A generation that does not know life without the Internet.
To most of you, this may seem unnatural and odd—but for the majority of Gen Z, this is our reality. As a Gen Zer myself, I grew up with the world at my fingertips. The internet gave us the ability to continuously keep ourselves entertained in an infinite number of ways. Last week, I presented the Gen Z Podcast Listener Report from Edison Research and SXM Media. A key finding from this study is that one of the ways we Gen-Zers (those age 13-24) like to keep ourselves entertained is with podcasts. In fact, over 24 million Gen Z Americans listen to podcasts on a monthly basis. This study can be a reminder to podcasters and advertisers alike that a competitive advantage can come from cultivating and grabbing the attention of Gen Z early in their lifetime as a consumer.
As someone who was born in 1997, I did not have podcasts growing up. Podcasts came into my life around the time I was in college. The first podcast that I listened to was Freakonomics, and I listened because I stumbled upon it in an online WSJ article about this new medium. At the time, I was a marketing major with a love for economics and a desire to understand why people do the things they do and how society affects their decisions. I had a real hunger for learning things and an even bigger appetite for having intellectual talking points with likeminded individuals. Podcasts gave me that knowledge I craved, and I got sucked into them fast. The majority of Gen Z monthly podcast listeners agree, and below are the top reasons they turn to podcasts:
While I am an adult Gen Zer who started listening between the ages of 18-24—perhaps my favorite finding is how much time those who started listening as children spend with podcasts. Those Gen Zers who started listening as children spend more time on average with podcasts each week (10.6 hours) than the average Gen Zer (7.7 hours). A generation that has the freedom to choose multiple channels of entertainment has dedicated a good portion of their time listening to podcasts. Starting children with podcasts at an early age will potentially create lifetime fans, and that’s a key to keep the industry growing.
This idea that those who begin listening early in life become more dedicated listeners is something we plan to explore in upcoming research. Look for an announcement soon.
Join us for The Infinite Dial® 2023 Australia webinar at 8:30pm EDT on Monday 26 June 2023 (10:30am AEST on Tuesday 27 June 2023). The study was commissioned by major sponsorCommercial Radio & Audio, with co-sponsors LiSTNR and Triton Digital®.
