Listening to audio — music and podcasts — acts as a stress-buster for a majority of Indian millennials (87 percent) and Generation Z (77 percent), according to a new report by Swedish music streaming company Spotify.
The report — Culture Next — showed that about 84 percent of millennials see audio as a mental health resource, while 79 percent of Gen Z believe audio is a healing source.
Podcasts on mental health witnessed the most impressive growth — an increase of over 600 percent among millennials and more than 900 percent among Gen Z.
Nearly 80 percent of Gen Z feel “more centered and generally happier” when listening to their favorite music on a daily basis.
Both millennials and Gen Z (48 percent) also trust podcasts more than traditional media sources, including TV news, newspapers, and radio.
Further, the Gen Z listeners on Spotify in India expect brands to represent and empower them through their campaigns, talent partnerships, and active role in social justice movements.
Meanwhile, 68 percent of millennials said they like audio advertising because it lets them use their imagination to picture everything in their head.
“For both generations, audio is the most immersive form of media and there’s a great opportunity for brands to create communities and campaigns based on common interests and passion of their target audience on our platform. These are just a few of the insights that give brands the context to think about how they can work with us,” Arjun Kolady, Head of Sales – India, Spotify, said in a statement.
Globally, 70 percent of millennials and 62 percent of Gen Z believe that streaming platforms at large, including audio, have significantly shaped how they discover and connect with the broader culture.
About 55 percent of millennials and 47 percent of Gen Z believe that they have become part of a global community because of music or podcasts. A majority of them also believe that brands have the power to create communities based on common interests and passion.
For the report, Spotify conducted a combination of qualitative, quantitative, and first-party data analysis, looking at Gen Z (aged between 15-25 years) and millennials (aged between 26 and 40 years) in April 2021.
The survey was undertaken in 18 markets, among 9,000 millennial and Gen Z respondents (500 per market): United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Spain, Italy, France, Germany, UK, India, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, Japan, Australia, UAE, Thailand, and Malaysia.
