29% of US motorists listen to audio on their phones according to a recent blog post by Edison Research. Using their Share of Ear survey that measures the full audio space and how much the audio average American consumes in a typical day using a nationally representative sample of those aged 13+.
In 2014, only 15% of in-car audio users listened on their phones in the car. Today that number has nearly doubled, and now 29% of the US population age 13+ who listen to audio in-car do so on a mobile phone.
This doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone in the car is listening to the same thing as earbuds and individual devices mean that each occupant could be listening to something different.
The majority of time listening in-car on a phone, 53%, is spent listening to streaming music services. With both free and paid apps at the ready, there are plenty of options for listeners who just want music. Listeners can opt for the linear nature of a streamed playlist or full control of on-demand selections.
The next most-listened-to type of audio is podcasts at 17%, and owned music such as downloaded digital files at 14%. Listening to music and music videos on YouTube accounts for 9% of listening on a phone in-car. Audiobooks clock in with 4% of the total.
SiriusXM gets 1%, as nearly all of SiriusXM’s in-car listening is done through a satellite receiver, not a mobile phone. The same holds for AM/FM Radio, where there is some listening to streams, but most all listening happens through the car radio.
