Every data company is trying to understand how the coronavirus pandemic is changing media and entertainment habits. A report from Nielsen Music and MRC Data titled COVID-19: Tracking the impact on the Entertainment Landscape from Nielsen Music and MRC Data explored media and subscription use. The results found that 60% of the U.S. population is engaging with more entertainment during the outbreak.
The survey included a sample of 945 people and collected data during March 25-29. Participants were asked about their activity for the previous two weeks, covering the phase when several stricter moves happened in the U.S. to limit the spread of COVID-19.
Sixty-four percent of the respondents said they engaged with music and 40% listened to radio. Within that audience for music, 87% said they are listening to the tunes and artists they would normally listen to. About half (55%) are favoring older music that they used to enjoy.
Even though people aren’t listening on the go, 78% said their smartphones were their main music source. Forty-six percent are using their laptops to listen, and 33% are using smart speakers.
Nearly a quarter (24%) of the survey participants said they bought at least one new subscription service in the past few weeks. Video had a large lead, with 81% of the new subscribers, while music services got 38% of the responses. Households with children were the most likely to have added a new subscription.