As a significant share of American workers shifted to at-home employment in 2020, naturally their audio consumption patterns were deeply affected as well. New data from Edison Research helps quantify that shift. Among employed persons who work from home, nearly three-quarters of their total audio consumption (72%) happens at home, according to fresh findings from its ongoing Share of Ear study. Meanwhile, among those who work away from their homes, only 29% of their listening happens at home.
“We knew from Share of Ear data in 2020 that a tremendous amount of listening had shifted to home as a result of quarantine restrictions,” said Director of Research Laura Ivey. For example, in second quarter 2020, 70% of total listening was taking place at home, up from 49% pre-quarantine. “While almost everyone was spending at least some increased time at home during the pandemic, it is those who shifted their work to their homes who drove the biggest changes,” Ivey explained.
The latest research shows audio consumption rose on computers and other devices such as internet-connected televisions. “We can see that at-home workers are using various audio devices at home,” Ivey observes.
Since it began tracking the growth of audio consumption in 2014, Share of Ear has included listening location as part of that dataset. The study has now added a measure of those U.S. adults who are employed and work primarily from home, and those who are employed and do not work primarily from home, leading to new insights. It will be interesting to see how listening patterns continue to acclimate as quarantine restrictions continue to evolve and the American workforce continues to adapt to workplace changes.