Share Of Ear

According to a study done by Edison Research called, "Share Of Ear," terrestrial radio is still very popular. The results of the study were announced in June 2014 and revealed that AM/FM radio still maintains 52.1% of listening done by music fans and consumers. 20.3% of all listening was considered to be of the, "owned," variety, (CDs, cassettes, vinyl, or mp3s).

The study was done by asking 2,000 respondents, age 13 and older to keep a 24 hr listening diary of an assigned day. Diaries were completed both online and by mail. The study found that the break down for other forms of listening were as follows: streaming services, (Spotify, Pandora, iTunes Radio) made up 11%, satellite radio, (SirusXM) made up 7.7%, TV music channels, (Music Choice) made up 5.2%, podcasts made up 1.7%, and the category of other, (audio books) made up 1.5%.

Edison did the study as a response to requests from all corners of the audio industry and investment community for, "total share of everything, " figures, which up until the study, did not exist. The study not only pointed out that radio makes up for half of all listening that is done in a household, but it also revealed that the average American spends 4 to 5 hours a day consuming audio.

Proponents of streaming may find the numbers hard to fathom, given the increase in the use of tablets, smartphones, and other mobile devices. However, in my opinion, the growth in overall internet usage is being attributed as on the rise, due to the vast amount of media attention that is being given to new and emerging technologies. More focus should be placed on the consumers ability to actually purchase and/or adopt these technologies. Not everyone is "wired," at this point in time. It is still much cheaper and easier to listen to the radio.

When real purchasing power is returned to the, "mainstream," consumer, it will then be in their hands. Only then will it truly be possible to know whether changes in technology will create a change in listening habits.