Gen Z Americans spend over 4 hours with audio per day and reap a multitude of benefits from their listening, according to The Gen Z Audio Report from Edison Research and SiriusXM Media. The report was based on a new online survey of 2010 listeners aged 13-24 in Q4 2024.
Key finding from The Gen Z Audio Report
Audio Habits
- They spend 42% of their average audio day with streaming music, 20% with music and music videos on YouTube, 16% with AM/FM radio and radio streams, 8% with podcasts, and 14% with other audio sources
- 63% have listened to or watched a podcast in the last month, an estimated 35 million people
- The top three podcast genres listened to by Gen Z are comedy, music, and entertainment
- The top three music genres listened to by Gen Z are hip-hop/rap, pop, and R&B
Audio facilitates better moods, joy, coping
- 86% of Gen Z listen to music or consume podcasts to help boost their mood
- 69% agree that audio has brought joy to their lives; 57% agree that audio inspires them
- 63% agree that audio has helped them cope during difficult times; 61% agree that audio has helped them with their mental health
Audio Discovery
- The top three ways Gen Z discovers music: 30% discover music most often through social media; 19% most often through friends and family, and 18% most often through recommendations or curated stations from online-only audio services
- The top three ways Gen Z discovers podcasts: 28% discover podcasts most often through searching on YouTube, 26% most often through social media posts, and 19% most often through friends or family
Brands and Ads
- 42% of Gen Z say that they are much more likely to pay attention to an advertisement if it is honest and transparent. Brands not taking this approach risk being ‘cringy’ among this group
- 49% are much more likely to pay attention to an ad if it contains music they like
- 49% are much more likely to pay attention to an ad if it makes them laugh
The Gen Z Audio Report can be downloaded here.
