Edison Research

What Edison Research does

Edison Research, founded in 1998 and now operating as Edison Research at SSRS following its 2025 combination with SSRS, is a US-headquartered survey-research firm delivering three vertical practices — Audio Research, Election Research, and Market Research — to media companies, brands, government agencies, and NGOs worldwide. The company holds an exclusive franchise as the sole provider of exit polling, race projections, and analysis to the National Election Pool (ABC News, CBS News, CNN, NBC News) since 2004 and has conducted research across 66+ countries. Its syndicated platform comprises four flagship products: Edison Podcast Metrics (the only survey-based measurement of weekly podcast reach across all networks in the U.S. and UK), Edison Download Metrics (IAB v2.2-compliant publisher analytics via SoundStack), Share of Ear (a quarterly cross-platform audio diary since 2014), and The Infinite Dial (the longest-running annual U.S. digital media consumer behavior survey since 1998, now in six countries).

Methodology centers on probability-based random-digit dialing, listening diaries, exit polling, and qualitative research, supported by a field network of 19,000+ trained interviewers enabling in-person and out-of-home research at venues that purely digital research firms cannot reach. The Infinite Dial, Share of Ear, Edison Podcast Metrics, and Edison Download Metrics are registered trademarks, reinforcing distinct product identities. The company has a small senior leadership team (EVP, VP, Senior Director level) and operates a direct enterprise sales motion supplemented by event-driven thought leadership at Podcast Movement, NAB Show, Radiodays North America, and the Columbia University Political Analytics Conference, plus a free Weekly Insights newsletter.

Revenue is generated through three streams: (1) subscription access to syndicated data dashboards (Edison Podcast Metrics, Share of Ear, Edison Download Metrics) on annual or quarterly billing cycles, (2) custom research engagements for brands, media companies, and government (project-priced), and (3) sponsored reports co-branded with media partners such as SiriusXM Media, GroupM, audiochuck, and Libsyn. Pricing is opaque and quote-based. Public research products (The Infinite Dial annual report) are distributed free through sponsorships. Named enterprise customers span broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, CNN, NBC, Disney), streaming and audio platforms (Spotify, Amazon, Apple, SiriusXM Media, Westwood One, Audacy), sports (NFL), and the United States Government. No AI capability, proprietary model, or research-grade ML system is disclosed in the input.

Name

Edison Research

Legal name

Edison Research

Website

https://edisonresearch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Edison Research, now operating as Edison Research at SSRS, is a US-based survey-research firm providing syndicated audio measurement (Edison Podcast Metrics, Share of Ear, The Infinite Dial), U.S. and international election polling for the National Election Pool, and custom market research to media companies, brands, government, and NGOs across 66+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Market Research Services

NAICS

Marketing Research and Public Opinion Polling (54191), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Market Research & Consumer Insights (BPAHALAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Syndicated Market Research (Panels, Omnibus, Tracker Studies) (MPAAALAB), Due Diligence & Investigative Research (BPAHALAI)

Keywords

• Podcast measurement
• Election research
• Audio research
• Market research
• Public opinion polling

Headquarters

HQ city

Somerville

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Syndicated Research Subscriptions: Subscription access to Edison Podcast Metrics dashboard, Share of Ear quarterly data, The Infinite Dial reports, and podcast ranking dashboards. Quarterly/annual billing cycles.
2. Custom Research Studies: Bespoke research projects for brands, media companies, and government clients including audience studies, brand lift studies, and qualitative research.
3. Sponsored Reports: Reports co-branded with sponsors such as Sports Audio Report with SiriusXM Media, Latino Podcast Listener Report with multiple sponsors. Free public reports with sponsor visibility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Edison Research is a research firm that produces syndicated audio measurement products (Edison Podcast Metrics, Edison Download Metrics, Share of Ear, The Infinite Dial), U.S. and international election exit polling and projections (sole provider to the National Election Pool since 2004), and custom market research (public opinion polling, out-of-home research, consumer surveys, qualitative research). Revenue comes from enterprise subscriptions to its syndicated data dashboards and quote-based custom research engagements with brands, media companies, governments, and NGOs.

Product overview

Edison Research is a research company that has joined SSRS, offering three primary research verticals: Audio Research, Election Research, and Market Research. The core products include Edison Podcast Metrics (the only survey-based podcast measurement service measuring listening reach across all networks in U.S. and UK), Edison Download Metrics (IAB v2.2-compliant download analytics), Share of Ear (the only comprehensive U.S. audio consumption tracking across all platforms since 2014), and The Infinite Dial (the longest-running annual digital media consumer behavior survey since 1998, now in six countries). Election Research provides exit polling and election projections for U.S. elections (sole provider to National Election Pool since 2004) and international elections. Market Research includes public opinion polling, out-of-home research, consumer surveys, qualitative research, and thought leadership services. The company also publishes numerous specialized reports including Latino Podcast Listener Report, Sports Audio Report, True Crime Consumer Report, and The Podcast Consumer annual study.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Edison Podcast Metrics: The only all-inclusive measurement of weekly reach of podcast networks and shows in the U.S. and UK
• Edison Download Metrics
• Share of Ear
• The Infinite Dial

Quantifiable outcome

• Podcasts account for 10% of all daily time spent with audio (Share of Ear 2023)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and regional.

• SSRScoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Edison Research has joined SSRS, combining Edison's legacy in audio and election research with SSRS capabilities in public opinion, healthcare, and consumer trends. Together they aim to create new growth opportunities.
• audiochuck media companycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced the True Crime Consumer Report providing in-depth insights on True Crime podcast trends and listeners. audiochuck is the media company behind Crime Junkie.
• SiriusXM MediacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced the Sports Audio Report series exploring sports fandom and audio content consumption in the U.S. Partnership includes co-sponsored webinars and publicly available reports.
• GroupMmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced the Sports Audio Report series, contributing research expertise on sports audio consumption and demographics.
• National Election PoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2004, Edison Research has been the sole provider of election data, race projections, and analysis to the National Election Pool (ABC News, CBS News, CNN, NBC News).
• LWC StudiosmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored the Latino Podcast Listener Report 2024, supporting research on Latino podcast listening habits in the U.S.
• Latino Media NetworkmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored the Latino Podcast Listener Report 2024. Latino Media Network owns radio stations in 9 major U.S. Hispanic markets.
• LibsynmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored the Latino Podcast Listener Report 2024. Libsyn is a leading podcasting platform hosting 70,000+ shows.
• SiriusXM Podcast NetworkmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored the Latino Podcast Listener Report 2024, supporting research on Latino podcast consumption.
• Uforia Podcasts (TelevisaUnivision)majorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-sponsored the Latino Podcast Listener Report 2024. Uforia is the #1 Spanish-language podcast network in the U.S. with 50+ hours of original content weekly.
• Commercial Radio & Audio (Australia)regionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-produced the 2026 Infinite Dial Australia, Edison Research's first Infinite Dial study in the Australian market.
• SoundStackcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology provider for Edison Download Metrics, serving as a certified IAB v2.2 vendor for podcast download measurement.
• Rustavi 2 (Georgia)regionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCommissioned Edison Research to conduct exit polls and pre-election surveys in Georgia for multiple elections.
• Westwood OnemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerSubscriber to Share of Ear data. Westwood One is a major radio network relying on Edison's audio consumption research.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Gallup: Gallup is a long-established public opinion polling and analytics firm with deep U.S. election and consumer research. It competes with Edison on U.S. public opinion polling and shares the election-research adjacency, but is significantly larger and broader in scope.
• Nielsen: Nielsen is the dominant global audience measurement and consumer insights company (Nielsen Audio/former Arbitron, Nielsen Podcast Ratings). It competes with Edison in audio measurement and is a far larger incumbent operating across TV, audio, and digital — the most direct large-scale competitor for syndicated audio ratings.
• Kantar: Kantar is one of the largest global market research and consumer insights companies, operating syndicated and custom research across media, brands, and consumer behavior. It overlaps with Edison's market-research vertical at scale, though its audio-research specialization is less direct.
• Ipsos: Ipsos is a global market research and public opinion firm operating across syndicated and custom research, including media and consumer insights. It overlaps with Edison in public-opinion polling, custom research, and syndicated market research but at significantly larger scale.

Direct peers

• Pew Research Center: Pew Research Center is a nonpartisan research organization producing public opinion polling and media research (including digital media trends comparable to The Infinite Dial). It competes with Edison for credibility on public-opinion and media-behavior research, though it is a non-profit and does not monetize syndicated data products.
• Triton Digital: Triton Digital provides podcast and digital audio measurement (Triton Podcast Metrics) and is the closest direct competitor to Edison Podcast Metrics. Now part of iHeartMedia, Triton focuses on download-based measurement versus Edison's survey-based listening methodology — the central methodological distinction in the podcast measurement market.
• Pew Research Center / Marist Poll (via Marist Institute): Marist Poll is a respected academic-affiliated public opinion polling operation covering U.S. politics and consumer behavior. It competes with Edison on political polling and shares interest in telephone-based methodology, though at smaller scale and without Edison's audio/election commercial product portfolio.

Regional players

• Maru/Blue: Maru/Blue is a North American market research and public opinion firm with capabilities in syndicated tracking, custom research, and election polling. It competes with Edison on U.S./Canada public opinion work and shares the survey-research methodology base, though it lacks Edison's audio-measurement specialization.

Emerging players

• Sounds Profitable: Sounds Profitable is a research and advisory firm specializing in podcast industry data, monetization research, and ad-tech insights. It overlaps with Edison on podcast consumer behavior research but is newer and lacks Edison's longitudinal trend datasets.

Others

• SSRS: SSRS is the parent company that acquired Edison Research in 2025. It is a public-opinion, healthcare, and consumer-trends research firm whose capabilities Edison now combines with. As parent and operational partner, SSRS is the most directly structurally related entity though not a market competitor.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edison-research
• Instagraminstagram.com/edisonresearch
• Facebookfacebook.com/edisonresearch
• Xx.com/edisonresearch

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Edison Research