Sydney radio listening has shifted noticeably in Survey 7, with a softening across talk formats and a clear resurgence in music-led stations and with Christmas just around the corner, the shift begs the question, is this just a seasonal mood change or the beginning of a larger behavioural shift in audience habits?
2GB remained Sydney’s dominant talk brand but dipped from 14.2 to 13.8 in total audience share across Mon–Sun listening. ABC Sydney experienced a sharper decline, falling from 6.6 to 5.5.
“It’s been a tough year in a challenging market, but Sydney has delivered 2GB an early Christmas present! We end the year dominating all key time slots, thanks to the hundreds of thousands of listeners who join our real conversations daily. A 50 per cent jump in listener engagement since last year shows Sydney is tuning in longer — wonderful recognition for the hard work of our content teams,” said 2GB station manager, Greg Byrnes.
Meanwhile, several music stations rose into stronger positions. In Sydney, smoothfm 95.3 lifted from 10.7 to 11.4, NOVA96.9 increased from 7.1 to 7.5, and GOLD101.7 jumped from 7.9 to 8.7.
“Relentless performance has been the hallmark of 2025 for NOVA Entertainment, delivering market-leading audiences and commercial results. With summer upon us, momentum is strong, and Survey 7 has delivered exactly what we set out to achieve – great content that delivers more audiences for our brands and advertisers. We’re delighted that NOVA is the #1 metro network across both 10+ and the all-important 25-54 audience, and Nova FM dominates from 2pm to 10pm across the network each day. We’ve got a great run-in to the end of the year and we will start 2026 with a bang,” said NOVA Entertainment’s chief executive officer, Peter Charlton.
“Behind every #1 on survey day is a simple truth: we perform so our clients can. The art of what we do is consistency, creating compelling content every single day that earns attention, trust, and time. Consistent results for us mean we can deliver the same for our customers: impact they can count on. From a commercial perspective, you can’t ask for much more than an audience that’s growing, a competitive edge powered by human creativity, and a team driven to keep raising the bar for our clients,” said NOVA Entertainment’s chief commercial officer, Nicole Bence.
The trend is most visible in middle-aged listeners (40-54), where smoothfm surged from 12.2 to 13.9, and GOLD101.7 grew from 8.6 to 9.2, while 2GB and 2UE declined in the same category.
Melbourne
In Melbourne, the story mirrors Sydney, though the gap between talk and music is even more pronounced. 3AW remains the undisputed giant with a 14.7 share overall, but talk formats saw softening across dayparts.
Meanwhile, GOLD104.3 surged from 11.2 to 12.5, and Nova and FOX FM lifted significantly among under-40s, signalling a shift toward feel-good and music-led formats as the year winds down.
Brisbane
Brisbane’s Survey 7 shows a strong tilt toward music-driven listening. Nova and KIIS recorded growth in key youth demos, particularly among 18–39s. In this market, legacy talk stations, including ABC, saw a slip in share.
Adelaide
Adelaide saw fewer dramatic swings, but the directional movement aligns with the national story: music formats nudged up, while talk cooled, particularly in breakfast and drive. Mix102.3 and Nova both showed stability with incremental lifts, while talk offerings plateaued or softened.
Perth
Perth was one of the clearest music wins of Survey 7, with Nova holding strong audience share and Mix recording uplift across multiple demos. Music-based stations benefited from younger and mid-life listener growth, while talk formats saw marginal reductions or static performance across weekday sessions.
With just one survey left before the end-of-year, the question now is whether listeners are seeking escapism, shifting to passive listening formats, or simply reflecting the emotional end-of-year tilt toward music, nostalgia and routine.
“Commercial radio offers something increasingly rare in a fragmented media landscape: engaged audience attention, proven ROI, and the certainty that your investment supports Australian communities, jobs and critical infrastructure,” said Lizzie Young, CEO of CRA.
“For advertisers looking for the best media returns in 2026 the power of audio cannot be underestimated – these numbers demonstrate commercial radio’s unique ability to consistently connect with audiences anytime and anywhere, and drive results for brands,” continued Young.
Either way, music radio just had one of its strongest swings of 2025, and the talk sector will be watching Survey Eight closely to see if this was a wobble or a meaningful shift.
