Mobile In-Car Audio Listening Nearly Doubles

If you’re traveling by car this Thanksgiving holiday, you’ll be sharing the road with 72 million of your closest friends, according to AAA, and your audio selections should certainly be counted among your road trip necessities.  

This week’s insight from Edison Research takes a closer look at in-car listening specifically on mobile devices. In 2014, only 15% of in-car audio users listened on their phones in the car. Today that number has nearly doubled, and now 29% of the U.S. population age 13+ who listen to audio in-car do so on a mobile phone.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that everyone in the car is listening to the same thing and participating in Wicked sing-alongs or solving the next true crime podcast together. Earbuds and individual devices mean that each occupant could be listening to something different – think of teenagers in the back seat enjoying playlists or downloaded music on their phones. And besides in-dash systems, phones can also be connected to the audio output through Bluetooth, aux cords, or USB cords, which means almost anyone can listen through a phone in their vehicle. 

To Enlarge: Right Click On Graphic, Then Click On Enlarge Image

The graphic below shows how Americans spend their in-car audio time when listening through a mobile phone.

The majority of time listening in-car on a phone, 53%, is spent listening to streaming music services. With both free and paid apps at the ready, there are plenty of options for listeners who just want music. Listeners can opt for the linear nature of a streamed playlist or full control of on-demand selections. 

The next most-listened-to type of audio is podcasts at 17%, and owned music such as downloaded digital files at 14%. Listening to music and music videos on YouTube accounts for 9% of listening on a phone in-car. Audiobooks clock in with 4% of the total. 

SiriusXM gets 1%, as nearly all of SiriusXM’s in-car listening is done through a satellite receiver, not a mobile phone.  The same holds for AM/FM Radio, where there is some listening to streams, but most all listening happens through the car radio. 

 So whether for musical entertainment, or to finish your favorite audiobook, or to learn some things from a podcast before the inevitable post-election family conversations, enjoy your in-car audio time as you travel. We are thankful for all of you and wish you the best this Thanksgiving week!