Source: www.insideradio.com, May 2023

This week’s Insights piece from Edison Research challenges readers to consider two words: Listening and Watching. And to acknowledge televisions as audio consumption devices. Specifically, it looks at YouTube audio consumption on internet-connected TVs.

The firm’s syndicated Share Of Ear service has always counted listening to “music and music videos on YouTube” as an audio source. According to Q1 2023 Share of Ear data, listening to music and music videos on YouTube makes up 14% of all daily audio consumption by those age 13+ in the U.S. Edison notes this does not include listening to YouTube’s streaming service, YouTube Music, which is measured separately in Share of Ear. It also excludes podcasts, which can be consumed on YouTube.

“We have seen the television evolve from a video-only ‘watching’ device to an internet-connected, multi-media device that delivers audio content as well,” Edison says. And here comes more evidence of that. “When Americans consume music and music videos on YouTube, 23% of that listening is done on an internet-connected TV or TV device,” Edison says.

While the majority of listening to YouTube music and music videos happens on a mobile device, Edison says it’s important to acknowledge televisions as audio devices. “Televisions can take prominent places in our homes and can now provide on-demand or linear audio experiences, even through video-first platforms such as YouTube,” it says.