45% say spoken-word audio is becoming a more important part of their life.

54% say spoken-word audio engages their mind in a more positive way than other media.

58% say spoken-word audio is a productive use of their time.

they like listening more than reading (56%).

it allows them to process information more efficiently (60%).

the ability to multitask (71% - the most popular reason).

Monthly listeners cite the following reasons for listening to spoken-word audio⁴ By ethnic group: White/other (29%), African-American (22%), Hispanic/Latino (27%)ĥ1% of US spoken-word audio listeners reported listening more in 2021 than they did five years previously⁴ Why do people listen to spoken-word audio?.Share of US digital listening time spent listening to spoken-word audio (as opposed to music) in 2021⁴ Daily listeners average 2 hours 6 minutes per day listening to spoken-word audio.Global annual headphone sales increased by 51% from 2016 to 2021, to 1.3 billion³⁶ģ5% of over-12s in the US own a smart speaker (2022)²⁹ Who listens to spoken-word audio?ħ5% of the 18+ US population listens to spoken-word audio each month⁴Ĥ5% of the 13+ US population listens to spoken-word audio daily⁴ The number of smartphone subscriptions worldwide increased by 71% from 2017 to 2021, to 6.3 billion³⁵ South Africa (15+), 52% - listening for an average of 6 hours and 20 minutes.

Listened to online audio in the past week (2021)²⁸: Listened to online audio in the past month (2021)²⁸: Spoken-word audio accounts for 28% of digital listening⁴ħ3% of over-12s in the US (approximately 209 million people) listened to online audio in the past month (2022)²⁹:Ħ7% of over-12s (approximately 192 million people) in the US listened to online audio in the last week²⁹ħ1% of over-12s in Australia listened to online audio in the last week, listening for an average 13 hours and 31 minutes³⁸ The average US adult listens to digital audio for 1 hour 34 minutes a day² Jump straight to the infographic Digital audio statisticsĭigital audio listening experiences have a stronger impact on the brain than radio listening experiences: +25% emotional intensity, +28% detail memory, +25% global memory, and +23% engagement²¹Ĥ7% of Americans pay for an audio subscription³

Audio habits