2023 AIR Audio Community Survey
Every year, AIR surveys the audio community at large to gather information about your path into audio, the struggles you're facing, the resources you need and how AIR can best support you through the programs and tools we offer.
In 2023, 574 people completed AIR’s Annual Audio Community Survey. Out of that number, 355 were active AIR members when taking the survey. Based on that pool, we captured a general profile of an AIR member:
- Average age: 24-44 years old
- Learned audio by teaching themselves, taking classes, or attending a training program
- 11+ years making audio and experience level is intermediate to advanced
- Produces podcasts, edits long-form narratives, reports for radio features and documentaries, and hosts talk shows
- Mainly freelances in audio as a primary income, is actively looking for work, or works on an audio passion project (unpaid)
- Joined AIR in the past five years to network with other audio makers, find work, access webinars and community events
- AIR resources most utilized: Rate Guides, Job Board, Talent Directory
Below are some key takeaways from the overall survey results:
More than half of respondents (62%) are currently members of AIR with the majority being members for 1-5 years (57%). 20% had joined within the past year and about 12% have held their membership for 6 years or more. Non-members expressed that the main barrier preventing them from joining is cost. Current members said they joined AIR to:
- Network with other audio makers
- Find work opportunities
- Access free webinars and virtual community events
- Support AIR’s work improving rates and fair practice
When it comes to experience, survey respondents are not new to audio with almost 33% having over 11 years of experience. Less than 2% of respondents are just getting started. Respondents ranged highest between the ages of 25-44 years old.
A surprising majority (over 57%) said they taught themselves what they know. About 20% said they went to journalism school and about 30% had internships that helped their journey.
When asked about employment status, the majority of respondents are (40%) freelancing as their primary income with 24% freelancing on side. 35% are actively looking for work in the audio sector. 23% have salaried jobs in the audio sector (this number has dropped since our 2022 survey) and we saw a slight increase in folks who work on passion projects that they are not being paid for (31%). Other responses that were manually submitted include people who work in education, owners of production studios/networks, holding multiple part-time jobs to sustain passion projects or are retired.
The top forms of professional development respondents are most interested are:
- networking (73%)
- classes (57%)
- mentorships (45%)
- conferences (42%)
- editing or pitching workshops/panels (41%)
- webinars (40%)
An overwhelming 79% of respondents have to pay out of pocket for any professional development with only 12% stating they have a budget through their employer.
People were able to select multiple roles to best describe themselves. Over 83% of respondents play the role of producer with 49% in the Editor role. A newly added role, Creative Side, received 36% of the pie, with Reporter (37%) and host (32%) also being prominent roles.
We also know that our community works on a wide variety of audio formats. Respondents were able to select multiple types of formats they produce resulting in 76% podcasts, 53% long form narrative, 48% interviews and talk shows, and slight increase in audio documentaries (49%).
Being an AIR member includes many opportunities ranging from professional development, networking, mentorship and training. Plus, AIR members get access to SoundPath, AIR’s digital training platform for the audio community. Out of the extensive amount of resources AIR offers, the Rate Guides (73%) and Job board (60%) are the most utilized by respondents.
When asked what respondents think AIR's top priorities should be, they indicated the following:
- Online training offerings (46%)
- Expanding the field through opportunities for diverse voices (38%)
- Developing resources to help you as a business person (38%)
- Developing legal resources to help members understand and negotiate contracts (36%)
In terms of the biggest challenges facing the audio industry at the moment, respondents selected:
- Lack of employer awareness on what it takes to produce high-quality radio and podcasts
- Unclear paths for professional growth and opportunity.
- Lack of revenue for podcasts
Donations to AIR strengthen our ability to advocate for fair compensation, grow opportunities, establish new partnerships, and invest in the remarkable community that is AIR’s member network. Our ability to learn from, respond to and work on behalf of our members is everything. Our programs actively expand the field by training a new and diverse generation of editors and leaders and building a network of skilled producers, engineers, sound designers and editors. Your donation makes our work possible. Donate today or become a member.
Thank you to all who participated in the survey.
We are grateful to those who helped us spread the word about the survey, especially: