New Post Xmas Smart Speaker Data - Now One-in-Six Americans
Edison Research and NPR released their latest Smart Speaker study at CES this week, including post-holiday purchase data. The trajectory, while no longer surprising, is still remarkable.
Here are a couple of interesting stats and highlights:
16%
With the holiday surge, one-in-six Americans, 18+, own a smart speaker. So in a matter of no time, 39 million Americans have at least one of these devices. The ascension is remarkable. It took the iPod 4 years hit 50 million users. 3 years after Apple's iPhone introduction, 14% of Americans owned a smartphone (Edison, Infinite Dial).
7% This Holiday
Happy holidays! 7% unwrapped a smart speaker this holiday season.
2/3rds
Amazon echo dominates with two-thirds of the market. But Google is clearly going all out. Heavy marketing during the holiday season followed by a big presence at this week’s CES. The stakes are high for dominance in this new category. For Google, voice search threatens their current ad search business. Protect ......
39% Listening Less to AM/FM
The data illustrates pattern changing. Most pronounced is AM/FM radio which tops the list of time replacement with people using smart speakers. 39% report listening less to AM/FM with the advent of smart speakers in their lives. Smart Speakers amp up choice with 100,000 radio stations, 425,000 podcasts and 5 major streaming audio services.
71%
7 out of 10 people report listening to more audio with smart speakers. It is a frictionless experience with instantaneous gratification. That's a clear consumer win.
64%
64% have an interest in smart speaker technology in their cars. That’s certainly coming. Toyota for example just announced Amazon Alexa for their fleet. Car companies are actively integrating the technology which will democratize in-car choice.
60% play music
60% play music on their smart speakers. That tops the list of things people do by a wide margin. The next closest is "answer a question" at 30%. 13% report requesting AM/FM radio with friends and family. No mention of podcasts in this report.
52% in the family room
The dominant placement of smart speakers is in the family room or similar location. This harkens back to FDR's fireside chats with the radio in the living room enabling communal use of audio for the first time in generations. Kitchen (21%) followed by Master Bedroom (19%)
The big story at CES this year by all accounts is audio. New capabilities and new content are happening fast. Our Sonic Ai partnership with Jacobs Media focuses on creating great audio experiences. Great experiences are everything with so much choice.
Thanks to Edison Research and NPR for tracking this explosive new category.
