Share of Ear · May 31, 2017

Edison Research Presents First Canadian Share of Ear®

By edison

Edison Research: Broadcast Radio Controls More than Three-Fifths Of Canadian Listening

While broadcast radio controls more than 50% of all audio usage in the United States, the medium is even healthier in Canada. Whether heard over-the-air or via streaming, AM/FM radio stations account for 61% of all Canadian listening, according to Edison Research’s first Canadian Share of Ear® study. By comparison, streaming audio services comprise only 9% of listening, compared to 15% in America.

Share of Ear Canada
Share of Ear® Canada

Share of Ear® has accurately and consistently measured audio listening across platforms in the U.S. since 2014. Share of Ear®: Canada was commissioned by Radio Connects, Canada’s radio marketing and advocacy group. The presentation was unveiled this morning in Toronto as part of an event for the advertising community sponsored by Numeris, Canada’s broadcast ratings cooperative.

Share of Ear® uses diary methodology to determine both the amount and nature of audio consumed by users in an average week. AM/FM radio is followed by listeners’ owned music collections (16%), streaming audio (9%), TV music channels (6%), SiriusXM Satellite Radio (4%), and podcasts (3%). The study also found that Canadians average 4 hours and 14 minutes of listening to audio daily, slightly more than their U.S. counterparts.

Canada has a unique audio landscape. Some of the audio brands familiar to Americans are unavailable, particularly Pandora. In addition, 2017 will be remembered as a significant year for Canadian audio with the nationwide launch of both iHeartRadio Canada and Radioplayer Canada. Share of Ear® provides a first look at how Canadians use all sources of audio and provide a benchmark for years to come.

“We are pleased to bring our unique methodology for capturing all audio to Canada for the first time,” says Edison Research president Larry Rosin. “Bravo to Radio Connects for giving broadcasters a potent tool to demonstrate the power of the medium in a way that goes beyond empirical evidence, and for providing the entire audio industry with a report card.”

More details of Share of Ear®: Canada are available through Radio Connects.

How The Survey Was Conducted
Edison Research conducted a nationally representative study of 1,022 Canadians ages 13+ to measure their time spent listening to audio sources. Respondents completed a 24-hour diary of their audio listening on an assigned day. Diaries were completed both online and by-mail using a paper diary. Diaries were completed in both English and French.

About Edison Research
Edison Research conducts survey research and provides strategic information to a broad array of clients, including Activision, AMC Theatres, Disney, Dolby Laboratories, Google, Gulf News, the U.S. International Broadcasting Bureau, Pandora, Samsung, Siemens, Sony, Time Warner and Yahoo. Edison Research works with many of the largest American radio ownership groups, including Bonneville, Emmis, Entercom, CBS Radio and Radio One. Another specialty for Edison is its work for media companies throughout the world, conducting research in North America, South America, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Edison Research is the sole provider of election exit poll data for the National Election Pool comprised of ABC, CBS, CNN, FOX, NBC and the Associated Press. Edison is also the leading provider of consumer exit polling and has conducted face-to-face research in almost every imaginable venue.

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