Canadian Smart Speaker ownership and podcast listening unaffected by pandemic according to the Infinite Dial 2021 Canada from Edison Research and Triton Digital. The research carried out in February 2021 surveyed a nationally representative sample of 1001 people aged 18 and older. It found that 27% of Canadians 12+ own a smart speaker, up one percentage point from 2020, and smart speaker households in Canada now own an average of 1.8 of the devices, up from 1.7 in 2020.
Podcast listening saw slight movement as monthly podcast listeners increased one percentage point to 38% of all Canadians 12+ compared to 37% in the 2020 survey.
Although podcasting’s reach saw only a slight increase since last year, engagement remains strong, with 76% of podcast listeners typically listening to all or most of the podcast episode, and weekly podcast listeners consuming an average of five podcasts per week.
Online audio reach has remained consistent as well, as 71% of Canadians age 12+ are monthly online audio listeners, compared to 70% in 2020.
Spotify is in a dominant position among online brands as 30% of those in Canada age 12+ have used Spotify in the last month, with the next-highest brand being YouTube Music at 15%. Spotify is also the biggest mover in this year’s survey, as 41% of Canadians 12+ say Spotify is the online audio brand they use most often, up from 37% in 2020 and 32% in 2019.
Other findings of The Infinite Dial 2021 Canada report
- 77% of Canadians age 12+ have driven or ridden in a car in the last month, down dramatically from 92% in 2020, reflecting the change in habits of Canadians due to quarantine restrictions.
- Almost one-fourth (24%) of Canadians who have ridden or driven in a car in the last month own an in-dash information and entertainment system.
- When asked what time spent with online audio is replacing, 31% said it replaced time with over-the-air AM/FM radio, 30% said owned music, 4% said SiriusXM and 35% said it is ‘new time’ not taken from another medium.
- 48% of podcast listeners listen to podcasts produced by Canadians.
The Infinite Dial 2021 Canada report is freely available in English here, and in French here.
