RAJAR has issued its audio survey, MIDAS, for spring 2024.

The study goes beyond radio listening and covers on-demand audio across platforms and devices amid the rise in music streaming and podcasts.

Nevertheless, live radio continues to make the most impact according to the RAJAR study with 89% of adults surveyed listening at least once a week.

Connected audio, defined as listening via an internet connection, has been an area of strong growth. It covers podcasts, audiobooks, on-demand music, catch-up radio and live radio, with listening via smartphone, computers, games consoles, wearable tech, media players, smart speakers and tablets.  

According to the survey results, connected audio reached 68% of the population and, on average, adults listended for around 16 hours per week. That compares to a reach of 53% and 13.2 hours five years earlier.

Over the same period, on-demand music use has grown while owned music (including physical and downloads) has fallen to around 20%.

The surprise in the RAJAR stats is that on-demand music use across paid and ad-funded streaming platforms is at 36%. That seems low compared to other surveys, although the results may be skewed by older respondents who aren’t using those platforms, plus the fact that this is a sample of RAJAR respondents who are committed to radio listening.

Overall, on-demand music listening hours are at an average of 11 hours per week. The proportion using subscription services is 60%. Over half (55%) of the listening hours are via a smartphone, with 25% via a smart speaker.

However, for younger listeners aged 15-24 the reach for on-demand music has a reach of 70%, with those listening for approximately 14 hours per week. The survey found that, for this age group, 60% of listening is via a phone and 21% on a speaker.

The results also show that 21% of the UK population listen to podcasts in an average week and they each listen for 6.9 hours. For those aged 15-24, the reach is 31% and they listen for 8.6 hours.

The survey was based on a sample of 2,143 former RAJAR respondents in April 2024.

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