Weekly time spent listening to online audio in Canada in 2019, by source

Canadians spent an estimated 389 minutes listening to online audio content on a weekly basis in 2019. Music streaming was by far the most popular activity, with weekly consumption at over four hours.

Music streaming in Canada

Music streaming has become an essential part of Canada’s music industry and one of the most popular leisure activities among Canadian online users. The number of music streaming users in Canada was forecast to surpass 10 million in 2020, and that same year, Canadians spent more than one hour per day listening to their favorite tracks and artists via streaming services. In effect, Canada’s music streaming revenue reached a record 271 billion U.S. dollars.

Podcasts are reshuffling Canada’s audio landscape

In line with the ongoing digitalization of Canada’s media landscape, podcasts have taken the country’s audio industry by storm. The share of Canadian adults listening to podcasts rose to 26 percent in 2019, shortly before dipping to 20 percent in 2020. This dip in podcast listenership came as no surprise, considering that podcast consumption is closely tied to travel and commuting, and both of those activities came to a halt during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.