Smart Audio Report teasers and webinar info

The Spring 2018 edition of The Smart Audio Report, produced by NPR and Edison Research, will be released tomorrow (Wednesday July 18) in a 1pm webinar. It is a key research report about the adoption and use of smart speakers, arguably the most important new distribution platform since smartphones. (REGISTER HERE) The first edition of the groundbreaking study was premiered at the first RAIN Podcast Business Summit, presented by NPR, last summer.

In a teaser release, NPR and Edison have revealed a few key findings which presage the full presentation. Here they are:

• For first adopters, the smart speaker is now the #1 way they listen to audio, and 38% of newer, early mainstream users say they purchased the device hoping to reduce screen time.
• While first adopters demonstrate more advanced smart speaker use – controlling home security and other household devices – early mainstream users are quickly relying on the technology for a wider range of daily activities – ordering food, making calls, getting traffic reports, researching products, and shopping.
• Among all smart speaker owners, the most preferred formats for audio advertisements are skills/features created by a brand, host-read ads on podcasts, product endorsements, and sponsor or underwriter announcements during public radio.

To refresh memory of previous installations of this ongoing research, the Spring/Summer and Fall/Winter reports from last year can be accessed here.