Laura Carollo
Research expert covering cinema and film
Online radio in France - statistics & facts
More and more French people are lending their ears to digital audio. At a time when online radio channels register an ever-increasing number of listeners, other digital audio markets finally seem to be establishing themselves in the routines of French consumers. In 2023, podcast consumption had reached new heights, whereas 17 percent of French people consumed audio books. How important is digital in French radio consumption? Which channels are coming out on top?
France Inter: first online radio channel
As of March-April 2024, France Inter was by far the most listened-to online radio station both in terms of numbers of hours as well as plays, followed by RTL and RMC. France Inter belongs to the Radio France Group, the leading French public service radio broadcaster. Founded in 1975, Radio France offers seven national networks in total, among them France Info, France Culture, France Musique and the aforementioned France Inter. These networks cover a great variety of topics, such as 24-hour news, national and regional news, various cultural programming (arts, history, science, philosophy).Radio – a traditional and versatile medium
In 2023, online radio was the most listened to digital audio content among French respondents, followed by audio books and web podcasts. Listening to the radio live remained more popular than catching up on radio programs online. Despite being a traditional medium, the average daily radio listening time has only slightly dipped over the past few years. The general trust in news reported by the radio has also remained relatively stable since 2005 – as of 2023, 54 percent of respondents felt radio was trustworthy.A lucrative opportunity
Online radio consumption seems here to stay among the French population, making it a lucrative market for many. As of 2022, France was the fourth largest digital audio advertising market in Europe. Moreover, the number of online radio and music advertisers in France exploded from 2019 to 2023, reaching more than 1,700 advertisers in 2023.
