RAJAR Q4 2024 key takeaways
The latest RAJAR Q4 results are in, and the data confirms that UK radio remains a dominant and thriving channel. With shifting audience habits and the growing influence of digital platforms, here are the biggest takeaways.
Radio listening: a strong and growing audience
The total weekly audience for UK radio remains strong, reaching 50.2 million listeners, an increase from 49.5 million in Q4 2023 (+1.6% YoY).
Despite this growth, overall radio listening has dipped by 1.2% quarter-on-quarter (QoQ), mainly due to the BBC losing close to 1 million listeners.
Commercial radio continues to widen its lead over the BBC, reaching 8.3 million more listeners than BBC stations, up from 7.8 million in Q4 2023.
The market share of commercial radio now stands at 54%, compared to the BBC’s 44%.
The digital shift: online and smart speakers
Digital listening remains dominant, with 72.2% of all radio listening happening on digital platforms versus 27.8% on AM/FM.
Online radio reach has climbed to 44% in Q4, up two percentage points from the previous quarter.
Online listening now accounts for nearly one-third (31.1%) of all commercial radio listening, a steady increase from 28.9% in Q4 2023.
Smart speaker listening is 16.1% of total listening, up from 14.7% a year ago. However, QoQ growth has stagnated, suggesting smart speaker adoption has reached peak household penetration.
Top-performing stations and shows
Heart remains the UK’s biggest commercial radio station, reaching over 10 million weekly listeners.
Smooth Radio achieved a record-breaking 7.8 million listeners, with Smooth 80s debuting at over half a million.
Jamie Theakston and Amanda Holden continue to dominate the breakfast slot, hosting the UK’s biggest commercial breakfast show with 4.2 million listeners.
Capital Breakfast with Jordan North, Chris Stark, and Siân Welby has seen remarkable growth, adding 482,000 listeners over the past 12 months to reach 2.9 million.
LBC’s Nick Ferrari at Breakfast celebrates its highest-ever audience figures, reaching 1.5 million listeners and securing London’s top commercial breakfast show ranking in hours and share.
Rossie at Breakfast on Greatest Hits Radio surpassed 3 million listeners for the first time.
KISSTORY, at 2.2 million, now has twice the audience of the main Kiss station due to Kiss’ London FM service removal.
Making an impact
A wave of new stations reported their first RAJAR figures, proving the ever-growing variety of commercial radio. Some stand-out first-quarter numbers include:
KISS Dance 720k
Smooth 80s 533k
KISSTORY R&B 530k
Nation 80s 505k
Capital Anthems 440k
Greatest Hits Radio 60s 386k
Smooth 70s 317k
Heart 10s 292k
Classic FM Calm 238k
Centreforce 883 215k
These results highlight radio's continued strength, with commercial stations outperforming the BBC, and digital platforms driving growth. As online and smart speaker listening reach new highs, the way audiences engage with radio continues to evolve.
To dive deeper into the audio landscape, download our latest white paper, No Such Normal 2025, for further insights and actionable strategies.
Nick Gee, Radio Experts
Guest contributor.
