“The growth of audio content has been on a constant upward trajectory for the past few years, with the latest push coming from social audio. Slowly but surely, the medium has become an essential element of the media mix for publishers, advertisers, and listeners alike. Audio is the evolution and future of content. Don’t believe me? Just take a peek or a listen below and you’ll see or hear what I’m talking about.” – says Ron Jaworski, co-founder and CEO of Trinity Audio in the article in Business2Community.

How much listening is there?

Besides creating a new habit they have incorporated into their daily routine, listeners are also maintaining it. When it comes to online audio listening (including AM/FM online radio stations and streamed audio content only available online), there is continued growth in consumption:

  • An estimated 193 million or 68% of the US 12+ population listens on a monthly basis, which is 1 million more than in 2020.
  • Weekly online audio listening is estimated at 176 million or 62% of the US 12+ population. This is 7 million more or 60% of the population as opposed to 2020, an all-time high for this category.
  • The average time spent listening weekly is 16 hours and 14 minutes, a significant increase from the 2020s 15 hours and 12 minutes.

According to eMarketer estimates:

  • The time US adults spent with digital audio recorded an 8.3% growth for a total of 1 hour, 29 minutes per day.
  • Digital audio accounted for 11% of total media time per day for US adults in 2020 and will account for 11.7% in 2021 or 1 hour and 34 minutes per day.
  • In 2022, the average time spent listening should rise to 1 hour and 37 minutes per day.
  • Active digital audio listeners spent 2 hours and 5 minutes per day on audio in 2020 and will likely add another 5 minutes this year.
  • More than 70% of US adults listened to digital audio content at least once a month in 2020 and 91.7% of this occurred via mobile.

How do listeners perceive audio?

As a hands-free medium that can follow listeners throughout their day, audio is a powerful way to reach people. It also offers a unique way to cut through the visual clutter and increase personalization, convenience, and loyalty with targeted, meaningful content. As evident by the data, people are willing to listen for a variety of reasons:

  • Audio is the most immersive media format that triggers memorability, trust, and connection, beating out the ad-based video on demand, digital video, linear TV, and social media.
  • Audio platforms are trusted more than other media sources, while local content and host trust are the most influential drivers for listening.
  • In addition to the convenience and multitasking benefits long recognized for spoken word listening, other strong motivators for increased listening are personal growth, better content, and spoken word’s ability to improve mental health.

  • Even more data in the article in Business2Community which we highly recommend.