When respondents tell us about all of their audio consumption in our Share of Ear studies, they tell us what they were listening to in four broad categories: Music, News, Sports (Sports Talk or Play-by-Play) and Personalities/Talk Shows.
This forms the basis of many of the ways we analyze the information – as an example we total the non-music categories for the ongoing “Spoken Word Audio Report” we do with NPR (hint: look for the next iteration of that report to be announced soon).
In this week’s Insights Newsletter, we feature the extraordinary change in the “Personalities/Talk Shows” category since we began Share of Ear back in 2014.
At that time, the share of time spent listening to “Personalities/Talk Shows” was:AM/FM Radio 74%, Podcasts 12%, All others 14%. The numbers in our most recent update for the second quarter of 2022 show a startlingly different picture: AM/FM Radio 39%, Podcasts 41%,All others 20%.In a relatively brief period of time, listening to this category has been transformed, and for the first time more listening to Personalities/Talk Shows goes to Podcasts.
If we look inside the numbers, the story is more stark. Among 13-34 year-olds, the numbers are: AM/FM Radio 13% , Podcasts 60%, All others 27%. While among those age 55 and older:AM/FM Radio 68%, Podcasts 21%, All others 12%.
With nearly nine full years of data in the books, Share of Ear acts as a real-time monitor of the incredibly dynamic audio space. Right before our eyes, or rather our ears, the notion of what was once “Talk Radio” has transformed.
NPR and Edison Research to Release The Spoken Word Audio Report 2022
Spoken word audio consumption in the U.S. continues to grow as the number of spoken word audio listeners has increased by 26 million in the last eight years. The Spoken Word Audio Report from NPR and Edison Research explores specific types of spoken word content, various spoken-word platforms, and devices used to consume spoken word content. With young people in the U.S. listening to spoken word audio more than ever, this year’s study includes a special focus on Gen Z consumption.
Join Lamar Johnson, VP of Sponsorship Marketing at National Public Media, and Megan Lazovick, Vice President at Edison Research, on Thursday, October 27, 2022 at 2:00 p.m. ET for a live webinar presentation of the findings from The Spoken Word Audio Report 2022.
How spoken word audio fits into the overall landscape of listening in the U.S
How Gen Z listeners consume spoken word audio
How daily spoken word audio listeners consume audio
Which devices and platforms are used to listen to spoken word audio
How podcasts continue to impact the growth of spoken word audio
The Spoken Word Audio Report includes trending data from Edison Research’s Share of Ear® study, measuring the daily listening habits of Americans using a 24-hour diary.
In a relatively brief period of time, listening to this category has been transformed, and for the first time more listening to Personalities/Talk Shows goes to Podcasts.
With nearly nine full years of data in the books, Share of Ear acts as a real-time monitor of the incredibly dynamic audio space. Right before our eyes, or rather our ears, the notion of what was once “Talk Radio” has transformed. 
In a relatively brief period of time, listening to this category has been transformed, and for the first time more listening to Personalities/Talk Shows goes to Podcasts.
With nearly nine full years of data in the books, Share of Ear acts as a real-time monitor of the incredibly dynamic audio space. Right before our eyes, or rather our ears, the notion of what was once “Talk Radio” has transformed.