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But some of this shrinkage may be due to another adjustment in data analysis; unlike past years, GWI did not include Google Play Music in the list of digital music services that respondents were asked about. On the other hand, time spent streaming music rose by 15 minutes daily, to 1:36.

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Spotify has the most users among digital audio platforms, followed by Pandora, Amazon Music, and Apple Music. Amazon will surpass Pandora in listeners next year.

Time spent streaming music averaged 1:33 per day, while video streaming occupied an average of 1:22. Both times rose by about half an hour from H1 2020. Mobile time and activities were on the rise as PC penetration slid. Smartphone ownership dropped marginally but remained high overall, at 96.9% of internet users ages 16 to 64.

The share of internet users streaming music, podcasts, or other audio content in the prior month was 62.5% in H1. But penetration among 55- to 64-year-olds (36.1%) was less than half that of the 16-to-34 age bracket. Smartphone ownership was predictably high, but penetration of desktops, laptops, and tablets was also greater than in most countries polled.

In H1 2021, respondents devoted an average of 1:28 daily to streaming music, versus 1:03 with live radio. Podcasts were also popular, claiming 34 minutes per day. Desktops, laptops, and tablets accounted for almost an hour more of daily media time than mobile phones. In H1 2021, 94.6% of internet users owned a smartphone—a share essentially unchanged since H1 2019.

Digital music and audio appealed more to younger web users in H1 2021. While 85.2% of respondents ages 16 to 24 had listened to music, podcasts, and other digital audio content in the prior month, that share fell with every additional decade of age, declining to 40.1% among respondents ages 55 to 64. Video streaming now reaches a larger audience than live broadcast TV.