Use of Video or Audio Playback Speed.

The speed at which people consume content is becoming a defining characteristic of digital behavior.

Today, 60% of users have experience watching videos or listening to audio at increased playback speed. This signals a fundamental shift in the battle for attention: it is no longer enough to simply reach an audience—you need to capture and hold their attention from the very first seconds.

Playback acceleration is most commonly used for live streams, long-form conversations, interviews, and news or analytical content. Even advertising has become one of the formats that people are most likely to speed through. At the same time, TV series, movies, educational videos, and video podcasts are increasingly being consumed at faster speeds.

For marketers, this is a clear signal to rethink how video content is created. If the core message is delivered only at the end of a video, there is a growing risk that a significant share of the audience will not engage with it as intended. A compelling opening, an early delivery of the key message, and a high information density are becoming increasingly important.

Could playback speed soon become as important a media planning metric as reach, frequency, or ad duration?

Data processed by Media Systems