ALL EARS: HOW IRELAND’S AUDIO MARKET IS EVOLVING
Ireland’s audio market is at a point of transition, shaped by fragmented measurement, high-profile presenter movement in radio, and the growing influence of digital audio. While traditional radio remains dominant, talent shifts between RTÉ and Newstalk highlight increasing competition and uncertainty around audience behaviour. At the same time, digital audio’s share of listening continues to outpace commercial investment, underlining the need for unified measurement, improved standards and greater confidence from advertisers.
The Need for a Single Source of Truth in Audio Measurement
Ireland’s audio landscape has never been richer or more complex. Traditional radio remains a national mainstay, with 3.48 million listeners (15+) tuning into radio every weekday as measured comprehensively by the Joint National Listenership Research (JNLR), which continues to set the benchmark for audience accountability and advertiser confidence. However, listening habits have expanded far beyond FM. Streaming platforms, podcasts and other digital audio formats now account for a growing share of total listening, reflecting a more personalised and on-demand pattern of consumption.
The Interactive Advertising Bureau’s (IAB) Listen Up study provides valuable insight into this digital audience, mapping behaviours across podcasts and streaming services, while publishers such as Spotify, Acast, AudioOne and others supply detailed first-party performance data.
Each dataset is credible and robust in isolation. However, taken together, they present an incomplete and at times inconsistent view of the full audio market. For planners, agencies and clients, the fragmentation of measurement makes it increasingly difficult to evaluate investment, model reach and frequency, or benchmark audio’s performance alongside other media.
Ireland does not yet have a single unified system that captures all listening, both linear and digital, live and on demand, through one transparent methodology. This absence restricts planning efficiency and limits the sector’s ability to demonstrate its full commercial and cultural impact.
Radiocentre Ireland has outlined its intention to evolve the JNLR and to explore the introduction of digital listening signals as part of a future measurement framework. A Proof of Concept is expected to begin development in the coming years, with the aim of moving towards a total audio view across broadcast and digital listening.
Achieving meaningful progress will require broad collaboration. Broadcasters, digital audio publishers and industry bodies need to work collectively to support a single-source, cross-platform measurement framework. A system that is harmonised, independently audited and universally adopted would provide a definitive understanding of total audio consumption in Ireland. It would give advertisers the confidence to invest proportionately, strengthen audio’s growing role in the wider media mix and ensure that this vibrant sector speaks with one clear and measurable voice.
A Battle of Voices in Irish Radio
Ireland’s radio landscape is in the middle of a rare, presenter-led reshuffle — a reminder that in a habit-based medium, voices can be as strategic as formats. The most telling moves are happening between RTÉ Radio One and Newstalk, where the contest for authority in radio is increasingly being fought through talent.
The headline “swap” is emblematic. Claire Byrne has left RTÉ to take over Newstalk’s flagship mid-morning block (9am–12pm) from February, stepping into the slot long associated with Pat Kenny. In the opposite direction, Kieran Cuddihy has moved from Newstalk to RTÉ Radio One to become the new host of Liveline, one of the most scrutinised and culturally significant shows in Irish broadcasting.
RTÉ’s response has been broader than a single appointment. The broadcaster has characterised its Radio One changes as a major schedule rethink, framed explicitly around changing listening habits and an ambition to refresh the station’s daily rhythm, rather than simply plug gaps. That ambition matters because the risk profile is different for an incumbent: any attempt to modernise the schedule must protect the trust and routine that have historically underpinned Radio One’s reach.
Newstalk, meanwhile, is signalling its own intent through a wider reconfiguration around the daypart “spine”. Alongside Byrne’s arrival, Bauer has confirmed Anton Savage will front Newstalk Breakfast (7am–9am), and the station is repositioning key talent elsewhere in the schedule as it sharpens its competitive stance against RTÉ’s core franchises.
What is difficult — and commercially crucial — is predicting how audiences will behave when familiar voices move and established habits are disrupted. Radio change can be immediate in headlines, but slow in outcomes. The real verdict will only emerge in the next JNLR releases, when the market can see whether these high-profile bets translate into sustained reach, time spent listening and daypart momentum.
Digital Audio: Influence Outpacing Investment
Digital audio in Ireland has matured and reflects the global trend towards more personal, mobile and on-demand listening. Consumption is strong, yet commercial investment continues to lag. Depending on the data source, digital audio accounts for between 20% and 40% of all audio consumption but captures only 10% of total audio ad spend.
This gap between share of listening and share of investment reflects a market still finding its rhythm. Cost is often cited as the chief barrier to investment. Digital audio is often seen as expensive in comparison to traditional radio, but that comparison can be misleading. The two fulfil different roles; radio is predominantly a shared, ambient medium, whilst digital audio offers highly personal engagement, greater targeting precision and contextual relevance.
Advertising standards and user experience present another challenge. Listeners have grown accustomed to light ad loads on streaming platforms and podcasts. As inventory grows and ad volumes increase, perceptions of “too many ads” have emerged — a response born from changing expectations rather than excessive clutter. Poorly executed in-read sponsorships or dynamically inserted ads from other markets can also undermine listener trust, reducing effectiveness and reinforcing scepticism among advertisers.
Despite these hurdles, the case for investment is strengthening. Marketing mix modelling (MMM) studies increasingly demonstrate digital audio’s impact on brand metrics and ROI, not only among younger demographics but across broader audiences. As platforms improve creative formats, measurement and integration with other digital channels, digital audio’s role within campaigns is becoming clearer.
The opportunity now lies in translating its proven influence into proportionate investment. By improving creative standards, introducing smarter frequency management and adopting unified measurement, digital audio can move from being a niche medium to a core component of the Irish media mix, delivering both emotional connection and measurable return.
