We’re big fans of the “What are you listening to?” videos. If you missed the trend a few years back, it’s simple: someone wearing headphones gets asked, “What are you listening to?” The responses often uncover some real hidden gems.
Edison Research’s Share of Ear® is a statistically reliable, nationally representative version of “what are you listening to.” This week’s finding comes from Share of Ear, and it shows us just how much tastes have changed among those age 13-34 when it comes to spoken word audio. Spoken word content includes news, personalities, talk, and sports, and can be consumed via any audio platform such as radio, streaming, podcasts, and audiobooks.
The graphic below shows what percentage of daily time spent with audio goes to spoken word audio. A decade ago, those age 13-34 spent 11% of their daily audio time with spoken word content – today’s 13–34-year-olds spend over double that amount; fully 23% of their daily audio time is spent with spoken word content.
Take a look at the 2014 data and you can see the disparity between listeners age 13-34 and older demographics when it comes to share of time spent with spoken word audio. Those age 13-34 were separated from those age 35-54 by 11 percentage points and separated from those age 55+ by 15 percentage points.
A decade later, the 13-34s have closed the share gap significantly to only five percentage points.
What has been the change agent? Podcasts. Young people have embraced this medium that uses spoken word instead of music to speak to their demographic.
Attend Café Convos by BIPOC Podcast Creators
Join fellow BIPOC Podcast Creators and Edison Research for coffee, and connect with industry peers at Café Convos on Tuesday, October 8 at 9:30-11:00am EDT in New York City.
This premier networking event for podcasters of color in New York City is designed to be informative, foster collaboration, and build meaningful connections in the industry. As a special highlight, Edison Research Senior Director of Research Gabriel Soto will present never-before released data on Latino podcasting audiences in celebration of the upcoming 2024 Latino Listener Report, offering invaluable insights into one of the fastest-growing audience segments.
