“Digital audio is a diverse category that spans multiple content types consumed on multiple devices and platforms,” said Lauren Fisher, principal analyst at eMarketer and author of our latest report: "Digital Audio Advertising: Exploring Opportunities in Streaming Audio, Podcasts and Smart Speakers." “Desktops and laptops have historically been favored for accessing digital audio content, but mobile is climbing as desktop/laptop listening shrinks. By 2021, 66.6% of US digital audio listeners will access content via a mobile device, compared with 68.8% via desktop or laptop.”
There’s an (Audio) App for That
Of the nearly 3 hours per day the average US adult spends on mobile app activities this year, audio accounts for the greatest portion: 53 minutes. Over the next 24 months, adults will increase that portion of time by 4 minutes, an increase on par with video.
“Podcasts are one of the fastest-growing audio formats, and they’re also largely accessed via audio apps on smartphones and other mobile devices,” Fisher said. According to a February 2019 poll conducted by Edison Research and Triton Digital, 65% of US podcast listeners said the primary devices used to listen were mobile or portable devices. In contrast, just a quarter chose desktop/laptop, and 10% chose a smart speaker.
As Listening Activity Heats Up, So Does Advertiser Investment
The Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) and PwC estimated US audio ad spending totaled $2.25 billion last year. While this accounted for just 2% of all US digital ad spending forecast by the two firms, spending was up 22.9% from 2017 ($1.83 billion). Mobile accounted for more than three-quarters of all audio ad dollars.