Share of Ear Tracks How WFH Affects Listening in U.S.

As a significant share of American workers shifted to at-home employment in 2020, their audio consumption patterns were deeply affected as well, notes Edison Research. The company recently released its latest Share of Ear survey results to subscribers, which detailed the ways audio has changed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

For Q1 2021 data, the survey added a measure for adults who are employed and primarily working from home, which gave further insight to how the pandemic has affected listening. The report shows that among employed persons who work from home, nearly three-quarters of their total audio consumption (72%) happens at home. Meanwhile, according to the study, among those who work away from their homes, only 29% of their listening happens at home.

“We knew from Share of Ear data in 2020 that a tremendous amount of listening had shifted to home as a result of quarantine restrictions. While almost everyone was spending at least some increased time at home during the pandemic, it is those who shifted their work to their homes who drove the biggest changes,” said Director of Research Laura Ivey. “We also saw audio consumption rise on computers and other devices such as internet-connected televisions, so we can see that at-home workers are using various audio devices at home.”