Thoughts On The Infinite Dial 2018 Report

Every year, Edison does their infinite dial study. This is a study that focuses on the entire theme of audio. This is not only a study of podcasting, it's a study of all Internet audio and how it all fits together. Every year, when you look at the study you get to see the comparison between podcasts and internet radio or podcasts and Pandora or other audio mediums.

There are a couple things that I appreciate about the infinite dial which just cannot be stressed enough. First off, it's a real sample of real people. They give you the details of their sample before they present the data of each study. I love the infinite dial because it puts all of the audio studies together. This year is also the 20th anniversary. Today, I go through the slides and share my thoughts with you.

Tip of the Week:

One of the number one questions that comes up in podcast consulting is what is the type of schedule I should follow for my podcast. You don't have the constraints of a regular show. No matter what you do, take your audience with you. This is also the answer to your question. Ask your audience what they want and need. Keep in mind people like predictability, but they also like when you serve them.

Thoughts On The Infinite Dial 2018 Report:

[06:09] I love the methodology and how they take science seriously.
[06:23] 83% of America owns a smartphone. It's no longer a question of will people consume information on their smartphones, it's a question of how will they do it and what will they consume.
[06:52] Tablet seems to be going down. I don't think tablets are gone, but smart speakers are also in the mix.
[07:23] Smart speaker use is only going up and is only going to get bigger and bigger.
[07:38] Amazon is still doing better, but they won't always win everything. Create a smart speaker strategy.
[08:05] People aren't depending on radio anymore, they are using internet connected devices. Put your content on the Internet.
[08:31] On slide 15, they talk about Facebook being down a little bit. I wouldn't decry the loss of Facebook yet.
[09:02] Realize it's not having a specific strategy for this speaker or that social media platform. It's really about making sure your content is everywhere.
[09:53] On slide 29, Pandora has massive audio brand awareness. Pandora announced recently that they are coming up with a podcast strategy. If the number one audio brand in the country is coming up with a podcast strategy, you want to be part of it.
[11:16] Weekly YouTube usage is at 46%. YouTube usage continues to grow because it's safe, easy, and a product we know what to do with.
[11:52] I'm seeing podcast consumption on YouTube even without video. It is great distribution.
[11:57] AM FM radio is still big in in-car media. Podcasting is bigger than satellite radio.
[12:23] 15% of America looks at in-dash entertainment systems.
[12:34] Audio books is also a model of consumption that you may want to think about. Don't put yourself in a situation of podcast versus audiobooks. Instead, make it Podcast and audio books.
[13:11] On the podcasting slides, the numbers continue to go up. 1 in 4 people listen to podcasts monthly. 1 out of 5 or 6 Americans listen to podcasts every week. That is tremendous. Number of podcasts listened to In the last week has gone up.
[14:03] The most used devices are portable devices and tablets, and the least used device or the numbers that are going down are on computers.
[14:11] Podcasts are being consumed at different places.
[14:18] Less than 25% listen in their car. At home podcast listening is still the largest number. Half of podcast listeners listen at home, and they have smartphones and smart speakers.
[14:53] Slide 59. Only a small percentage of podcasters speed up their audio. Smart speakers are growing faster than smartphones. Have a plan and a strategy for smart speakers.
[16:01] Percentage of Americans who use social media has tapered off. It's still a predominant and important player.
[16:22] Streaming audio and Pandora is huge. Apple music isn't doing that well. Amazon music is interesting with their Echo. Pandora is going to be the next interesting spot. It is the next play.
[16:32] Podcasting is continuing its steady growth. At some point, it will taper.
[17:01] I want you to watch the video and look at the slides and consume these for yourself.
[17:57] It's important to know that this industry is doing better and has some fantastic chances.

Links and Resources:

Thoughts On The Infinite Dial 2018 Report - The Podcast Report