48% of adults in the United Kingdom listen to audio or radio online each week, an estimated weekly audience of 25 million, according to results from the first Audiometrics market research to measure listening behaviour, published today.

The survey of 3,000 UK adults (aged 15 and over) found that the weekly reach of online audio and radio is greater amongst males (51%) than females (45%), and is highest amongst young people (75% of 15-24 year olds and 59% of 25-34 year olds).

These findings and others were released by Audiometrics in a presentation to key companies from the online audio sector at the initial meeting of the Audio Council in London.

A udiometrics is a new service, launched by London-based market research agency AudenceNet, that specialises in audience research, data analysis and strategic insights for the growing audio and radio sector.

The Audio Council was formed in early 2013 by the Internet Advertising Bureau [IAB] to educate the market about the possibilities offered by advertising in an online audio environment.

“Several online audio businesses, both British and international, were already amongst satisfied clients of our market research services,” said AudienceNet Managing Director David Lewis. “It made sense to create Audiometrics to provide them, as well as media buyers and potential advertisers, with an objective, periodic overview of the consumer market for online audio.”

“These new figures help to highlight just how mainstream listening to audio in a digital environment has become – and how vibrant a sector this is,” said IAB Editorial Manager Stuart Aitken, Chair of the IAB’s Audio Council. “We’re looking forward to working with AudienceNet in the coming months to produce a report called ‘Listening Britain’ which will build on this research and look closer at behaviours within this space.”