(Photo: CRA)

The latest survey has revealed a record 12.2 million people listened to Australian commercial radio each week.

The industry body Commercial Radio & Audio said this was the ninth consecutive rise in cumulative audience growth.

Time spent listening to commercial radio increased across all demographics under 55, the GfK Radio Ratings survey says.

On average, young Australians aged 10-24 tuned in an extra 1 hour and 48 minutes each week across the five major metro markets, bringing their total average listening to 10 hours and 54 minutes.

The number of people listening to commercial radio via streaming soared by 46 percent, to close to 3.7 million. Commercial DAB+ station listeners also increased 18.5 percent year-on-year to over 2.7 million.

CRA Chief Executive Officer Ford Ennals said young audiences were driving the increase in streaming-era commercial radio listening habits.

“We’re delighted that commercial radio has delivered a record-breaking set of numbers. The latest survey indicates close to 950,000 more people are listening to commercial stations each week compared to last year,” he said.