MUMBAI: The COVID19 crisis has changed the average Indian’s life. With schools and colleges being shut coupled with corporates and governments encouraging employees to work from home, Indians in the metropolitan cities are looking at ways to keep themselves entertained and/ or to find “companions”.

Kantar - VTION’s passive OTT Audio Audience Measurement service data reveals that there was a 42 per cent increase (amongst consumers able to consume OTT / streaming audio platforms) in time spent on listening to OTT/ streaming audio apps. 

What is driving this growth? 

Social distancing is the new norm! with consumers being forced to be housebound in the current environment, a large number of “new users” (consumers who were not tuning into OTT / streaming audio apps in the previous period) have started using these services

Amongst various demographic groups that were analysed, two segments display huge growth in the time spent on listening to OTT/ Streaming Audio apps:

Over 50 per cent growth in the time spent on listening amongst the age group of 18-24 – a reflection of the closure of colleges and youngsters being housebound and looking for alternate entertainment options?

Consumers in the age group of 25-34 have shown a 30 per cent growth in usage – perhaps driven by the fact that they are working from home (WFH) and using the OTT/ streaming apps as a companion medium 

In terms of day-wise consumption behaviour, the study shows that new “peaks” are emerging as far as consumption of OTT/ streaming audio apps is concerned. The report reveals a 52 per cent growth in the incidence of listening in the afternoons – between noon to 6 pm. Late night (post-midnight till 6 am in the morning) registers an 80 per cent increase in the incidence of listening, compared to the last month.

Will the current environment change the consumer behaviour? Will the consumers continue to avail of the OTT / Streaming Audio services? Will the medium grow? Only time will tell.

The OTT Audio Audience Measurement offering brings together Kantar’s expertise in media measurement and consumer insights with VTION’s proprietary audience measurement technology and data management framework to provide a unique, comprehensive understanding of audience behaviour, insights for communication planning as well assessment of ROI for media investments across OTT Video platforms, OTT Audio Streaming & Podcasting and Broadcast Radio FM Platforms.  

The study is based on a robust sample size of 9000+ stretching across top 9 cities (Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Pune, Ahmedabad & Lucknow/Kanpur) among male and female of age group of 18+ and across SEC A, B & CDE.