Online Radio Begins It's Takeover

The Infinite Dial report from Edison Research was released last week outlining the listening habits of Americans, and there are some pretty interesting facts that were revealed.

Highlights of the study include:

• Online radio listenership grew by nearly a third last year as listeners discover specialized niches and new ways to listen

• 69 million Americans listened to online radio last month alone

• As a pushback to consultant driven broadcast radio, variety and control were given as the top reasons for the increase in online listening

• Thanks to in-office listening, 35-54 year olds dominate online radio listening numbers (so that's what they do when they should be working.)

• Online video saw viewership jump by a third to 69 million

• 40% of Americans over the age of 12 own an iPod or MP3 player

• MP3 player ownership among 12 to 17 year olds is 71%!

• Just 25% of consumers say they've purchased music online, but the number jumps to 41% among online radio listeners

• 1/3rd of Americans have a social networking profile

• 2/3rds of 12 to 24 year olds have profiles

• 40% of people with profiles visit them daily

• HD-Radio is barely making a dent in the consciousness of the listening public. (This isn't too surprising. The technology was way to long coming to market.)

So it seems that radio listenership is up, but not necessarily for broadcast radio. Listeners are finally revolting against the tightly controlled playlists foisted upon us by Madison avenue, consultants and focus groups. How long will it take before terrestrial radio begins to take notice?