Gen Z is at the forefront of the content world, with their tastes steering trends and reshaping the way creators and platforms operate. Yet, uncovering what truly inspires and resonates with this generation might be not as easy as it sounds.
For many young people, Spotify has become more than just a music streaming app; it’s a vital companion that mirrors their lives through music, podcasts, and playlists. Spotify analysed these trends and has gained a deeper understanding of the values and priorities of an entire generation in its yearly Culture Next report, which explores how streaming influences Gen Z, digital culture, and global trends. The report also acts as a guide for advertisers that offers insights into how to connect meaningfully with younger audiences.
For its 2024 edition, Spotify relied on a mix of streaming data and surveys:
- The platform analysed listening trends to uncover what Gen Z streams and why.
- It conducted surveys to better understand how streaming weaves into their daily routines.
This research shaped three main takeaways:
- Gen Z uses Spotify to nurture relationships. "Gen Z is craving connection more than ever — while other forms of online activities contribute to feelings of loneliness, music and podcasts are a catalyst for true connection online and irl."
Spotify Wrapped has become a major event each year, with users eagerly sharing their stats on social media, but it's not the only feature that drives connection through sharing. Other Spotify feature that create a sense of connection are Jam, Blend and collaborative playlists. In fact, Gen Z makes the majority of Jams with 2.2 billion Jam streams from its launch in October 2023.
Some Gen Zers even create playlists for occasions like getting ready for a party or driving a car, streaming them through connected devices, such as speakers, gaming consoles, and smart TVs, thus, as Spotify puts it, "showing a growing trend in communal listening".
- Spotify helps them curate the soundtrack to life’s defining "first" moments.
Another finding that Spotify shares in the report is that Gen Zs create special playlists for each special moment of their lives and POV playlists that make them feel like "movie characters" when listening to those playlists. As such, they streamed 86M minutes of playlists with the word "first" in the title, like first kiss, first date, etc.
- Gen Zs' tastes are increasingly aligned with mainstream content.
According to the report, 74% of Zs describe their generation as mainstream rather than fringe which is a stark increase from 2021 when only 59% agreed and 84% of Gen Z agree that "niche and underground cultures are increasingly going mainstream."
Some other interesting stats from the report:
- 74% of Gen Zs attended a concert or live event last year.
- Gen Z are 237% more likely to stream on a game console compared to Millennials.
- 80% of Gen Zs say they'd prioritise music compatibility over a potential partner's looks, thus making niche dating apps to emerge that help young people to connect around music.
- Gen Zs have become primary users of Spotify's AI-powered features like DJ and Daylists, with 74% of Gen Zs agreeing that "Spotify's AI features make my overall listening experience feel like it’s tailored just for me, turning every session into an epic, personalised soundtrack."
- Among 18- to 24-year-olds, the most-listened to podcast is The Joe Rogan Experience, which is also the most popular podcast in the world, indicating Zs are swimming with the mass currents.
You can learn more from the report here.
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