This report reviews our final 2020 numbers and new 2021 forecast for US time spent with media, highlighting pre- and post-pandemic estimates and expectations. Special attention is paid to TV, connected TV, OTT, digital audio, and social media.

Digital audio has undoubtedly benefited from the UK lockdowns. Even with reduced commuting likely eating into their time spent with mobile audio, UK listeners still tuned in to digital audio elsewhere and will continue doing so.

Between H1 2020 and H1 2021, the share of internet users who streamed music, listened to podcasts, or consumed other online audio content declined slightly, from 78.9% to 75.1%. Time spent with digital audio and video both posted annual increases. For example, in H1 2021, internet users polled in Argentina spent an average of 1:14 daily with online TV and 1:45 with music streaming.

The audience for streamed music, podcasts, and other digital audio content was a good deal smaller, at 66.1% of internet users—though again, more than 92% of the youngest respondents had recently listened to such content. Daily time spent with online audio (1:07) was virtually identical to time spent with broadcast radio (1:06).

Digital video’s share of time with long-form entertainment will continue to climb, though, as consumers’ choice of streaming content continues to expand. How does digital audio compare with radio in time spent? In 2021, digital audio will exceed radio in time spent for the first time. As with digital video, the number of digital audio services in Canada has risen rapidly.

A pattern spotted in 2020 was clear again this year: Ownership of game consoles was comparatively low, at 13.4% in H1 2021, yet the average time spent gaming per day was 1:36. Digital audio formats—such as music and podcasts—were also very popular; 87.1% of internet users polled in H1 had listened to such content in the prior month.

Younger people were more responsive to digital audio, too. But unlike digital video, uptake of music, podcasts, and other digital audio content showed no increase year over 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.

Digital audio apparently reached a smaller audience in 2021. Two-thirds (66.7%) of internet users surveyed had accessed music, audiobooks, or other audio content via digital platforms in the prior month.

Yet nearly 71% of respondents had recently streamed music or accessed podcasts or other audio content from digital sources. And time spent with broadcast radio—an average of 46 minutes daily—was about half the 1:24 devoted to music streaming alone.

Time spent with print press (34 minutes daily, on average) remained greater than the 22 minutes devoted to online press. For the first time, social media and messaging reportedly engaged more internet users in Israel than broadcast TV.

More respondents now listen to online music, podcasts, audiobooks, and other digital audio options than to broadcast radio, though by a small margin. Almost three-quarters (74.9%) of internet users listened to digital audio content in the month before polling, with younger cohorts more engaged than their elders.

Russia’s digital audio audience is also arguably underdeveloped, as just 42.7% of internet users listened to music, podcasts, audiobooks, or other digital content in the prior month. And time spent with music streaming specifically was unchanged YoY, at 48 minutes per day on average.

The Global Media Intelligence Report is a concise, detailed compilation of data and insights about internet users’ traditional and digital media usage in 43 key markets worldwide. With very few exceptions, this 2021 edition covers the same range of metrics we featured in 2020, and the consistency of GWI’s methodology enables us to offer precise year-over-year (YoY) comparisons.

Penetration rates for digital audio and video have surpassed those for broadcast radio and live TV. Broadcast TV bounced back from a decline noted in 2020. In H1 2021, 92.9% of internet users ages 16 to 64 in China watched live TV in the month prior to polling, though the average time spent with TV shows each day was marginally lower than in 2020.

Nonetheless, time spent with broadcast TV in H1 was more than half an hour greater than time spent with online TV and video, at 1 hour, 56 minutes (1:56) per day versus 1:22, respectively. However, broadcast TV no longer claimed more time than social networking, which averaged 1:57 each day. In fact, social media and messaging engaged more internet users than any other activity.