Other Media - Media Facts

Digital Audio / Satellite Radio

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QUICK FACTS - pick up to 3

AM/FM radio was the original portable electronic medium as technology migrated out of homes and into cars and onto transistor radios through the mid-20th century. Now online audio services and satellite radio have stolen some of traditional radio's mobility thunder with delivery on multiple devices and capacity for each user to customize content or to receive unique content based on algorithms

Although it's all sound, consumers and the respective industry segments differentiate among traditional AM/FM radio, digital audio/Internet radio services, and satellite radio services. The newer audio options have established a place in the media spectrum relatively quickly, appealing to younger consumers, early adapters, upscale adults – and advertisers, who are attracted to the expanded options afforded by satellite and digital/online audio marketing.

Pureplay radio services are webcasters that transmit only on the Internet; they don't transmit simulcasts of AM/FM radio broadcasts. These may not be interactive ("on demand") based on a ruling on royalty payments. (Arista)

Online radio's monthly audience (pureplay/AM/FM streamed combined) is estimated at 214 million, representing 75% penetration of the U.S. 12+ population.
- 89% of America's 12-34-year-olds listen online monthly
- 85% of 35-54's are online listeners
- The 55+ audience is slower to adopt, with just 53% penetration

(Source: The Infinite Dial 2023 - Edison Research/Wondery/ART19)

62% of consumers use an ad-supported music streaming service.

(Source: Digital media trends, 15th edition, Deloitte 2021)

69% of share of ad-supported audio time spent among person 18+ was spent on AM/FM radio.

(Source: Source: Edison Research, "Share of Ear," Q3 2022 - Q2 2023)

78% of respondents reported that they are likely to listen to streaming audio and podcasts when they are outside during the summer.

(Source: Source: Veritonic, Summer Audio Listening Trends, April 2023)

44% of Americans age 13+ spent time listening to AM/FM radio.

(Source: Source: Edison Research, Share of Ear, 2023)

Percentage (%) of share of ad-supported audio time spent by age and demographic:

Persons 25-54: 62%

Women 25-54: 63%

Men 25-54: 62%

(Source: Edison Research, "Share of Ear", Q3 2022 - Q2 2023)

Digital audio usage by device in the U.S.:

Smartphones: 75%

Smart TV: 37%

Laptop: 34%

Tablet: 29%

Smart speakers: 23%

Desktop PC: 21%

Streaming Device: 20%

Gaming Console: 18%

Music Center: 11%

Other: 3%

(Source: Statista, June 2023)

11% of Americans age 13+ listen to AM/FM radio streams at home:

(Source: Edison Research, Share of Ear, 2023)

U.S. Monthly Radio Reach (Hispanics by age group):

Hispanics 18-34 - 91%

Hispanics 35-49 - 97%

Hispanics 50+ - 97%

(Source: Nielsen NPOWER, Nielsen RADAR, Nielsen Total Media Fusion - Q1 2023)

Share of daily time spent listening to all audio services among U.S. population, Hispanic Adults 18+:

Radio - 30%

Streaming audio - 21%

YouTube - 20%

Podcasts - 12%

Owned music - 8%

Other - 5%

Satellite Radio - 4%

(Source: Edison Research, "Share of Ear", Q2 2023; Hispanic Adults 18+)

Percentage (%) of monthly reach among all audio sources (Hispanic Adults 18+):

Radio - 94%

YouTube Music - 44%

Spotify - 31%

Pandora - 23%

Amazon Music - 15%

Apple Music - 15%

Satellite Radio - 11%

(Source: Nielsen RADAR, Nielsen Scarborough - Q1 2023)

Percentage (%) of monthly reach among ad-supported radio (Hispanic Adults 18+):

Radio - 94%

YouTube Music - 40%

Spotify - 18%

Pandora - 21%

Amazon Music - 12%

(Source: Nielsen RADAR, Nielsen Scarborough - Q1 2023)

Preferred audio sources during road trips:

Streaming Audio - 73%

Podcasts - 63%

AM/FM Radio - 58%

Other audio - 8%

(Source: Veritonic, Summer Audio Listening Trends, April 2023)

Preferred audio sources used when bored:

Podcasts - 66%

Streaming audio - 58%

AM/FM Radio - 23%

(Source: Veritonic, Summer Audio Listening Trends, April 2023)

Preferred audio sources used while waiting in line at the airport or waiting for an appointment:

Podcasts - 51%

AM/FM Radio - 21%

Other Audio - 13%

(Source: Veritonic, Summer Audio Listening Trends, April 2023)

Preferred audio sources used when trying to relax:

Podcasts - 57%

AM/FM - 31%

Other Audio - 6%

(Source: Veritonic, Summer Audio Listening Trends, April 2023)

Smart Speakers / Voice

35% of Americans 18+ own a smart speaker as of June 2022.

(Source: The Smart Audio Report 2022 - Edison Research)

78% of U.S. adults own any Amazon speaker while 41% own any Google speaker.
47% of U.S. adults have one smart speaker, 24% have two and 29% have three or more smart speakers.
When compared to the first month of smart speaker ownership, Adults 18+ used their smart speakers as follows:
- More often: 43%
- About the same: 40%
- Less often: 17%
How smart speaker owners listen to audio most often:
- Smartphone or tablet: 34%
- AM/FM radio: 19%
- Smart speaker: 20%
- Computer or laptop: 11%
- Other: 16%

(Source: The Smart Audio Report, Spring 2022)

% of people who listen to audio on smart speakers more often by age:
- 18-24: 4%
- 25-34: 17%
- 35-44: 18%
- 45-54: 28%
- 55-64: 16%
- 65+: 21%

(Source: The Smart Audio Report, Spring 2022)

Voice assistants are helpful when interacting with smart speakers among adults
- 34% say they use Alexa
- 27% say they use Google Assistant
- 31% say they use Siri

(Source: Open Voice Network; Vixen Labs; June 2022)

% of people who are making purchases using voice assistance by age:
- 18-24: 50%
- 25-34: 67%
- 35-44: 63%
- 45-54: 63%
- 55-64: 41%
- 65+: 38%

(Source: Open Voice Network; Vixen Labs; June 2022)

66% of smart speaker owners listen to the news on their smart speakers.

(Source: The Smart Audio Report, Spring 2022)

54% of Households that own a smart speaker obtain weather updates on their smart speakers.

(Source: 2023 MRI-Simmons Spring Doublebase)

Number of smart speakers in household:
- One: 43%
- Two: 20%
- Three or more: 38%

(Source: The Infinite Dial 2023 - Edison Research/Wondery/ART19)

Share of ad-supported audio time spent on the smart speaker, among Persons 18+:
- AM/FM Radio - 51%
- Podcasts - 32%
- Ad-supported Pandora - 10%
- Ad-supported Spotify - 4%
- Ad-supported SiriusXM - 3%

(Source: Edison Research, "Share of Ear," Q3 2022 - Q2 2023, Persons 18+)

Top 10 Smart Speaker ownership by brand in the U.S. as of June 2023:
- Amazon Echo - 65%
- Google Home - 26%
- Apple Homepod - 21%
- Bose - 17%
- Google Nest - 17%
- Sony - 11%
- JBL- 9%
- Eufy Gene- 8%
- Fabriq- 7%
- Harmon Kardon- 6%

(Source: Statista Consumer Insights, 2023)

Smart speaker frequency of use in the U.S. in 2023:
- Daily - 50%
- Monthly - 26%
- Never/Rarely - 24%

(Source: Enterprise Apps Today, 2023)

Audio Podcasting

A podcast is an audio program formatted to be played on the iPod and made available for free or for purchase over the Internet. The name derives from the combination of broadcast and iPod.

Podcasts are shows similar to a radio show that is produced by professionals or amateurs and posted to the Internet for download and listening or viewing.

(Source: About.com)

237 million P12+ are familiar with audio podcasts.
In 2023 - 64% of persons 12+ had ever listened to an audio podcast, an all-time high – increasing from 44% in 2018, 40% in 2017 and 36% in 2016

(Source: The Infinite Dial 2023 - Edison Research/Wondery/ART19)

22% of US adults with an annual income of $200,000+ spend at lease 5 hours per week with online audio (podcasts/online radio).

(Source: Forrester, Weigh The Pros And Cons Of 11 Emerging Marketing Channels, 2020)

Approximately 120 million (42%) of Americans reported listening to a podcast in the past month in 2022 – double the amount from 21% in 2016

46% of men listened to a podcast in the last month while 36% of listeners were women.
55% of America's 12-34-year olds listened to podcasts in the last month
51% of adults 35-54 listened to podcasts last month while only 221% of adults 55+ listened

(Source: The Infinite Dial 2023 - Edison Research/Wondery/ART19)

89 million P12+ had listened to a podcast in the past week.
In 2023 - 1% of persons 12+ had listened to a podcast in the last week – nearly triple the amount in 2015 (10%).

(Source: The Infinite Dial 2023 - Edison Research/Wondery/ART19)

Podcast listeners listen to multiple podcast episodes each week - an average of 9 per week
- Listen to 1 podcast per week - 11%
- Listen to 2 podcasts weekly – 14%
- Listen to 3 podcasts weekly – 16%
- Listen to 4-5 podcasts weekly – 16%
- Listen to 6-10 podcasts weekly – 24%
- Listen to 11 or more podcasts weekly – 19%

(Source: The Infinite Dial 2023 - Edison Research/Wondery/ART19)

52% of people who've listened to Apple Music & Spotify in the last 30 days have also listened to a podcast in the last 30 days.

(Source: 2023 MRI-Simmons Spring Doublebase)

Satellite Radio

Satellite radio arrived on the American scene with the September 2001 debut of XM Satellite Radio, followed by Sirius Satellite Radio in July 2002. The two competitors merged in July 2008 after it became apparent the sector couldn't support two distinct entitites – now known as SiriusXM Radio.

Satellite radio services broadcast from satellites, with programming delivered primarily to vehicles or other dedicated devices. Programming is available only to those who subscribe to the service.

Satellite radio subscriber categories:
- Self-Pay – individuals pay their own monthly fee
- Promotional – Depending on how initial deal with an auto partner is structured, promotional subscriptions may or may or may not be "paid" by the manufacturer or a third party

Satellite service claimed 34 million total subscribers as of September 2022.

(Source: SiriusXM Radio, Q4 2022)

41% of Households that are subscribers to SiriusXM Radio only listen to the radio at home during the week.

(Source: 2023 MRI-Simmons Spring Doublebase)

Be sure to read this article: Time With Radio is Time Well Spent. In Spanish: El Tiempo con la Radio es tiempo bien invertido.

ADVANTAGES - pick up to 3

Digital Audio

Accessibility: Consumers like the ability to access streamed content 24/7, via an increasing variety of delivery platforms
Ease of Use: is a major factor in consumers' quick adaptation of streaming services, other digital audio.
Consumer Data: Digital audio platforms have a wealth of "big data" on their subscribers that can be used to help advertisers target specific consumers or segments.
Targeting: Targeted audio advertising can be inserted into live stream, enabling advertisers to target listeners based on user profiles, listening preferences, location, demographic and psychographic criteria and on specific devices; or to create custom segments based on listener data.
Trackable: Advertisers can immediately see impact of response to their advertising.
Mobility: In-Car listing via cellphone grew from 38% in 2017 to 49% of total 12+ in 2022.
(Source: The Infinite Dial 2022 - Edison Research/Wondery/ART19)

Satellite Radio Advantages

Availability: Consumers can access in their cars, as well as on many digital devices. Also available via many cable and satellite TV services
Drivers can access same programming anywhere: Has strong appeal to people who spend a lot of time in their vehicles, and especially those who drive long distances
Emulates AM/FM Radio: Wide variety of programming choices, with channels offering choices of music formats, on-air personalities, and news, talk and sports formats
Ad Acceptance: Although they pay a subscription fee, satellite listeners appear to tolerate commercials

DISADVANTAGES - pick up to 3

Digital Audio

Awareness Outpaces Use:
- Awareness of streaming services is high among the American public
  - 82% are aware of Spotify
  - Pandora has 84% recognition
  - 75% are aware of Apple Music
  - 78% know about iHeartRadio and 69% know about Amazon Music
  - Audacy and TuneIn Radio, the least-known services, have 18% awareness levels each, respectively
    (Source: The Infinite Dial 2023 - Edison Research/Wondery/ART19)
Reliability: Consumers won't tolerate poorly designed interfaces or unreliable features and will switch quickly to alternative services
Lack on In-Vehicle Penetration: The majority of vehicles still don't have stereo systems that will accommodate a Smartphone or blue-tooth connection, limiting access to streaming services on the road
Cost: Access to services (or expanded functionality) may require payment of subscription fees
Resolution of ongoing legal issues regarding royalties for music aired on digital audio and satellite radio channels may lead those incur additional costs for their programming and ultimately result in passing those costs along to subscribers, or limiting music selections available
Increased Competition in Sector: Pandora has been the early leader among digital services, but has experienced some erosion as competition with other services has heated up
Relatively Low Rate of Adaptation: Consumers are not migrating en masse to digital. Consumers continue to tune into AM/FM radio as radio continues to deliver content across devises and platforms as well as on-demand
Content Limitations: News and Sports content isn't widely available at this time, although music consumers also want access to information.
Privacy Issues: Perceived advantage through ability to track consumers may also prove to be a liability as government, consumer concerns regarding privacy increase.
Accountability: Online radio and music services do not have accredited audience measurement services in place.
Online audio channels/services compare the total audiences they claim against single AM/FM radio stations in any given market, making the claim that they are #1 in the market; rightly would need to aggregate all stations for broadcast groups within that market for a more accurate comparison.
Additionally, there is no way to determine duplication among "registered users," as many may have created multiple account to avoid reaching caps on free listening.

Satellite Radio Disadvantages

Low In-Car Use: Satellite radio touts its in-vehicle presence, but enjoys relatively low in-car use among consumers
SiriusXM claims 83% penetration of total new vehicle population
Availability doesn't translate to use
- 20% of Adults 18+ who have driven or ridden in a car in the past month have ever used satellite radio in their primary vehicle
  (Source: SiriusXM Investor Data Q1 2022; The Infinite Dial 2023 – Edison Research/Wondery/ART19)
Digital Music/Online Radio challenging satellite radio's in-car use:
AM/FM radio is nearly ubiquitous in vehicles of all ages – new or on the road for 10 years or more – and is available at no cost to the listener
Digital audio services such as Pandora, Spotify, etc. are challenging satellite radio's position as the in-car option to AM/FM radio.
- SiriusXM has dipped a toe into the streaming audio waters as it has recently invested in Pandora.
- Apple's CarPlay presents a challenge to satellite radio as it allows iPhone connectivity to the vehicle's dashboard for easier access to apps, music, phone calls, etc.
Monetary Investment: Hardware and/or subscription fees required to receive satellite radio contrast to free over-the-air radio
Resolution of ongoing legal issues regarding royalties for music aired on digital audio and satellite radio channels may lead those incur additional costs for their programming and ultimately result in passing those costs along to subscribers, or limiting music selections available

Be sure to read this article: Time With Radio is Time Well Spent. In Spanish: El Tiempo con la Radio es tiempo bien invertido.

PLUS RADIO - pick up to 3

AM/FM Radio offers broad reach that will fill in the gaps of high percentages of the U.S. population not reached by alternative audio platforms.

Reaches 83% of the total U.S. 18+ population weekly, according to latest Nielsen Audio data

(Source: Nielsen Audio RADAR 156, March 2023)

Traditional radio offers advertisers an established, audited audience ratings system (Nielsen Audio); online audio services make claims based on a variety of untested and questionable metrics.

Radio is the go-to source in weather events, emergencies: Consumers turn to AM/FM radio during emergencies and weather events when access to television and cable signals fails. FM chip-enabled smartphones also help to deliver information during these same emergencies.

Insures Exposure to Ad Messages: On AM/FM radio, everyone hears the same content (both programming and advertising) and advertisers run messages tied to specific content in specific time periods; customized online audio sites allow everyone to listen to their own individualized station, so there's no way to buy against specific content at a specific moment. Airing schedules on both AM/FM and digital/online and/or satellite insures that target audiences will be exposed to the advertiser message.

Radio has a high out-of-home presence, making it an optimal vehicle for retailers and other advertisers who need to reach the on-the-go consumer right before they shop: