As more Canadians get smartphones, more of them are using the devices to access streaming audio and video, according to a report from Media Technology Monitor.

The Streaming Media on Smartphones report is based on a survey of 4,009 English-speaking Canadian adults who were asked what kind of media they had streamed on their smartphones within the previous month. While the majority of smartphone users still do not use their devices to access streaming audio, video or television, all categories saw significant growth in 2013.

Of all smartphone users, 35% said that they use their device to stream video content, up from 27% last year and the first time the MTM report has reported growth in the category since 2010. The video streaming rate across all English-speaking Canadians including non-smartphone users is 23%.

While the numbers for video are high, only 18% of smartphone users and 12% of Canadians in general say that they watch television programs on their phone, although that still represents growth compared to years past. The numbers suggest that screen size may be a contributing factor to this: those who owned both tablets and smartphones were more likely to stream television on the larger screens of their tablet instead of on their smartphone.

Smartphone penetration continues to rise in Canada, with 66% of English-speaking Canadians now owning a smartphone, up from 55% in 2012 and 41% in 2011.

The report also reveals that smartphone users consume more media in general, across all types of devices. On an average week:

• Smartphone users watch nine hours of online video, compared to five for the typical Canadian.

• Those who use their phones to watch TV programs watch an average of nearly 22 hours of TV or video programming across all platforms (including traditional TV sets), compared to 18 for the typical Canadian.

• Those who use smartphones to listen to music, podcasts, news and other audio content listen to 18 hours, compared to just under 14 for the typical Canadian.

As one might expect, younger users were more likely to utilize streaming media services. Half of users in the audio and video categories and a third of those in the television category were in the 18- to 34-year-old range.

The biggest market for media streaming was Calgary, topping other major cities in usage of audio and video and reaching a tie with Edmonton in television. The lowest was Montreal, the only major market to fall at or below the national average in all three categories.

Image courtesy Shutterstock

– From Media in Canada