OTT audio streaming apps see 42% hike in time spent in #Stayathome times

The COVID-19 crisis has changed an average Indian’s life. With schools and colleges being shut coupled with corporates and governments encouraging employees to work from home, Indians in the metropolitan cities are looking at ways to keep themselves entertained and/ or to find “companions”

Kantar – VTION’s passive OTT Audio Audience Measurement service data reveals that there was a 42% increase (amongst consumers Able to Consume OTT/ Streaming Audio platforms) in time spent on listening to OTT/ Streaming Audio apps. Last month, Kantar and VTION launched OTT Audience Measurement service – a first of its kind, passive, continuous audience measurement service which attempts to bring the streaming audio medium at par with Radio, TV, Print and Digital platforms.

So, what is driving this growth?

• Social distancing is the new norm! With the consumers being forced to be house bound in the current environment, a large number of “new users” (consumers who were not tuning into OTT/ Streaming Audio Apps in the previous period) have started using these services
• Amongst various demographic groups that were analysed, two segments display huge growth in the time spent on listening to OTT/ Streaming Audio apps:

• Over 50% growth in the time spent on listening amongst the age group of 18-24 – a reflection of the closure of colleges and youngsters being house bound and looking for alternate entertainment options?
• Consumer in the age group of 25-34 have shown a 30% growth in usage – perhaps driven by the fact that they are Working from Home (WFH) and using the OTT/ Streaming apps as a companion medium

In terms of day part wise consumption behaviour, the study shows that new “peaks” are emerging as far as consumption of OTT/ Streaming Audio apps is concerned. The report reveals a 52 per cent growth in the incidence of listening in the afternoons – between 2 noon and 6 pm. Late night (post-midnight till 6 am in the morning) registers an 80 per cent increase in incidence of listening, compared to the last month. 

Will the current environment change the consumer behaviour? Will the consumers continue to avail of the OTT/ Streaming Audio services? Will the medium grow? Only time will tell.

The OTT Audio Audience Measurement offering brings together Kantar’s expertise in media measurement and Consumer insights with VTION’s proprietary audience measurement technology and data management framework to provide a unique, comprehensive understanding of audience behaviour, insights for communication planning as well assessment of ROI for media investments across OTT Video platforms, OTT Audio Streaming & Podcasting and Broadcast Radio FM Platforms.

The study is based on a robust sample size of 9,000+ stretching across top 9 cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad and Lucknow/ Kanpur) among male and female of age group of 18+ and across SEC A, B & CDE.

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