UK Consumers Embrace Smart Devices as Podcast Listening Hits New High

Smart devices permeate the audio day of UK listeners, including the in-car environment, according to The Infinite Dial UK 2025, presented today at The Podcast Show in London from Edison Research with sponsors SiriusXM Media and AdsWizz.

The findings shared by Edison Research’s Senior Director of Research, Gabriel Soto, and AdsWizz’s Regional Director, UK & Ireland, Ollie Chadwick include:

Smart device ownership increases:

Smartphone ownership is ubiquitous in the UK, with 97% of the 16+ population owning a smartphone, up from 83% just four years ago.

Smart speaker ownership showed massive increases in the past four years, with 45% of the 16+ population now owning a smart speaker, up from 25% four years ago. The UK outpaces the U.S. by 10 percentage points, with 35% of the U.S. population ages 12+ owning one of the devices.

Smart TV ownership has increased to 72% today among those ages 16+ in the UK compared to 50% four years ago.

In-car listening has more smartphone integration and more podcasts:

Of those in the UK ages 18+ who have driven or ridden in a car in the last month:

• 38% have either an Android Auto or Apple CarPlay system in their primary car – more than doubling since 2021
• 22% listen to podcasts in-car, compared to 15% in 2021

Podcast consumption hits new high:

68% of those age 16+ in the UK (33 million people) have ever listened to a podcast, up from 59% in 2021

When adding in those who did not report listening to a podcast but said they watched a podcast, reach increases to 71% (35 million people) who have ever consumed a podcast (listened or watched)

"The 2025 Infinite Dial data confirms that podcasting isn’t emerging -- it has arrived! With more than 33 million UK adults now listening—and nearly half watching—podcasting is no longer an audio-only format. It’s a cross-platform experience that rewards creative ambition and demands strategic thinking. The future belongs to formats that move fast, tell stories across screens, and turn data into direction,” said Chadwick, Regional Director, UK & Ireland, AdsWizz.

According to Edison’s Senior Director of Research Soto, “Advances in technology, including smart TVs in homes and smartphone integration in cars, provide more avenues for listeners to consume online audio content.”

Soto and Chadwick will team up once more to present an in-depth look at additional findings from the study in a webinar on May 29 .

About the study: The Infinite Dial UK mirrors Edison Research’s The Infinite Dial, which is the longest-running survey of digital media consumer behavior in America and has been undertaken annually since 1998. The report covers a wide range of online digital media topics including online audio listening, podcast consumption, device ownership, in-car audio habits, social media usage, and more. This study is designed to allow for direct comparisons between the UK, U.S., Australia, and New Zealand markets.