IAB Ireland research Listen Up Ireland 2021 records that 5 in 7 Irish Adults listen to Digital Audio weekly
- Digital audio listenership maintains the strong surge recorded during the pandemic with 2.53 million Irish adults (71%) listening in an average week in 2021.
- After the surge seen in 2020 (71%, up from 66% in 2019), consumption of digital audio remains steady this year, despite easing of pandemic restrictions.
- In 2021, 15% of digital audio listeners do not listen to FM radio (doubled from 7% in 2020). This incremental reach figure rises to 22% for 18-24’s and 26% for 24-34’s.
- A notable proportion claim that compared to a year ago, they now listen to more online music / online radio (44%) and podcasts (60%). Around 1 in 3 they expect this consumption to increase even further in the next 12 months.
- The incidence of having a smart speaker has grown exponentially year on year to 35% (up from 28% in 2020 and 14% in 2019)
- Digital Audio’s particular strength has been to introduce users to new content – with 46% agreeing with this statement and 39% saying they are happy to listen to ads in return for great free content.
IAB Ireland’s third wave of digital audio research Listen Up Ireland2021 was launched this week. The study, which was carried out by Red C Research in June 2021 as Covid-19 restrictions were easing Ireland, provides a detailed overview of the Irish digital audio landscape for 2021.
The research provides a rich source of data for planning and buying digital audio including data on incidence and demographics, channel consumption, time spent consuming digital audio, devices used, and content consumed.
IAB Ireland’s Digital Audio Council with members from digital audio companies and media agencies worked closely with Red C Research on the research objectives and design.
Commenting on the report, Rob Timony, Business Director, audioXi and chair of the IAB Ireland Audio council said, “We’ve got a huge number of world class audio creators here in Ireland, so it’s fantastic to see such strong engagement with digital audio. This research further highlights the medium’s importance for advertisers in 2021, as part of a wider marketing mix. With over 46% of respondents saying it has led them to discovering new & exciting content, it’s easy to see why 1 in 3 people plan to increase their digital audio consumption further in the next 12 months.”
Sara Eslami, Associate Director at Red C Research added “This latest wave of Listen Up Ireland Research shows that engagement with digital audio has remained strong in 2021, despite easing of social restrictions and increased competition for people’s time and attention which confirms the strength of digital audio as a channel in the Irish market.”
The full report can be here viewed here.