Mobile and digital boost radio listening figures

2.2 million smartphone owners have downloaded a radio app; 16.3 million listeners now claim to listen to radio via the internet; 12.7 million adults have used a Listen Again service; and 8.1 million adults have downloaded a podcast, according to RAJAR’s Midas 7 survey.

The ‘Measurement of Internet Delivered Audio Services’, which was conducted during November 2010 by Ipsos MORI, found a rapid increase in the number of people tuning in via a smartphone – with just over a quarter of smartphone owners now having downloaded a radio app to their handsets.

“This development is excellent news for radio on the go and represents a real opportunity for the radio industry,” said Christel Swift, research manager at RAJAR.

Top line findings from the study include:

Listening via a mobile phone –

• 6.6 million* adults 15+ (13%*) have ever listened to the radio via mobile phone.  Of those, 53% select the station using specific FM preset and 16% run an app for a specific radio station.
• Over a quarter of smartphone owners in the Midas survey (26% or 2.2 million adults) have downloaded a radio app and, of those, almost half (44%) use their radio apps at least once a week.

Listening via the internet –

• 16.3 million* (32%) of adults claim to have ever listened to the radio via the internet, including 14.7 million (29%) who have listened live and 12.7 million (25%) who have used time-shifted listening (using Listen Again services).
• 72% of those Listen Again listeners said the service has no impact on the amount of live radio to which they listen; while half said they are now listening to radio programmes to which they did not listen previously.  The average user of Listen Again services listened to just under 1.5 programmes in this way in the previous week.
• Almost 8 million are aware of Personalised Online Radio (POR) while the number of people who use such services at least once a week currently stands at 2.6 million.
• 6.5 million have heard of WiFi radio (a standalone radio set that connects wirelessly to the internet and is able to play any internet radio service) but only 2% claimed to own one.

Listening to Podcasts –

• 8.1 million adults (16% of the adult 15+ population) claim to have ever downloaded a podcast.  Almost half of podcast users (44%) claim to listen to podcasts at least once a week but only 24% of users find the time to listen to all the podcasts they download.
• 76% said that listening to podcasts had no impact on their live radio listening habits, while 30% say that they now listen to radio programmes to which they did not listen previously.
• The typical podcast user subscribes to just under 5 podcasts, and spent just under an hour in the last week listening to them.  As in previous surveys, comedy and music remain the two favourite genres.
• 77% of podcast users listen to podcasts at home, and 50% listen in the car or on public transport.

The survey findings are based on 1,091 respondents. Note:  * figure derives from RAJAR Q3 2010