U.S. at-home listening settles into a new normal

Data from Edison Research suggests that changes to audio listening habits in the United States triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic have not fully reversed, with at-home listening now stabilizing at a higher level than before 2020.

The latest findings from Edison Research’s Share of Ear study track the percentage of daily audio listening time spent at home among people aged 13 and older in the U.S. from 2015 through Q3 2025. Between 2015 and 2019, just over half of all daily audio listening took place at home, averaging slightly above 52 percent across those years.

That balance shifted sharply in 2020, when the share of at-home listening rose to 59 percent. Edison Research attributes the increase to widespread changes in daily routines, including office work moving into the home and the effects of social distancing. Elevated levels of at-home listening continued through 2021 and 2022, prompting questions across the audio industry about whether pre-pandemic listening patterns would ever fully return.

From 2023 onward, the data points to what Edison Research characterizes as a “new normal.” Between 2023 and 2025, the average share of daily audio listening time spent at home settled at around 55 percent. According to Edison Research, this appears to reflect a more permanent shift in work and lifestyle patterns, with many office workers continuing to work from home for part of the week.

The trended data illustrates how a temporary global disruption has translated into a lasting change in where and how audiences consume audio, with implications for broadcasters, podcasters and audio platforms planning for long-term listening behavior.

You can find out more about Edison Research’s Share of Ear reports here.

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