New Edison Research Share of Ear data sets out to highlight the hottest formats in music radio, but it ends up filling the gaps as to why certain formats didn't see as much benefit from Nielsen's new 3-minute rule change for PPM Average Quarter Hour measurement.
Edison's Share of Ear Q2 2025 study found Hip-Hop and R&B audiences clock more listening time than any other genre. Americans aged 13 and up who primarily listen to Hip-Hop/R&B spend an average of 228 minutes per day with their favorite music. Alternative Rock fans follow at 199 minutes, then Country (165), Top 40 (161), and Classic Rock (159).
On the other side, Christian music receives the least amount of listening.
That's where updated Nielsen data from Winter 2025 comes in. Since the rollout of Nielsen's revised three-minute PPM inclusion rule, several formats, most notably News/Talk, Sports, and Religious, have seen dramatic AQH gains. Religious formats had a 36.0% bump among adults 18-49, per Xtrends data shared by Research Director, Inc.
Meanwhile, Urban formats posted the smallest AQH lift, just 13.1% (18-49). Country had the third smallest at 14.2%. For those wondering, that's not a red flag. It's a sign of previous strength. With high time-spent numbers and already strong AQH, there was less headroom for growth under the new rule.
These surges don't stem from new audience inflow. They reflect previously uncaptured listening. Long-form, uninterrupted spoken-word formats like News/Talk and Religion were often penalized under the old PPM methodology. The new three-minute threshold corrects that -- and the results are showing up fast.
Together, Edison's and Nielsen's datasets give programmers a fuller picture of listener behavior.
Share of Ear shows where loyalty lies. AQH shifts show where methodology masked performance. And for format strategists, the message is clear: sustained listening is more valuable than ever. This new AQH growth may not always reflect new fans, but better credit for the ones you already had, as intended.