Pandora has partnered with Edison Research and Carat for an investigation into co-listening, when more than one person is tuned in to the same audio at the same place and time. The results mark a first analysis of this listening activity and its impact on streaming audio ad impressions.
The results pointed to home and family as leading drivers of co-listening, and smart speakers may be adding to that trend. A previous Edison study found that 42% of people living with family agreed that smart speakers had increased their amount of family time. Co-listening at home often centers on food, with 76% of respondents cooking while listening with others and 65% eating. Chores and housework or working also secured about half of the responses. The survey noted that parents and Hispanic households reported higher rates of co-listening.
The survey also examining co-listening in cars, which was the No. 2 location for shared audio experiences. Again, Hispanic respondents posted higher co-listening rates for vehicles 2.5 times more than white participants and 6 times more than African-Americans.
Co-listening also has the potential to impact measurements of ad impressions. The study found that for every 100 paid advertising impressions purchased, co-listening provides advertisers with an addition 37 unmeasured impressions.
“The age-old argument about who gets to control the radio in the car now takes on a modern spin as smart speakers move into homes,” said Haley Paas, SVP and head of strategy and insights at Carat U.S. “While streaming audio used to be highly personal, brands now need to think through the co-listening experience and the creative implications of who is listening and in what context.”