Though many people are switching to cloud-based streaming services to get their daily music fix, there are many others who are just as content listening to the radio. The radio industry is continuing to evolve with a number of innovations surfacing, and new technology keeping the industry alive in the face of digital competition.

Detroit-based media research and consulting firm Jacobs Media recently carried out a study of radio listeners and discovered the media habits of 12 different core radio format audiences as part of a wide-scale technology survey.

The survey, which received 57,358 responses, found four main emotional triggers that matter to radio listeners. Having a radio on while working, placing them in a more upbeat mood, a feeling of companionship and an escape from everyday life were all cited as valued emotional triggers for the AM/FM radio listeners.

"Techsurvey8 strongly suggests that focusing on connecting emotionally with listeners is radio's best avenue toward remaining relevant in the face of new digital competition," Fred Jacobs, Jacobs Media president, said in a release.

Pandora (News - Alert) was found to be the most popular Internet music option, with 45 percent of those who listen to online streaming music using Pandora to some extent. That puts the service in from of competitors like iHeartRadio (19 percent), Spotify (News - Alert) (seven percent) and TuneIn Radio (seven percent). However, 49 percent of Pandora users do not believe that such services should be considered “radio,” with 43 percent giving their approval to such a term.

Over half (52 percent) of the respondents own a smartphone, while just under a quarter (24 percent) say they own a tablet device.

In social media, almost 80 percent of respondents claim that they are on Facebook. Three in ten are LinkedIn (News - Alert) users, while around 22 percent are on Twitter.

It seems there’s still life in one of the oldest communications industry still in widespread use. Radio industry revenue in the U.S. is projected to grow 3.5 percent from 2011 to $14.6 billion this year. Some publications point to technological advancement as an important reason why the industry continues to survive.