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Another Monday, another set of data confirming what most of us know intuitively – people really like their smartphones and use them for everything! According to the new “Share of Ear” research from Edison Research, and as reported by Steve Goldstein, 19% of audio consumption is on the smartphone. That means that one minute out of every 5 consumers spend listening to audio content is on a smartphone. And if you look at just the younger demographics, the numbers are closer to one out of three minutes. That’s a lot of people with ear buds in, or Bluetooth-ed to some other device perhaps in their home or their car.
For anyone in the mobile space, this comes as no surprise at all. We’ve witnessed how the smartphone has, blob-like, taken over one area of information or media consumption after another. Search, travel, social media, video – one by one all have shifted to majority usage on mobile phones. This device is the closest thing to a sci-fi-like “neural implant” we’ve ever seen. We are a species that has become more and more connected to these devices and they’ve become more and more deeply hardwired into our very existence.
Another interesting stat is that consumers who listen on smartphones “every day” is 34%. And once again, (the children shall lead them) among 13-34 year-old users that number is 68%.
So if listening is shifting rapidly (or, arguably, has already shifted) to mobile, your audio product is right there on the palm-top next to all of your competition. Whether you’re a radio station, or an Internet streamer, you’re sitting beside Spotify, AppleMusic, Rhapsody, iHeartRadio, TuneIn, and literally thousands of digital stations, plus the user’s own music collection. Your product has to be better. That means live, social, on-demand, and with all the personality and other brand attributes your audience loves you for.
Most importantly you have to tell your audience where to find you. Use your broadcast to let them know that they can find your station on its own app, and all the reasons your app is the best place to listen, like social interaction, on-demand content, newsfeeds, whatever else you’re providing them. And rest assured that all this smartphone listening can be measured by Nielsen’s mobile SDK.
TuneIn is fine for discovery, but your biggest fans deserve more. NextRadio is great, too, but it still has major distribution hurdles to clear. App usage habits are becoming ingrained now – so you want your app to be part of that habit.
To learn more about how connecting with your audience on mobile contact us at 248-353-9030 or email sales@jacapps.com.
Originally published by Jacobs Media
