Almost a third of UK adults listen to radio via the internet

Almost a third (31.7%) of the UK’s adult population claim to have listened to the radio via the internet, while 7.2 million have downloaded a podcast, according to new RAJAR figures.

The survey, conducted in October by Ipsos MORI, also found that the majority of internet radio listening takes place at home (89%) while one in five listen at work (21%) and 6% listen elsewhere.

Podcasts are proving popular, with 7.2 million people downloading one (up from six million in May ’08), while 4.1 million say they listen to a podcast each week (up from 3.7 million in May ’08 and 1.9 million in November ’07).

The average podcast user subscribes to 4.41 podcasts (up from 3.59 in May) and spent just over an hour listening to them in the previous week.

However, podcasts remain a fairly new activity for most users, with 43% having started downloading them only in the past year.

Podcasting appears to have a positive effect on radio listening, said RAJAR, with 35% saying that they now listen to radio programmes to which they did not listen previously.

Christel Lacaze, research manager, RAJAR, said: “With the increase in broadband internet access rising from 51% of UK households in 2007 to 56% in 2008 and the high profile launch of BBC iPlayer, listening to the radio has never been a more attractive proposition.

RAJAR: 0207 292 9040 www.rajar.co.uk