Nielsen’s Audio Diary Measurement Service has entered a six-month accreditation hiatus with the Media Rating Council (MRC) as the company refines its rollout of the new mSurvey mobile diary tool.
The pause, which began June 23 and runs through December 23, was announced last week to clients in a letter.
It stems from methodology changes tied to the broader implementation of mSurvey, which Nielsen started phasing into diary markets earlier this year.
MRC accreditation requires an independent audit of a measurement service’s methodology, data collection, and reporting to verify it meets industry standards. Any significant changes trigger a new review process.
Nielsen outlined three main elements of the update:
- Expanded recruitment via mSurvey, eScreener, and third-party survey panels.
- A low-burden digital survey designed to be completed in minutes rather than days.
- A responsive digital format that adapts in real time to participant input.
Nielsen emphasized that the hiatus does not affect day-to-day business. Client currency and reporting remain unchanged, the hiatus does not apply to PPM services for audio or TV, and the traditional paper diary continues for the majority of the sample.
mSurvey Rollout Details
Nielsen began implementing mSurvey with the Spring 2026 survey on April 2. It initially covered about 10% of the total sample, with the remaining 90% still using paper diaries. The digital tool allows respondents to log listening online—primarily via smartphone—and was first introduced to households without residents age 55 or older, as well as those including Black, non-Hispanic, and renter populations.
Nielsen plans to move the expanded digital instruments into full production early next year and will provide regular progress updates to clients and the MRC during the hiatus.