Growth in radio via internet listening

Wednesday December 10, 2008

By Christopher Barrett

Evidence that digital radio services are becoming increasingly popular has been established by a Rajar report that has found that nearly one in three people in the UK claim to have listened to radio over the internet, while 7.2m people have downloaded a podcast.

The RAJAR Measurement of Internet Delivered Audio Services (MIDAS 3) research, which was conducted during October 2008 by Ipsos MORI, found that 31.7% of the UK population (16.1m people) say they have listened to the radio via the internet compared with 14.5m in May 2008. The survey also found that 15m listened live and 13.5m people listened using “Listen Again” services.


Commenting on the report, which also established that the vast majority of listening top radio over the internet takes places in homes (89%), RAJAR research manager Christel Lacaze says, “With the increase in broadband internet access rising from 51% of UK households in 2007 to 56% in 2008 and the high profile launch of BBC iPlayer, listening to the radio has never been a more attractive proposition. This third report clearly reveals that internet delivered audio listening, whether it is listening live, via Listen Again services, via Personalised Online Radio or via podcasts, continues to rise steadily.”