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A graph can encapsulate a moment in history and speak to major world events. Trended data from Edison Research’s Share of Ear® study illustrates the dramatic effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on U.S. listening habits and how things have changed since.
The graph below illustrates the percentage of daily audio listening time that is done at home from 2015 to Q3 2025 among people in the U.S. 13+. From 2015 to 2019, our survey found that just over half of all daily audio time was spent listening at home, averaging a little above 52% over those years. The share of time spent listening to audio at home then increased sharply in 2020 to 59%, due to office work moving into homes, and other social distancing practices. This new trend continued into 2021 and 2022, with many wondering if life would ever look as it had before the pandemic.
The trend starting in 2023 seems to point to a ‘new normal’, with the average between then and 2025 at 55%, seemingly reflecting a world where many office workers continue to work from home at least a few days each week.
Share of Ear® subscribers have access to share of listening time spent at home, work, in a car, or in another place, along with a variety of other data points on how Americans engage with audio. Contact us to learn more about a subscription to Share of Ear to learn more about a subscription to Share of Ear®.
