SCA has welcomed the latest Infinite Dial Australia study from Edison Research as it confirms that audio listening among consumers continues to grow across broadcast, live radio streaming, and on demand podcasting.
The report, now in its sixth year, shows that 78% of Australians listen to online audio each month, up from 56% six years ago. Radio remains strong with 80% of people tuning in weekly, while the number of people listening to podcasts rose to 40%, eclipsing the U.S as one of the most advanced podcast markets in the world.
In addition, average time spent listening to online audio has increased by more than an hour each week, from 12 hours and 11 minutes in 2021 to 13 hours and 31 minutes this year. Average time spent listening to podcasts has surged to seven hours and six minutes per week, up from five hours in 2021. A quarter of the population listens to six to 10 podcasts a week.
Australians are also listening across a range of platforms, including radio station apps and websites, while smart speaker ownership continues to rise with 28% of the population, or 6.1 million people owning a smart speaker.
SCA’s own research shows that two thirds of its audience have a smart speaker and the average time spent listening is 2 hours and 44 minutes, accounting for 28% of SCA’s streaming hours. LiSTNR recorded 3.1 million unique listens across its podcast content in May[1][1].
“The Infinite Dial research validates what we are seeing in the market, which is that audio is on a very positive consumption trend both in real terms and across platforms. The reach and effectiveness of the ever-expanding audio marketplace is increasingly garnering more consumer attention and advertiser interest and this study validates its important role to advertisers,” SCA CEO, Grant Blackley, said.
“As advertisers follow ears, we know that audio attention is the next part of the equation, which is why we launched a world-first study into measurement of broadcast audio attention to understand how live radio influences brand choice to listeners with Professor Karen Nelson-Field. SCA will continue its digital transformation strategy, which is maturing rapidly and underpinned by the early successes of LiSTNR.”
The Infinite Dial Australia 2022 study explores the penetration of online digital audio in Australia and is based on the Infinite Dial US report, the longest-running survey of digital media consumer behaviour in America. The research was conducted by Edison Research in the first quarter of 2022, using a nationally representative sample of 1,001 Australians.
ENDS
About SCA (Southern Cross Austereo)
Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) is one of Australia’s leading media companies reaching more than 95% of the Australian population through its radio, television, and digital assets. Under the Triple M and Hit network brands, SCA owns 99 stations across FM, AM, and DAB+ radio. SCA provides national sales representation for 23 regional radio stations. SCA broadcasts 94 free to air TV signals across regional Australia, reaching 2.8 million people a week, with Network 10 programming and advertising representation across Australia’s East Coast, Seven Network programming in Tasmania and Darwin, and Seven, Nine and Ten programming in Spencer Gulf. SCA also features Sky News Regional in 17 markets across regional Queensland, southern NSW, and Victoria. SCA operates LiSTNR, Australia’s free, personalised digital audio destination for consumers featuring radio, podcasts, music, and news. SCA provides Australian sales representation for global open audio platform SoundCloud and Sonos Radio. SCA's premium brands are supported by social media, live events and digital platforms that deliver national and local entertainment, news, and sport content.
www.southerncrossaustereo.com.au
[2][1] Australian Podcast Ranker Top 100 Podcasts – May 2022