Share Of Ear: Five Audio Trends You Need To Know

Edison Research’s quarterly “Share of Ear” study looks at how Americans consume audio. It reports share of time spent and reach of each audio platform. Here are five key takeaways from the just released “Share of Ear” for Q4 2016:

1. Pandora is dropping: For the last five quarters, Pandora’s audience has been diminishing. Meanwhile, on-demand competitor Spotify is flourishing with +45% year over year growth. Consumers’ increasing desire for greater choice and control may explain Pandora’s decline.
   
2. AM/FM radio is stable: As the centerpiece of American audio, AM/FM radio’s share of audio time spent has remained steady quarter after quarter.
   
3. YouTube beats Pandora and Spotify among persons 18-24: In Fall 2016, YouTube outperformed Spotify and Pandora combined in share of time spent with audio. Over the last year, YouTube has seen a 15% increase, while the combined Millennial 18-24 share of Pandora and Spotify has dropped.
   
4. Most of America isn’t listening to Pandora: 73% of Pandora listening comes from only 5% of Americans. Most of the country is listening to other audio platforms. Advertisers need a mass reach media like AM/FM radio to hit the largest number of listeners.
   
5. Streaming grows at the expense of owned music, not AM/FM radio: Many assume streaming audio’s growth is coming at the expense of AM/FM radio. Not true. Streaming growth is coming out of time spent with owned music. In Q4 2016, streaming overtakes owned music in share of audio time spent. Meanwhile, AM/FM radio’s share of audio time spent remains steady.
   

Key trends to take with you:

• Pandora is dropping
• AM/FM radio is stable
• YouTube beats Pandora and Spotify among persons 18-24
• Most of America isn’t listening to Pandora
• Streaming grows at the expense of owned music, not AM/FM radio

AM/FM radio is a reliable medium to deliver consumers for brands.

Click to view or download the full “Share of Ear” deck

Country Radio Delivers America’s Heartland

With the Academy of Country Music Awards coming up this Sunday, we take a look at this community-driven audience to better understand where they come from and what’s important to them. This desirable advertiser audience of community-driven listeners resides primarily in the central region of the United States. Country is America’s radio format, owning airwaves and the heartland with massive share.

Click to view or download the slide