Commercial radio holds firm at 12.7 million weekly listeners in first GfK survey

Commercial radio reached 12.7 million Australians each week in the first GfK survey of 2026, reinforcing the medium’s scale despite growing competition from streaming and digital platforms.

The results, released by Commercial Radio & Audio, cover listening behaviour between 18 January and 28 February and mark the first audience read of the year.

According to CRA, radio has maintained consistent audience performance since mid-2022, even as media consumption becomes increasingly fragmented across platforms.

SEE MORE: CRA says audio ‘outperforms at every stage’

The industry body pointed to radio’s strength in live, local and trusted content as a key differentiator, particularly during periods of economic uncertainty and rapid technological change.

CRA CEO Lizzie Young said the results reflect radio’s ongoing role in shaping national conversations.

"Radio's place in Australian life is built on trusted influence around the cultural conversations that shape our country, from moments of tragedy to times of triumph," Young said.

"The commercial radio industry is entering an exciting new chapter - one defined by a level of industry collaboration for the benefit of audiences and advertisers alike. Our members are reaching audiences across AM, FM, DAB+, streaming and podcasting, and the investment in platforms like CRA Audio ID and RadioApp means we are delivering the precision, transparency and scale that advertisers require," Young added.

The results also align with previous research cited by CRA, including work from Professor Mark Ritson, which found brands allocating at least 11% of media budgets to audio can drive stronger campaign effectiveness.

“If you want growth, you have to invest for growth,” Ritson said at this year's Heard conference.

“Audio is the catalyst in the media mix. Eight years of beautiful data confirms it: allocate 11% to audio and you trigger a disproportionate effect across every key brand and business measure. This isn't theory. You're not spending more - you're making everything you already spend work significantly harder."