Study suggests young listeners prefer streaming over FM tuning, MP3s

Internet radio has gone a long way. More and more people are flipping their modems or Wi-Fi devices on rather than switching on their radio sets for entertainment and information. Young people, in particular, are obviously fond of online streaming as it exposes them to many genres of music.

One of the most popular online music streaming services is the Spotify. (Source)

According to a study by audio network, TargetSpot, listeners aged 18 to 24 would rather listen to online radio or streaming than hit buttons on FM/AM tuning.

To support the study, CNN reported that online radio doesn’t only trump regular broadcasting, but it also competes strongly against a listener’s own set of songs. It seems that mp3 files have little place in memory sections of tablets and smartphones these days, simply because young listeners would rather go to their preferred online host and let it play music for them.

“You can find music on the radio and TV, but those songs are chosen for you. The Internet allows you to find your own music. It’s more personal,” said 21-year-old music fan, Camille Kim, to CNN.

Personalization for all ages

Personalization is indeed the Internet radio’s biggest offering. During its early run, local and national radio stations would have their online versions, usually a live streaming version of what is heard offline. These days, websites such as Spotify and Soundcloud act as online recommendation hubs when it comes to music. Once a song is played, a song that lies around the same genre or artist interest would play next. Even YouTube has recently applied this “personalized” strategy.

Indeed, listeners of all ages are more engrossed in listening to the radio online than the traditional way. Statista reported that in 2014, 160 million Americans tuned in to online radio at least once a month. The number is expected to grow to 191 million listeners by 2019. With the rising popularity of streaming and podcasts, this number is not so hard to imagine.

Diversity and quality

Just how do these Internet radio websites gather so much young listeners? The answer is quite simple: diversity and quality. It’s fair to conclude that young people don’t like to be bored and when presented with such many choices, they can get excited and browse through channels. This is an exclusive Internet radio user experience that traditional radio can’t give: a visual representation or the freedom to choose from the options being presented.

Spoken word, online radio, and podcast-heavy sites such as Audioboom (LSE:BOOM) offer content from some of the world’s top music outlets. Radio Free Culture, Turned Out a Punk, Decca Label Group, BBC Radio 6 Music, Capital FM, and even musician-curated stations such as Imogen Heap and Tiesto’s are available to stream.

All music genres can be chosen with a click or a tap, unlike usual FM tuning where listeners have to wait for certain days or hours just to listen to their preferred music. The personalized music selection is aided by another advantage: insider information, such as interviews from artists that can be heard anytime. Aside from these music-heavy channels, Audioboom is known to house high-quality spoken word and information-heavy content from the BBC, The Telegram Podcast, and The World Tonight.

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