2020 was obviously a transformative year in many aspects. But daily audio consumption is nearing a return to levels last seen in 2019, new Edison Research data shows.
According to data from the latest Share of Ear study update, daily time spent listening at home continued to drop in 2024 from its 2022 peak. The average audio consumption of those aged 13+ in the study showed 127 minutes of listening at home, with 107 minutes taking place in all other locations. That time at home figure has declined from 152 minutes in 2022.
Meanwhile, the category of all other places rose from a low of 91 in 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic began.
“Though it was perfectly reasonable to wonder whether the pandemic had permanently supercharged our audio habits, the location differential finally started to show signs of cracking throughout 2023,” Edison Research said of its findings. “Now, as the dust settles on 2024, what we see in its wake is a return to normalcy in one way: audio consumption.
In 2019, there was only a two-minute difference in daily audio listening, with 116 minutes happening at home and another 114 minutes taking place elsewhere. The gap grew as wide as 50 minutes in 2021 before shrinking to 47 minutes in 2022, 29 minutes in 2023, and 20 minutes in 2024.
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