Survey: 81% Of Gen Z Believe Morning Show Culture Is Over

Spotify has released a report featuring insights the streaming company has gathered into the audio habits of Gen Z. The survey suggests the importance that Zs place on forming and defining their own culture and how that desire draws them away from more traditional sources like AM/FM.

The Culture Next report opens by saying that 81% of Gen Z respondents believe that a universal monoculture where people are unified by certain time-based events, like traditional morning radio shows, no longer exists. It’s an on-demand culture. In the first half of 2023, Gen Z streamed over 560 billion songs and more than 3 billion podcast episodes on Spotify, marking a 76% increase from the previous year.

In the eight months since its introduction, Gen Z has spent 1.5 billion minutes listening to X, Spotify’s AI-powered DJ. Despite criticisms about the lack of content or how well the DJ can stack up to real on-air talent, the technology continues to be popular as the music chosen by the algorithm from the user’s library and from suggested tracks is the drawing factor, not the voice.

Podcasts on Spotify have become a reliable tool for deeper cultural storytelling and education. Gen Z in the U.S. generated nearly 900 million podcast streams in the first half of 2023 alone, a 48% year-over-year increase. Podcasts have also filled a gap in education, with 75% surveyed saying they use the medium to learn topics they wish they had in school.

When asked about the most significant cultural events of the past year, they were twice as likely to mention a song, album, or podcast over major news or social media events.

For marketers aiming to reach Gen Z, the Culture Next report suggests that audio ads are more trusted by those 15-24 than social media ads if the message is delivered by a trusted host or source.

As Spotify Global Head of Business Marketing Grace Kao said, “What’s clearer than ever before is that culture is constantly growing, morphing, and being redefined.” It’s up to traditional media to find a way to fit into that culture.