Media consumption in 2023: Average daily use of audio and audiovisual media in Germany approaches 10 hours

Frank Giersberg, Managing Director of VAUNET: “Forty years on from the inception of commercial broadcasting in Germany, radio and television as well as audio and video services are by far the most widely used media. This gives rise to a unique societal responsibility, which commercial media fulfil by providing trustworthy entertainment, news and information content. They serve as a safeguard against disinformation and fake news, playing a vital role in the protection of democracy.”

Johannes Leibiger, Head of Media Economics & Research at VAUNET: “After the significant surge in usage in Germany during the Covid pandemic, the daily consumption of audio and audiovisual media in 2023 stabilized at a high level again, still nearly an hour above the level before the crisis. While total media consumption slightly decreased compared to the previous year, online video consumption saw a notable increase in 2023. However, the vast majority of audio and audiovisual consumption still comprises the daily consumption of linear radio and television.”

To mark the fortieth anniversary of commercial broadcasting in Germany, in this year’s Media Usage Analysis covering 2023, the VAUNET German Association of Private Media has also examined the evolution of TV and radio usage over the past forty years.

Average daily audio consumption in 2023 was estimated at 4 hours and 4 minutes, a decrease of 13 minutes compared to the previous year (2022: 4 hours and 17 minutes). Post pandemic, audio consumption is returning to normal levels but remains higher than before the crisis (2019: 3 hours and 56 minutes). In 2023, weekday radio listening continued to dominate, with listeners aged 14 and above tuning in for a daily average of 2 hours and 59 minutes (2022: 3 hours and 6 minutes). In 1983, the year before the launch of commercial radio, the average time spent listening to the radio every day was 2 hours and 36 minutes.