Mirror Image, a provider of edge computing, streaming media and content delivery
solutions, conducted an international survey, “Radio Evolution: From Waves to
Online Streaming’,
which found that 43% of consumers haven’t listened to their AM/FM radio at home
for more than a year. The statistic is among several findings offering insight into
today’s audio consumption patterns and implications for audio broadcasters and
advertisers.
The evolution of broadcast toward Over-the-Top (OTT) services has traditionally
focused on video, but it is impacting both audio content and video content delivery
services.
The study revealed:
• Consumers are abandoning traditional radio listenership in their homes and
cars in favour of online programming such as Pandora and Spotify, two of the most
popular online radio platforms. Further, consumers are listening to audio content
across a multitude of devices, from smartphones to tablets to Smart TVs.
• Nearly 80 percent of respondents listen to audio content throughout the
workday.
• Consumers are scattered across online radio platforms, so advertisers must
know where their audiences are. By leveraging big data and analytics, advertisers
can identify how and where target audiences are consuming audio content and tailor
advertising campaigns to those platforms.
“Our Radio Evolution survey confirms that broadcast is continuing its rapid evolution
toward digital. As audio consumption patterns shift, existing strategies for reaching
consumers through traditional broadcast are less relevant, which could cause a
decline in engagement and action,’ said Charles White, chief revenue officer for
Mirror Image. “Broadcasters and advertisers must respond by leveraging the right
technologies to ensure they are delivering digital content that is optimised for
where and when their audiences are listening.’
Traditional broadcast companies must consider how they are reaching audiences
across digital channels – with only 13% of people actually willing to pay for online
audio programming, ad partners will be key to monetising broadcast content.
Failure to ensure content is optimised on all digital devices and online radio
platforms, regardless of consumer preference, will result in substantial loss in
revenue.
