NPR and Edison Research Report: Smart Audio Making Big Gains

That39s according to the latest installment of NPR and Edison Research39s Smart Audio Report According to its survey 62 of Americans 18 and older use a voice assistant on any device including smartphones smart speakers TV remotes and computers Smartphones are the most popular way to access voice tech with 56 of adult smartphone owners reporting they use their phone39s voice assistant And 35 of Americans use voice via smart speakers according to the survey resultsSmart speakers have moved beyond a novelty to a common household gadget NPR and Edison report that 35 of Americans own at least one device up from just 16 in 2017 the first year that NPR and Edison started studying smart speakers and voice In 2022 smart speakers function as modern radios and for smart speaker owners they are now the No 2 way to listen to audio just behind mobile devicesquotWe were amazed in such a short time the smart speaker had become the primary audio listening device for so many peoplequot said Lamar Johnson Vice President of Sponsorships for National Public Media the sponsorship arm of NPR quotThe digital world is increasingly appealing to AmericansquotWhile smart speaker penetration has grown steadily consumers are still buying them for the same reasons From 2017 to 2022 the three top reasons Americans purchased a device wereTo listen to musicAsk questions without needing to typeHave a fun new gadgetquotVoice is everywhere and it will continue to seep into unexpected parts of our livesquot Johnson said quotFor the most part consumers think that is a good thing as long as we39re providing them with relevant or useful toolsquotMore Americans are using smart speakers for convenience and media access In the 2022 survey 86 of speaker owners said that the devices allow for a more convenient living experience Half of the smart speaker owners said they use the device to replace an old radio while 53 said they want one to control household appliances Consumers value the speakers for ease and convenience with 90 of smart speaker owners reporting that interactions are short and easy with low levels of effortquotSmart speakers allow for a more convenient living experiencequot added Edison Research Vice President Megan Lazovick quotSimple commands can implement all sorts of tasks in the home from 39What39s the weather39 to a more complex sequence that turns on home lights cameras and alarmsquotDespite the advances the voice tech industry still needs to win over some skeptics who worry about security and privacy as well as better accessibility the study notedSmart speakers have created a new distribution point for audio with owners reporting they use them to listen to children39s entertainment and podcasts stream music and discover new content and events In response audio publishers are ramping up their smart audio content NPR for one offers several daily podcasts including newsoriented Up First and Consider This which give short bursts of information and are wellsuited for smart speaker listening Johnson noted NPR says it produces more of these daily podcasts than any other publisherquotOne thing that39s been a big focus for NPR is daily habit programming and creating programming that fits into and enriches its audience39s daily livesquot Johnson said quotWe know they39re interested in short useful contentquotSmart speakers39 share of time spent listening is small but growing In 2022 Edison reported that Americans spent 5 of their total audio time listening via a smart speaker up a dramatic 400 from 2017 while listening to podcasts on speakers accounted for 6 of all podcast listening a 200 increase from 2017In 2017 mobile and radios were the No 1 and No 2 devices for listening to audio and smart speakers ranked third In the 2022 report smart speakers have edged out radio for the second spot among smart speaker owners In fact 20 of smart speaker owners now say that speakers are their primary device for audio listening edging out AMFM radios which account for 19 of listening Mobile devices remained the most popular with 34 of listeningNPR is seeing that play out Johnson said NPR podcast listening via smart speakers has more than doubled in the last four years and news consumption is also growingUsers are also receptive to voice ads About half of the speaker owners in the 2022 survey who have heard a voice ad said they are likely to respond and 68 of respondents said brands that advertise on voice are innovative If these device owners had the opportunity to interact with a voice ad about onethird said they39d set a reminder ask for more information or add an item to their shopping cartquotThis space is still very young and there is much opportunity for change and growth especially in the ways that brands can communicate their messages with smart audioquot Lazovick concludedClick the social buttons to share this story with colleagues and friendsThe opinions expressed here are the author39s views and do not necessarily represent the views 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NPR and Edison Research Report: Smart Audio Making Big Gains

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Alli Romano

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