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Smart Audio Report: COVID-19 Drives Increased Use of Voice Assistants

Article
April 2020

The Spring 2020 Smart Audio Report confirms 77% of U.S. adults have had a change in their typical routine due to the outbreak of COVID-19, and voice-assistant usage has expanded during these disruptions.

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With 41% percent of the U.S. population saying they are staying at home and not leaving unless it is an emergency and 54% only going to places they feel safe and/or are necessary, new research shows how smart speakers and voice assistants are increasingly becoming a part of their everyday lives.

        Among the Key Findings

52%

of voice-assistant users say they use voice tech several times a day or nearly every day, compared to 46% before the outbreak.

36%

of U.S. 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 U.S. 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.

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The Spring 2020 Smart Audio Report Webinar

Watch how people use smart speakers and voice assistants in their daily routines

Voice commands aren’t just for smart speakers. This year, The Smart Audio Report explores the wider category of voice assistants and their usage on smartphones and other devices both inside and outside of the home.

Voice Assistants and Routine

Voice Assistants Across Devices

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The Smart Audio Report from NPR and Edison Research is a recurring study on trends in smart speaker ownership and voice assistant user behavior.

Get the Spring 2020 Smart Audio Report

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Since its first release in 2017, the Report has revealed trends in smart speaker adoption and usage, and insight into how voice technology is shaping consumer attitudes and behaviors. See the latest Smart Audio Report research and sign up to receive updates.

How the Spring 2020 Study Was Conducted: Methodology

The Smart Audio Report Spring 2020 is based upon a national telephone survey of 1,002 U.S. adults age 18 and older, conducted December 31, 2019 through January 5, 2020, and a national online survey of 1,660 U.S. adults age 18 and older, conducted March 31, 2020 through April 1, 2020. Ethnographic interviews were conducted in Denver, Kansas City, and Orlando. The device owner data was weighted to nationally representative figures on Smart Speaker users from The Infinite Dial 2020 from Edison Research and Triton Digital.