Audio is becoming ‘format-fluid’ as audiences move seamlessly between audio and video platforms depending on what suits them in the moment.
More than half (54%) of British people say they start listening to audio content on one platform and finish it on another. Within this group, 19% begin on audio and switch to video, 15% kick off with video but move to audio, while 29% report doing both.
These are key findings of YouGov research commissioned by Audion, an AI-driven advertising platform specialising in digital audio. The study also finds that 44% of British people listen to video content without actually watching the screen.
Global Shift Toward Format-Fluid Listening
This ‘format-fluidity’ is now mainstream in the UK but shows even higher adoption in international markets:
- Video as an Audio Platform: 64% of Italians, and 66% of people in both France and the US, use video platforms strictly to listen.
- Mid-Content Platform Switching: Mid-content switching is reported by 58% of listeners in France, 62% in Italy, and 74% in the US.
- Platform Fragmentation: 65% of Spotify listeners in both the UK and Italy also use another platform for audio, rising to 74% in France and 76% in the US.
These findings highlight the increasingly fragmented nature of the global listening landscape and point to significant cross-market variations.
The Implications for Advertisers and Brands
“People care about what they listen to, not where they consume it,” said Geoffrey Fossier, Global CMO at Audion. “They move easily between audio and video, to the point that video, audio’s traditional rival, has become its biggest platform. That’s good news for consumers and for the channel, but the resulting fragmentation makes life harder for advertisers. We built Audion AI to treat audio and video as one channel so brands can reach listeners wherever they tune in.”
Julien Chevignon, CEO Europe at YouGov, emphasized how fundamentally consumer habits have shifted away from traditional device boundaries.
“These findings show just how much audio consumption habits have evolved,” Chevignon noted. “Listening is no longer defined by a particular device or platform, but by a moment and an intention. The fact that two-thirds of listeners use a video platform without watching the screen is the clearest illustration of this shift. It is a fundamental change that we see consistently across France, the US, Italy, and the UK.”
Methodology
An exclusive YouGov and Audion online study was conducted from 16 to 18 September 2026 among representative samples of adults aged 18 and over, drawn from YouGov’s proprietary panels. Sample sizes included 2,257 respondents in the UK, 1,465 in the USA, 1,013 in Italy, and 1,009 in France (including 765 digital audio listeners). The estimate of 41 million digital audio listeners in France applies the 76% listening rate to the INSEE estimate of the adult population.
