Audio Listening at Home Share Stabilizes Post-Pandemic
| RADIO ONLINE | Tuesday, December 30, 2025 | 11:41am CT |
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 Edison Research |
Trended data from Edison Research's Share of Ear study shows how the COVID-19 pandemic reshaped U.S. audio listening habits -- and where they have since settled. The analysis tracks the percentage of daily audio listening time spent at home among Americans age 13 and older from 2015 through the third quarter of 2025. From 2015 to 2019, just over half of all daily audio consumption occurred at home, averaging slightly above 52%.
That share rose sharply in 2020 to 59% as office work shifted into homes and social distancing measures took hold. Elevated at-home listening levels continued through 2021 and 2022, reflecting ongoing changes in work and daily routines.
Beginning in 2023, the data points to what appears to be a "new normal." From 2023 through 2025, at-home listening averaged about 55% of total daily audio time, suggesting that hybrid and remote work arrangements remain a lasting factor in how Americans consume audio content.
