error is +/- 2.2%.