Smart Speaker use increases in US during quarantine with over a third of US adults listening to more news and information since the COVID-19 outbreak according to recent research by NPR and Edison Research. The Smart Audio Report Spring 2020 found that 77% of those in the US age 18+ are experiencing a change in their typical routine due to the outbreak of COVID-19 following the 1st April, and voice-assistant usage has expanded during these disruptions.
With stay-at-home orders and the closing of nonessential businesses across the country from mid-March to the present, adults in the US are behaving in accordance with regulations. 41% of US adults say they are staying at home and not leaving unless it is an emergency, and 54% are only going to places they feel safe and/or are necessary. The Smart Audio Report measured how those affected by the restrictions are using voice assistants:
- 36% of US adult smart speaker owners say they are using their device more to listen to music and entertainment since the outbreak, and 52% of 18-34-year-olds say the same.
- 35% of US adult smart speaker owners are listening to more news and information since the COVID-19 outbreak, and 50% of those ages 18-34 say the same.
- Usage of voice commands in general has increased slightly since the COVID-19 outbreak, with 52% of voice-assistant users saying they use voice tech several times a day or nearly every day, compared to 46% before the outbreak.
Key findings include:
- Of those who use voice assistants, more than two-thirds say they ‘make their lives easier’.
- 46% of smart speaker owners say they use their smartphone voice assistant more since acquiring their smart speaker
- 59% of smart speaker owners who also use a voice assistant on their smartphone say the tasks they use for each of the devices are mostly different
- 52% of smart speaker non-owners who use some type of voice commands are likely or very likely to buy a smart speaker in the next six months — 34% of all smart speaker non-owners say they are likely or very likely to buy a device in the next six months
Tom Webster, Edison Research SVP, said “With tens of millions of Americans no longer commuting, smart speakers are becoming even more important as a conduit for news and information and this increased usage and facility with voice assistants will likely increase demand for this technology in vehicles once our commutes resume.”
Other findings from the research
Voice assistant technology is in a state of evolution, not revolution, as people are using more kinds of skills and using the technology on speakers, TVs, and other devices
- 63% of the total US online population 18+ say they use voice-operated personal assistants of any kind
- The voice technology in smart speakers is seen as slightly better than the same technology in smartphones, which may be due to operating systems, and environmental factors
Smart speakers with screens play a crucial role in skill discovery; audio-first devices are perceived as easier to use than audio-only devices
- Among non-owners of smart speakers, those who currently use voice assistants are 60% more likely than those who don’t to purchase a smart speaker in the next six months
