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Radio WAUs Blurring broadcast lines

Annie Langston
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Introduction
  • The radio            has traditionally thought in terms            monthly audiences and reach rather            engagement. It is time for            radio industry to start thinking            terms of weekly engagement so            it can better benchmark itself            the wider picture of digital           
  • It is            for radio to think in            of weekly active users (WAUs)
  • As radio            steadily declines over time, it            imperative to understand the current           
  • Globally, radio            skew older, making the transition            digital platforms such as podcasting            challenging. However, these are audio            so podcasts may more naturally            to this demographic than to            audiences who may have never            talk-based audio content
  • Radio companies            well-positioned in their local markets            play a key role in            podcast transition

Key insights

  • Germany                       and                       have the highest radio WAU            rates
  •                       the largest radio WAU audience segment
  • Radio WAUs                       hours weekly on audio, including            listening to podcasts,            listening to            and            hours listening to radio
  • Radio WAUs            for traditional audio behaviours such            buying CDs            and vinyl            likely            symptom of their generational lean
  • Radio WAUs            for listening to stations on            streaming apps and listening to            displaying the co-existing behaviours of            and on-demand
  • Nearly one-third            radio WAUs listen to podcasts           
  • News            is            top podcast genre among radio            followed by comedy            and music           
  • Countries with            highest radio WAU penetration, except            have a radio-owned podcast platform            one of their top podcast           
  • Radio audiences            for skipping both audio and            ads, illustrating their continued value            advertisers
  • Radio WAUs            social media platforms are Facebook            YouTube           
  • Radio’s podcast            will expand its competition to            platforms YouTube and Spotify, meaning            companies will need to use            deep content expertise to ensure            formats grow and thrive across            platforms