Audio Brings Better Moods, Joy, Coping to Gen Z

Americans ages 13-24 spend four hours and 10 minutes with audio per day and reap a multitude of benefits from their listening, according to the new Gen Z Audio Report from Edison Research and SiriusXM Media.

The Gen Z Audio Report includes a new online survey of more than 2,000 listeners ages 13-24 and reveals not only how Gen Z discovers new content and what they consume, but how audio enhances their lives. Findings from the report were presented in a webinar today by Edison Research Manager of Research Salma Aly, and SiriusXM Media Sales Marketing Manager Brianna Oates.

Key Findings from The Gen Z Audio Report among those ages 13-24:

Audio Habits

1. 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
2. 63% have listened to or watched a podcast in the last month, an estimated 35 million people
3. The top three podcast genres listened to by Gen Z are comedy, music, and entertainment
4. The top three music genres listened to by Gen Z are hip-hop/rap, pop, and R&B

Audio facilitates better moods, joy, coping

5. 86% of Gen Z listen to music or consume podcasts ​to help boost their mood
6. 69% agree that audio has brought joy to their lives; 57% agree that audio inspires them
7. 63% agree that audio has helped them cope during difficult times; 61% agree that audio has helped them with their mental health

According to Aly, “As a Gen Z’er and a researcher at Edison, I can say this with confidence: audio isn’t just what we listen to — it’s how we make sense of who we are and escape the chaos of daily life. Things are getting real — sometimes too real — and audio is helping us cope. In fact, 63% of Gen Z agree that audio helps them get through difficult times. For brands and marketers, the opportunity is clear: show up authentically in the audio spaces where we already feel understood — because Gen Z’s media instincts are sharp and we easily spot when something doesn’t ring true.”

Audio Discovery

1. 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
2. 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

3. 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
4. 49% are much more likely to pay attention to an ad if it contains music they like
5. 49% are much more likely to pay attention to an ad if it makes them laugh

How the study was conducted

In Q4 2024, Edison Research conducted a national online survey of 2,010 individuals ages 13-24; 851 surveys with those ages 13-17 and 1,159 surveys with those ages 18-24. The data was weighted to U.S. population figures. Additional data were included in the report from Edison Research’s The Infinite Dial®, Share of Ear®, and Edison Podcast Metrics™.