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Nestor, 31, Atlanta

Listeners: Trend No. 1

Sound Escape

Millennial and Gen Z listeners are seeking a more fulfilling and balanced media diet — and audio is the answer.

— Nestor, 31, Atlanta

Millennials and Gen Zs are seeking the right mix of content to match or make their mood, whether they’re escaping into a true crime podcast, getting hyped with a pop playlist, or soothing themselves with ambient noise.

For Gen Zs, audio is all about offsetting their digitally saturated lives.

77% of American millennials see audio as a mental health resource.

Millennials in the U.S. sought comfort in nostalgic playlists during the pandemic.

+99%

’80s Hits

+60%

’80s Rock Anthems

+34%

’70s Love Songs

+2.4X

Increase in podcasts focused on mental health on Spotify among global Gen Z unique users in 2021, compared with the year prior.

The following podcast categories saw above average increases among millennial and Gen Z unique users in the U.S. in Q1 2021 compared to Q1 2020:^*

^*Average podcast listenership in the U.S. increased 57% among millennials and 47% among Zs

Gen Z

Millennials

205%

207%

Mental Health

109%

100%

Health

89%

101%

Self Help

69%

93%

Alternative Health

73%

80%

Spirituality

Audio isn’t just entertainment — it’s an integral part of listeners’ DIY wellness menu.

Music has been a massive lifeline for me.

— Isa, 31, Bristol, U.K

83% of millennials and 69% of Gen Zs in the U.S. agree that they use audio to reduce their stress levels.

79% of American millennials and 69% of American Gen Zs agree that they feel more centered and generally happier when they listen to their favorite music on a daily basis.

As millennials and Gen Zs incorporate audio into their self-care routines, brands have an opportunity to become a part of their daily practices through Spotify Advertising.

Want to Learn More?

Explore even more insights, trends, and takeaways for advertisers in this year’s Culture Next.

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Kat, 26, Toronto

Listeners: Trend No. 2

Blurred Lives

Millennials and Gen Zs are increasingly immersed in a mixed reality that blurs the lines between tangible and virtual, fact and fiction, and more.

Whether exploring the space-time continuum through a podcast, joining a big group chat via Clubhouse, or attending a live show on Fortnite, young people are navigating the liminal space between real and virtual through the most immersive of our senses: sound.

+31%

Time spent streaming Spotify audio from gaming consoles in the U.S. in Q1 '21 compared to Q1 '20

73% of American millennials feel that audio is the most immersive form of media.

61% of American Gen Zs agree that audio helps them experience a situation more deeply.

Audio pulls you into the story, it can envelop you, it creates an atmosphere that takes you somewhere else.

— Kat, 26, Toronto

54% of American Gen Zs say they can’t wait to attend a real-life music show or concert.

Over the last year, audio is the thread that has knit together virtual birthday parties, graduations, weddings, activist organizing, and pretty much everything else.

Now, Zs are eager to resume IRL experiences, while millennials are more likely to continue attending virtual concerts after the pandemic is over.

Among millennials in the U.S.:

31%

69%

31% would rather connect with local music fans of an artist you like via an IRL concert

69% would rather connect with other music fans of an artist you like from around the world via a livestreamed concert

For gamers of both generations, sound is a tool that transports them to alternate realities.

When I’m playing Red Dead Redemption, I can hear cowboy boots hitting the floor, the sound of gunfire and corn mills in the distance. So I feel like I’m surrounded by taverns, saloons and Clint Eastwood.

— Karamvir, 18, New Delhi

70% of millennial gamers and 57% of Gen Z gamers in the U.S. agree that audio can make or break the experience of a game.

Audio allows brands to be a part of both physical and virtual realities. It can transport listeners to new worlds, but it can also serve as a soundtrack that blends in with their current reality and enhances their environment.

Want to Learn More?

Explore even more insights, trends, and takeaways for advertisers in this year’s Culture Next.

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Sophia, 17, Whittier, CA

Listeners: Trend No. 3

Symbiotic Creation

Real-time collaboration between musicians, podcasters, audiences, and brands is changing the sound of culture.

Digitally-savvy Gen Z listeners now play an active role in deciding the fate of culture. They amplify new artists, co-create songs, and form powerful global communities that make tomorrow’s hits.

Social media has created a community for music lovers of every genre you can imagine. People give recommendations or ask for recommendations, and we all grow our music tastes.

— Sophia, 17, Whittier, CA

42%

Gen Z Spotify users in the U.S. that said they’ve heard a song on social media, and then searched for it on Spotify.

Where Gen Zs in the U.S. are most likely to have discovered a new music artist:

34%

Social media

12%

From a friend

11%

Recommended through a streaming app or service

10%

An audio ad on a streaming platform / service

8%

A movie or TV show

7%

None of these

7%

From an artist I already follow / listen to

6%

On a curated playlist

5%

From a family member

5%

On the radio

Social media has changed audio culture for my generation.

— Lesly, 20, Jakarta, Indonesia

Among audio creators globally, 76% of millennial audio creators said that receiving feedback from fans or followers is part of their creative process, compared with 65% of Gen Z audio creators.

Audio creators — once protective of their solo creations — are now welcoming fans and brands into their creative processes and marketing plans.

The word ‘fan’ doesn’t encompass enough of the actual relationship anymore. I think what attracts my fans to me and me to my fans is that we have this very open, charming, witty dialogue that is extremely honest and funny.

— Music artist Alexander 23

If fans are a part of the creative process, then they’ll be much more inclined to listen.

— Max, 15, Petersfield, U.K

Gen Zs and millennials are eager to co-create with brands too. Pull back the curtain and give your audience a backstage pass to your brand’s creative process — and the opportunity to be part of it.

Want to Learn More?

Explore even more insights, trends, and takeaways for advertisers in this year’s Culture Next.

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Wil, host of SUPERHUMAN

Creators: Trend No. 1

The “It” Source

Podcast creators are fast becoming the front page, the 6 o’clock news, the silver screen, and the classroom — especially for Gen Zs, who already turn to their phones as their primary news source.

There’s a higher level of trust with podcast audiences because it’s more raw. It’s kind of like hanging out and seeing this side of someone that’s as personal as it can get. I mean, that was my experience when I started listening to podcasts. When I would listen to someone talk, it’s almost like you’re just hanging out with a friend or a mentor and having this discussion, even if you aren’t talking.

— Wil Dasovich, host of the Spotify Original Podcast SUPERHUMAN

47% of American millennials and Gen Zs rank their trust in podcasts above traditional media sources, including national TV news, newspapers, and radio.

American millennials and Zs say that during the pandemic, podcasts made them:

53%

Feel more informed

47%

Feel more hopeful

33%

A better citizen

Reading a newspaper article or a TV program, you don’t know which writer has written what, and it’s all gone through an editor. With an audio creator, you know where the opinion is coming from, so you can gauge it.

— Max, 15, Petersfield, U.K

Creators say it’s the intimacy and casual nature of podcasting that allows them to be uniquely vulnerable.

Love Aaj Kal is authentic. It’s just fireside chats, unhinged, unedited, non-PR vetted. Those kinds of things fly because everything else in the content sphere is so curated, vetted and sanitized.

— Ankit Vengurlekar, co-host of Indian podcast Love Aaj Kal with Aastha & Ankit

Millennials, especially, feel emotionally connected to their favorite podcast hosts: 79% of American millennials agreed that podcast hosts “sometimes feel like a friend” (versus 61% of American Zs).

The intimate nature of podcasts makes them an ideal medium for advertisers to connect with engaged listeners.

76% of American millennials believe the actual voices of podcast hosts can make or break a podcast.

Getting personal endorsements from hosts who genuinely enjoy the product can be just as effective as getting a recommendation from a friend.

— Rich Fulop, CEO of Brooklinen (and team)

Podcasts have proven to be a uniquely effective ads environment: 41% of all listeners say they trust ads more if they hear them during a podcast, and 81% report that they have taken an action after hearing a podcast ad.

Whether spoken by a podcast host or a voiceover actor, audio helps brands find their most authentic voice — and make the biggest impact.

Want to Learn More?

Explore even more insights, trends, and takeaways for advertisers in this year’s Culture Next.

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Nina, 37, Compton, LA

Creators: Trend No. 2

New Voices

Through audio, millennials and Gen Zs are uplifting historically underrepresented voices.

With audio, there’s just so much more freedom. I got a phone, I got a mic, we got a camera — let’s go.

— Nina, 37, Compton, CA

New audio creators sit at the forefront of culture. They’re driven by affordable tools and platforms, and the conviction that their songs and stories matter.

This access and ease is especially essential for Gen Z creators, who are most likely to be producing and promoting themselves. Many Gen Zs, confined to remote school, started new audio projects during the pandemic.

What I love about the podcast medium is that it gives you a great opportunity to tell some of those stories that haven’t been told before about Black culture, about Black people, and about issues that are important to us.

— Jemele Hill, host of the Spotify Original Podcast Jemele Hill is Unbothered

Lockdown every day was a free day, so I bought a guitar. If lockdown didn’t happen we wouldn’t have had time to develop skills.

— Max, 15, Petersfield, U.K.

We also saw more diverse voices behind the mic — bringing untold stories into the spotlight. And audiences are eager to listen.

This past year, specifically, I’ve felt more representation in audio than in any other industry. I’ve heard more narratives that I can relate to and heard from more BIPOC artists.

— Andrés, 24, Mexico City

68% of millennials and 49% of Gen Zs in the U.S. said they’ve sought more content from more diverse creators and podcasts in the last year.

Young consumers expect brands to reflect, represent, and empower them through their campaigns, talent partnerships, and participation in social justice movements. Audio ads and sponsorships provide an opportunity for brands to amplify important conversations.

Among American Millennials / Gen Zs:

Millennials

Gen Z

76%

58%

Believe they’re building a “better normal” out of the pandemic

72%

56%

Believe they’re building a more equitable society

71%

59%

Agree that as a culture we’re more open to hearing diverse voices than ever before

Want to Learn More?

Explore even more insights, trends, and takeaways for advertisers in this year’s Culture Next.

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Music artist, glaive

Creators: Trend No. 3

Generation Curation

Cultural curation — the reshuffling of music, podcasts, playlists and more — has emerged as an essential part of artistic expression.

With the power to forge connections, set emotional tones, and even launch careers, Gen Z audio creators see curation as a critical part of how culture is being shaped today.

64%

Global Gen Z creators that feel digital technology makes it easier than ever to be a cultural curator.

The rise of cultural curation is directly affecting the creative output of Gen Z audio creators, who regularly pull from different genres, sounds, cultures, and more.

Growing up on the internet and seeing social media has influenced my music a lot. Up to this day, you could see a phrase on something on social media and be like, ‘Oh, that’d be cool to put in a song.’

— Music artist glaive, 16

While playlists have been around for over a decade, millennial creators have recently embraced curating their own music and podcast playlists as a way to ensure their place in cultural conversations. Playlists allow creators to highlight their own work, share friends’ work, cite influences, and more.

60% of global Gen Z creators agree that everyone is a cultural curator in today’s society.

67% of global millennial creators said they feel more pressure than ever to be a cultural curator.

For me, curation is absolutely creation.

— Edouard, 33, Paris

81% of global millennial creators believe playlist creation is an art.

Brands can join in on this cultural curation through Spotify’s playlist ecosystem: branded playlists, editorial playlists, and user-generated playlists.

Among global audio creators, 83% of millennial creators and 70% of Gen Z creators see curation as a form of creation in its own right.

Want to Learn More?

Explore even more insights, trends, and takeaways for advertisers in this year’s Culture Next.

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Karamvir, 18, New Delhi

Advertisers: Trend No. 1

Affinity-hoods

As the most diverse and globally-minded generations to date, millennials and Gen Zs can’t be constrained to the neat demographic segmentations of marketing past.

Marketers should focus on cultural affinities: shared passions or interests that consumers identify with and connect over.

I identify more with the hip-hop community than with my community here in New Delhi, or in India.

— Karamvir, 18, New Delhi

Demographic data is just the starting point... People are much more interesting and unpredictable.

— Dexter Darbouze, Brand & Media Manager at Nike

While it may at first seem that global affinity communities could be hard for brands to reach, they’re actually easier to connect with than demographic segments of decades past. After all, millennials and Gen Zs come together on public digital domains, including social networks, streaming platforms, and more.

Audio is a rich space for reaching audiences through the cultural touchstones they love.

One podcast’s audience may span several demos but indicate interest towards one specific topic.

— Brianna Hanan, Marketing Lead at Squarespace

73% of millennials and 57% of Gen Zs in the U.S. believe that streaming platforms at-large, including audio, have significantly shaped how they discover and connect with broader culture.

To authentically align with Zs, brands should focus on surrounding the music and podcasts that represent Zs’ passions.

Among American Millennials and Gen Zs

Gen Z

Millennials

53%

69%

Have used music as a way to learn about cultures and experiences that differ from their own

49%

65%

Have become part of a global community because of either music or podcasts

37%

61%

Have made a friend who lives in another country because of either music or podcasts

Want to Learn More?

Explore even more insights, trends, and takeaways for advertisers in this year’s Culture Next.

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Travis, 33, Dubai

Advertisers: Trend No. 2

Remote Connections

Brands are adapting to reach a new millennial consumer whose lifestyle and habits have radically shifted.

For many millennials around the globe, everything from work to parenting to socializing and attending live concerts are still centered around a single location: home.

Life for myself pre-pandemic was deejaying 6 nights a week. Then it all stopped.

— Travis, 33, Dubai

Brands haven’t just had to figure out how to reach consumers at home. They’ve had to help them adapt to new ways of working and living.

Spotify continues to be a primary platform for connecting with friends, family, podcast hosts, and brands.

With most of our customers spending more time at home the past year, it was of increasing importance to meet them where they were. This meant adapting to changing listening habits. Fewer consumers were tuning in during their commutes and more from the comfort of their homes.

— Rich Fulop, Brooklinen founder (and team)

With more time spent at home this past year, Millennials and Gen Zs in the U.S. streamed audio on Spotify through connected devices more often in Q1 2021 than Q1 2020:

124%

In-Car

89%

Wearable Devices

82%

TVs

31%

Gaming Consoles

30%

Smart Speakers

25%

Desktop Computers

79%

Millennial parents in the U.S. that report ‘we consume more family-friendly entertainment than we used to.’

I allow my 13-year-old son to deejay with the family Spotify account. It keeps the peace.

— Nina, 37, Compton, CA

Smart speakers have emerged as a pandemic must-have, especially among millennial parents: While 57% of millennial parents in the U.S. already own at least one smart speaker, 83% said they plan to buy one in the next 12 months.

The smart speaker has brought music more into every room and it’s made it more instantly accessible.

— Nick Bartle, VP, Marketing (Home & Mobile) at Google

Want to Learn More?

Explore even more insights, trends, and takeaways for advertisers in this year’s Culture Next.

Download Report

Advertisers: Trend No. 3

Working With Spotify Advertising

Reach your audience with digital audio campaigns that resonate.

Get started instantly with Ad Studio.

Spotify’s self-serve advertising platform, Ad Studio, makes it easy for businesses to share their message with millions of listeners around the world — all in a matter of minutes.

Turn podcast fans into your fans.

Two-thirds of millennials and Gen Zs around the globe said they currently listen to podcasts weekly — and they’re increasingly doing so on Spotify. In short: Your audience is listening to podcasts, and Spotify is the best way to reach them.

Be heard in the moment.

Spotify’s Streaming Intelligence helps advertisers understand listeners’ daily moments, habits, and tastes. That sets the tone for ads to reach listeners at the right time with the right message. Learn more at Spotify Advertising.

Want to Learn More?

Explore even more insights, trends, and takeaways for advertisers in this year’s Culture Next.

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Culture Next

Listeners

Creators

Advertisers

Music is:

Healthy

Unhealthy

Passive

Active

Bottom up

Top down

Utility

Entertainment

A casual hobby

An intense passion

Sound Escape

Blurred Lives

Symbiotic Creation

Creators say:

The “It” Source

New Voices

Generation Curation

Affinity-hoods

Remote Connections

Working With Spotify Advertising

We can help you.

Ready to bring these insights to your campaigns?

Kenta Kayashi

Galactic Central Sun

Ed Isar

Jazzwalker

Karam

Don't Waste My Time

Get our 2021 Culture Next report.

Get our 2021 Culture Next report.

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Listeners: Trend No. 1

Sound Escape

The following podcast categories saw above average increases among millennial and Gen Z unique users in the U.S. in Q1 2021 compared to Q1 2020:*

*Average podcast listenership in the U.S. increased 57% among millennials and 47% among Zs

Want to Learn More?

Listeners: Trend No. 2

Blurred Lives

Among millennials in the U.S.:

Want to Learn More?

Listeners: Trend No. 3

Symbiotic Creation

Where Gen Zs in the U.S. are most likely to have discovered a new music artist:

Want to Learn More?

Creators: Trend No. 1

The “It” Source

American millennials and Zs say that during the pandemic, podcasts made them:

Want to Learn More?

Creators: Trend No. 2

New Voices

Among American Millennials / Gen Zs:

Want to Learn More?

Creators: Trend No. 3

Generation Curation

Want to Learn More?

Advertisers: Trend No. 1

Affinity-hoods

Among American Millennials and Gen Zs

Want to Learn More?

Advertisers: Trend No. 2

Remote Connections

With more time spent at home this past year, Millennials and Gen Zs in the U.S. streamed audio on Spotify through connected devices more often in Q1 2021 than Q1 2020:

Want to Learn More?

Advertisers: Trend No. 3

Working With Spotify Advertising

Get started instantly with Ad Studio.

Turn podcast fans into your fans.

Be heard in the moment.

Want to Learn More?

The following podcast categories saw above average increases among millennial and Gen Z unique users in the U.S. in Q1 2021 compared to Q1 2020:^*

^*Average podcast listenership in the U.S. increased 57% among millennials and 47% among Zs