5 major shifts as Singapore leaps into a digital-first world

Report

1. Listen up: Podcasts are digital audio’s rising star. 

16.5% of Singaporeans who listen to online audio content tune in to podcasts each week. They spend 55.6% more time listening to podcasts than a year ago. The average time spent has gone up by 20 minutes to 54 minutes a day. Consumption of digital audio continues to grow, not just for podcasts but also for music streaming services. Singaporeans devoted 27% more time streaming music year on year, with a daily average of 1 hour 43 minutes.

2.  State of Play: The gaming outlook remains strong as we head into 2022. 

8 in 10 Singaporeans play video games, with the smartphone being the most popular device (74.5%). Gaming console use has rocketed up 44.9% year on year to 1 hour and 11 minutes daily on average – just one minute under the global figure.

Singapore’s annual spending on video games ($206.8 million) accounted for more than half of the total digital media spend, highlighting just how valuable the gaming audience remains. 

The popularity of gaming is also reflected in the videos people are watching online, such that one-fifth of Singaporeans are watching gaming video content each week. In addition, Two of the top 10 YouTube searches last year were gaming titles: Roblox (6th) and Minecraft (8th). 

3. Add To Cart: Singaporeans’ enthusiasm for online shopping is on the rise. 

Considering pretty much everything is now obtainable by the press of a button, Singaporeans have shown to have a large appetite for eCommerce. As a result, our total annual consumer spend on online consumer goods purchases rose 38% to $6.16 billion. 

62.8% of Singaporeans make an online purchase each week. Our data also shows just how important free shipping is to Singaporean consumers — a whopping 57.3% of Singaporeans placed it as the top factor to push them over the edge for purchase. 

4. TikTok, Boom: The social media app is getting more popular.

It’s worth noting that Singaporeans are choosing TikTok as their third favourite social platform (excluding messaging apps). The short-video platform has been steadily gaining pace as close to half (44.3%) of Singaporean Internet users use the app each month. 

And while other social media platforms saw users spending less and less time on their android apps each month, TikTok experienced the opposite. The average time spent on TikTok skyrocketed by 74%. Now, users clock in close to 16.3 hours on the app each month.

5.  Cash, card, or crypto: Singapore embraces digital financial services. 

The country’s reputation as one of the world’s smartest cities is reflected in the 52.7% year-on-year rise in the value of digital payment transactions. Singaporeans are also more likely to have engaged with crypto investments, with 15.6% of internet users saying they own some kind of cryptocurrency against the global average of 10%.

“The significant shifts we see in this year’s report are only going to accelerate. Singaporeans are adapting rapidly to the new normal. This has impacted the way we live, socialise and even the way we shop, play, invest, and see the world,” said Christina Chong, CEO, We Are Social Singapore. “It’s crucial now, more than ever, for brands to understand these shifts in order to leverage the opportunities created by the changing landscape of our online audiences.”

For more on trends on social media, the internet, gaming, smart homes and ecommerce, read the full Digital 2022: Singapore report here.