Nine out of ten Austrians at least rarely use online audio offerings. This means that usage remained stable compared to the previous year, shows RTR’s online audio monitor 2024.
Podcasts and the music streaming platform Spotify increased, while Amazon Music lost. The offers are often used while doing housework (52 percent) and in the car (55 percent). The highlight is between 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., but audio books only really get going after 8 p.m.
For the online audio monitor, 4,000 people aged 15 and over were surveyed online by the market research institute Ipsos from the end of May to mid-June. There were hardly any major shifts compared to the previous year. In addition to at least infrequent use (91 percent), the number of at least monthly (81 percent), weekly (71 percent) and almost daily users (50 percent) also remained largely stable. 86 percent of those surveyed use audio-on-demand offers at least occasionally. This is followed by music streaming (81 percent), podcasts and radio shows for listening (40 percent) and audio books or radio plays (27 percent).
The podcast division in particular recorded growth. 48 percent (2023: 43 percent) of 15 to 29 year olds listen to a podcast at least once a month. Among 30 to 49 year olds it is 38 percent (2023: 35 percent). For almost 40 percent of podcast users, these are a very important or even the most important source of information about current events, whereby the younger the respondents, the more important podcasts are rated for their own information consumption.
When it comes to music streaming platforms that are used at least occasionally, YouTube remained largely stable at the top with 72 percent. Spotify was able to increase by four percentage points to 48 percent. Amazon Music, on the other hand, lost three percentage points and reached 32 percent. Apple Music follows at a respectful distance (11 percent).
27 percent of those surveyed have already had contact with audio content generated with artificial intelligence (AI). Four out of ten find AI music programs or AI playlists okay. 35 percent feel this way about audio books read aloud by AI and about AI-generated weather forecasts or traffic reports. Acceptance (16 percent) is significantly lower for AI-generated voices from well-known moderators or people.
