Digital Audio: Basic Facts

10 signs that digital audio is on the rise

1. 73% of the U.S. 12+ population (an estimated 209 million people) have listened to online audio in the last month, up from 68% in 2021

2. 62% of those age 12+ in the U.S. have ever listened to a podcast, up from 57% last year

3. 38% of those age 12+ in the U.S. are monthly podcast listeners

4. 25%t of those in the U.S. 12+, an estimated 100 million people, now own a smart speaker

5. 45% of Americans age 12+ have listened to an audiobook

6. 39% of Americans 12+ have no radios in their household, and 57% of those age 12-34 have no radios in their household, a sharp contrast with 14 years ago when 4% of the U.S 12+ population had no radios

7. 73% of those in the U.S. age 18+ who have ridden in or driven a car in the last month use AM/FM radio as an audio source in-car, far outpacing the next-closest audio source, owned digital music (used by 53%)

8. 62% of Americans 18+ use a voice assistant on any device, including smart speakers, smartphones, in-car systems and more

9. 57% of voice command users use voice commands daily in 2022

10. More than 70% of teens own AirPods

For a detailed discussion on why Digital Audio is compelling, please read Chapter One of this book: The Elements of Voice First Style (O'Reilly Media, June 2022).

For more on Digital Audio, please go here.