Exclusive
Almost half (44%) of UK consumers listen to video content without watching it, highlighting how audiences are increasingly moving between audio and video, according to YouGov research commissioned by AI-driven advertising platform, Audion.
The research suggests that traditional distinctions between audio and video consumption are becoming less relevant, with audiences choosing content according to their interests and circumstances rather than the format or platform.
This behaviour is even more pronounced internationally, with 66% of consumers in both France and the US listening to video without watching, rising to 64% in Italy.
Geoffrey Fossier, global chief marketing officer at Audion, said consumers were increasingly indifferent to the format through which they accessed content.
“People care about what they listen to, not where they consume it,” he said. “They move easily between audio and video, to the point that video, audio’s traditional rival, has become its biggest platform.”
However, Fossier said this growing flexibility was creating challenges for advertisers as audiences become increasingly fragmented across formats and platforms.
The study also found that switching between audio and video platforms is becoming mainstream, with 58% of UK consumers doing so. The figure rises to 62% in Italy, 66% in France and 74% in the US.
Spotify remains the leading platform for digital audio listening in the UK, used by 52% of listeners. YouTube leads in the US and France, both at 61%, and Italy, at 63%.
Platform loyalty is also limited. Almost two-thirds (65%) of Spotify listeners in the UK also use at least one other platform to access digital audio. This rises to 74% in France and 76% in the US.
Julien Chevignon, CEO Europe at YouGov, described listening habits as now being defined by “a moment and an intention”.
