82% of the users I interviewed and surveyed were avid consumers of both audiobooks and podcasts, while the remaining respondents exclusively listened to podcasts. There seems to be a solid connection between lifestyle and listening habits, as nearly all respondents said they would prefer to listen to  podcasts vs audiobooks while engaging in activities like exercising, working, or running errands. This is likely because podcasts tend to run much shorter than audiobooks (avg podcast is 38min) and require less focused listening. 

Audiobooks listeners treat their “listens” as an opportunity to relax and absorb an interesting story or narrative, taking time to step back from life’s everyday demands. Again, this content tends to be typically less conversational and more story driven so requires more focused listening. More than half the respondents mentioned consuming audiobooks and podcasts while on road trips, saying it provided the perfect opportunity for focused engagement and conversation with others. They reported they were able to enjoy the content even more when actively sharing it. 

This desire to engage further with the audio content was common across all respondents. Over half had previously been in a book club or were actively considering joining or starting one, and over 80% expressed an interest in joining a book club, even if they had never been a part of one before. Those who didn’t have an interest in joining a club, who coincidentally were podcast consumers exclusively, said they had engaged in forums on apps like discord to explore their favorite podcasts further. It’s clear to me that while the form of content sharing may vary across users, there is a strong desire to get the most out of the content they consume by engaging in it with friends and family. 

After learning how and why users listen, I wanted to understand where they found new content and how recommendations from family and friends contributed to their listening habits. There were a variety of ways users found content: searching in their favorite genres on existing apps, looking through recommendations based on their histories, or even learning of new shows or episodes through different podcast guests. Most common though, was receiving recommendations from those they knew, and almost everyone said they typically give these recommendations a chance. They aren’t always a hit, but users are much more likely to follow a recommendation from someone they know that shares an interest or knows about their interests. 90% said they had made similar recommendations for friends or family, and are excited to discuss and share once the other party has listened.

I compiled these results and interview notes into an Affinity Map to guide me and help determine exactly how a Book Club feature should function.  Consolidating the feedback also helped align my design goals, making sure I was addressing the most important needs of my potential users.