#SpokenWordAudio
Share of Ear
®
• 4193 respondents, conducted Q3 2022 – Q2 2023
• National sample ages 13 and older
• Online and offline
• Tracked since 2014
• Offered in English and Spanish
#SpokenWordAudio
The Spoken Word Audio Report 2023
Audiobooks
Music
News
Talk/Personalities
Sports
Spoken Word Audio
News
Talk/Personalities
Sports
#SpokenWordAudio
Audiobooks
Key Findings
#SpokenWordAudio
1. Spoken Word audience size and listening time attain record highs
2. Amount of Spoken Word listening at home has grown dramatically
3. Spoken Word listening in car has shifted post-pandemic, but AM/FM radio
remains on top
4. For the first time ever, the mobile device is the primary way people listen to
Spoken Word
5. Podcasting represents a large and growing share of Spoken Word listening
Spoken Word audience size and
listening time attain record highs
#SpokenWordAudio
Spoken Word’s Audience Size Continues to Grow
U.S. Population 13+
39 39
40
41 41
43 43
45
46
48
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
#SpokenWordAudio
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023
% Listening to Spoken Word Audio Each Day
Today, 30 Million More People Are Listening to
Spoken Word Audio Each Day than Nine Years Ago
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2014-2023; U.S. population 13+
105
106
110
114
115
121 121
127
131
135
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
Listening to Spoken Word Audio Each Day (in millions)
#SpokenWordAudio
2023
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
16
% Listening
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023; U.S. population 13+
Spoken Word Audience Has Grown Throughout the Day
“Drive-time” high points from previous years remain but every other hour experiencing growth in Spoken Word listening
#SpokenWordAudio
2023
2014
% of U.S. Population 13+ Listening to Spoken Word Audio Each Hour
Spoken Word’s Share of Audio Listening has
Increased by 55% Over the Last Nine Years
20
31
0
10
20
30
40
50
2014 2023
#SpokenWordAudio
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023
55% Increase
Share of Time Spent Listening to Spoken Word (vs. Music) Among Americans 13+
#SpokenWordAudio
Daily Spoken Word Audio Listeners Spend More
Audio Time With Spoken Word Than With Music
31
51
69
49
U.S. Population 13+ Daily Spoken Word Audio Listeners
Music
Spoken Word
Share of Time Spent Listening to Audio
Spoken Word’s Share of Audio Listening has
Increased by 55% Over the Last Nine Years
20
31
0
10
20
30
40
50
2014 2023
#SpokenWordAudio
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023
55% Increase
Share of Time Spent Listening to Spoken Word (vs. Music) Among Americans 13+
Share of Time With Spoken Word is
Highest at Home, With Work Close Behind
31
36
25
34
19
Total Home Car Work Any other place
#SpokenWordAudio
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023
Percent of All Listening that Goes to Spoken Word In Each Location Among Americans 13+
Location plays a significant
role in when and how people
engage with Spoken Word
#SpokenWordAudio
Car
Home
60%
24%
Majority of Time With Spoken Word Audio is at Home
Distribution of Spoken Word Listening by Location Among Americans 13+
#SpokenWordAudio
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023
.
13%
Work
Any other place
3%
AM/FM Dominates Other Platforms for In-Car Listening
Spoken Word Audio Listening Location by Platform Among Americans 13+
41
62
29
13
40
19
45
59
11
6
12
23
8
13
14
5
Home
Car
Work
Any other place
AM/FM Radio Podcasts Other
#SpokenWordAudio
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023
“AM/FM Radio” includes over the air and radio streams
“Other” includes streaming audio, satellite radio, audiobooks (in 2014-2016), etc.
Audiobooks
Mobile Is the Most Important Device Outside of the Car
Spoken Word Audio Listening Location by Device Among Americans 13+
30
60
19
8
41
24
47
80
9
15
9
6
4
1
10
12
1
4
16
3
1
Home
Car
Work
Any other place
#SpokenWordAudio
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023
Note: “Other” includes: satellite radio receiver, CD player
AM/FM Radio Receiver Computer
Other
Mobile Device
Smart
Speaker
Internet-
Connected TV
Personalities/Talk Account for Most Spoken Word Listening Time
Spoken Word Audio Listening Location by Content Among Americans 13+
35
39
27
13
42
42
44
54
12
13
17
10
11
6
12
23
Home
Car
Work
Any other place
News/Information
#SpokenWordAudio
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023
Personalities/Talk
Sports Audiobooks
20232023
0
2
4
6
8
10
2023
% Listening
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023; U.S. population 13+
Spoken Word Audience Size Peaks at Different
Times Depending on Listening Location
% of U.S. Population 13+ Listening to Spoken Word Audio Each Hour
#SpokenWordAudio
Car
Home
Work
Indicates highest
listening hour per location
Spoken Word listening at home
has grown dramatically over time
#SpokenWordAudio
Since 2019, Share of Time With Audio At Home
Has Shifted Away From Music to Spoken Word
26
29
30
32
36
2019 2020 2021 2022 2023
#SpokenWordAudio
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023
Share of at-Home Audio Time Spent Listening to Spoken Word Among Americans 13+
27 minutes
2014 2023
41 minutes
#SpokenWordAudio
Average Time Spent Listening to
Spoken Word Audio per day at Home:
2023
% Listening
0
2
4
6
8
10
% Listening
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023; U.S. population 13+
Spoken Word Audience Size at Home
Has Increased in Every Hour of the Day
% of U.S. Population 13+ Listening to Spoken Word Audio at Home Each Hour
#SpokenWordAudio
2023
2014
41%
40%
41%
40%
11%
8%
When at Home, Almost Equal Time is Spent With Radio and Podcasts
Spoken Word Audio Listening at Home by Platform Among Americans 13+
#SpokenWordAudio
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023
.
AM/FM Radio
Podcasts
Other
Audiobooks
41%
40%
30%
11%
40%
11%
8%
At Home, Streams Represent More Than One-Quarter of Radio Listening
Spoken Word Audio Listening at Home by Platform Among Americans 13+
#SpokenWordAudio
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023
.
Podcasts
Other
Audiobooks
AM/FM Over the Air
AM/FM Streaming
Spoken Word listening in car has
shifted post-pandemic, but
AM/FM Radio remains on top
#SpokenWordAudio
54
53
52
54
52
52
54
61
62
60
36
34
35
33
31
34
30
26
21
24
9
11
11
11
15
11
13
10
14
13
1
2
3
2
2
3
3
3
3
3
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Home Car/Truck Any other place
#SpokenWordAudio
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023
.
Work
Since 2019, the In-Car Share of Spoken Word has Declined
Distribution of Spoken Word Audio Listening by Location Among Americans 13+
Since 2019, the In-Car Share of Spoken Word has Declined
Distribution of Spoken Word Audio Listening by Location Among Americans 13+
36
34
35
33
31
34
30
26
21
24
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
Car/Truck
#SpokenWordAudio
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023
.
17 minutes
2014 2023
16 minutes
#SpokenWordAudio
Average Time Spent Listening to
Spoken Word Audio per day in Car:
62%
19%
13%
6%
In-Car Spoken Word Listening is Primarily With AM/FM Radio
Spoken Word Audio Listening in Car by Platform Among Americans 13+
#SpokenWordAudio
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023
.
AM/FM Radio
Podcasts
Other
Audiobooks
For the first time ever, the mobile
device is the primary way people
listen to Spoken Word Audio
#SpokenWordAudio
Most Spoken Word Listening Time is Now on a Mobile Device
Spoken Word Audio Listening by Device Among Americans 13+
9
15
14
19
24
25
35
35
34
39
73
68
66
58
53
53
43
39
39
35
9
10
10
10
10
9
10
9
10
8
2
4
3
5
5
4
1
1
2
1
2
2
3
5
5
7
8
6
8
12
9
7
6
7
7
7
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
AM/FM Radio Receiver
Computer
Other
Mobile Device
Smart
Speaker
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023
Note: “Other” includes: satellite radio receiver, CD player
Smart Speaker added to the survey 2017
#SpokenWordAudio
Internet-
Connected
TV
Podcasting represents a
large and growing share of
Spoken Word listening
#SpokenWordAudio
Podcast listening hits another all-time high in 2023
64% of the U.S. population has
listened to a podcast
Source: The Infinite Dial
®
from Edison Research, Amazon Music, Wondery and Art19; U.S. population 12+
#SpokenWordAudio
Podcasting Now Accounts for Over One-Third
of the Time Spent With Spoken Word Audio
Distribution of Spoken Word Audio Listening by Platform Among Americans 13+
78
44
13
36 10
9
10
2014
2023
AM/FM Radio Podcasts Other
#SpokenWordAudio
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023
“AM/FM Radio” includes over the air and radio streams
“Other” includes streaming audio, satellite radio, audiobooks (in 2014-2016), etc.
Audiobooks
In 2023,
28% of the time spent listening to
podcasts is with NPR/Public Radio
Source: Edison Research Share of Ear ® 2023; U.S. population 13+
#SpokenWordAudio
Key Findings
#SpokenWordAudio
1. Spoken Word audience size and listening time attain record highs
2. Amount of Spoken Word listening at home has grown dramatically
3. Spoken Word listening in car has shifted post-pandemic, but AM/FM radio
remains on top
4. For the first time ever, the mobile device is the primary way people listen to
Spoken Word
5. Podcasting represents a large and growing share of Spoken Word listening
Learn more at
npr.org/spokenwordaudio
#SpokenWordAudio
