YouGov and Audion find digital audio listeners move across platforms

A new YouGov study for Audion finds that 79% of U.S. adults listened to digital audio in the past 30 days, but most listeners now move fluidly between audio and video platforms. The findings suggest advertisers need to plan around audience behavior and context, not just individual platforms.

Why it matters: - Digital audio is no longer a single-platform habit. The study shows listeners routinely move between YouTube, Spotify, Amazon Music and other environments. - That shift changes how advertisers reach audiences. Audion says the opportunity is to plan around context and outcomes instead of treating each platform as a separate buy. - The behavior also blurs the line between audio and video consumption, which can affect measurement, targeting and media planning.

What happened: - YouGov conducted a study for Audion on digital audio consumption in the U.S. and other markets. - The U.S. research found that 79% of adults 18+ listened to digital audio in the past 30 days, equal to more than 200 million adults. - Among U.S. digital-audio listeners, 66% sometimes or often use a video platform to listen without watching the screen. - YouTube is the leading platform U.S. respondents mainly use for digital audio, cited by 61% of listeners. - Spotify was cited by 46% of listeners, and Amazon Music by 23%.

The details: - 74% of U.S. digital-audio listeners have started content on one platform and finished it on another. - Even among Spotify users, 76% also use at least one other platform. - Digital audio is embedded throughout the day. 52% listen during their morning commute. - 43% listen while cooking. - 33% listen while working out. - YouGov fielded the study online from Sept. 16-18, 2026, using its proprietary panels. - The U.S. sample included 1,465 adults 18+. - The focused sample included 1,158 digital-audio listeners. - Comparative research was also conducted in France, Italy and the UK/Great Britain market. - For the study, digital audio included music streaming, live radio via the internet, radio replays and podcasts, native or independent podcasts, and audio content consumed on YouTube without watching the video. - Audion also described its business as an advertising technology company that uses proprietary AI and contextual technology to make digital audio a measurable, performance-driven channel. - Audion said its platform analyzes audio and video content to support contextual targeting, activation and optimization across premium digital environments. - Audion was founded in 2018 by Arthur Larrey and Kamel El Hadef. - Audion said it works with more than 3,000 advertisers and agencies across Europe and the United States.

Between the lines: - The findings suggest platform labels matter less to listeners than convenience and the moment of use. - The reported crossover between audio and video supports a broader view of digital listening as a behavior, not a format. - The U.S. results line up with the study's broader international pattern of multi-platform listening, even though leading services vary by market. - Julien Chevignon, YouGov CEO, Europe, said the results show listening habits have evolved and are defined more by moment and intention than by device or platform. - Chevignon also said the shift is visible across Italy, France, the United States and the UK. - Mike Villalobos, chief revenue officer at Audion, said advertisers should think about audio around audiences, context and outcomes rather than separate platform strategies.

What's next: - Audion and YouGov are pointing to a media environment where cross-platform listening is now the norm, not the exception. - Advertisers are likely to keep adjusting audio plans around consumer movement across services and formats. - The study's international comparisons suggest similar behavior patterns may continue to shape market-specific platform strategies.

The bottom line: - Digital audio is behaving less like a standalone channel and more like a fluid part of daily media use, with YouTube, Spotify and other services sharing attention across the same listener journey. - More information is available in the study materials.