Sonic Science Vol. 2: An introduction to our latest report, with key insights for advertisers

Last month, we launched volume two of Sonic Science—our comprehensive report on how digital audio on Spotify (including ads) engages listeners throughout their daily lives. This second installment of the study examines how engagement, mood, and ad recall are impacted while listening to Spotify, and how listeners’ real-life physical contexts are reflected in their streaming choices.

With all of these insights in mind, we have also included numerous creative best practices to support advertisers’ next audio advertising campaign on Spotify.

You can download the full report right now, or whet the appetite a little with some key insights and a short introductory video, below.

Listeners are not only engaged with Spotify—they’re happier because of it

Even when they’re streaming sad music, listeners get a mood boost when they tune into Spotify.¹ That’s what our Sonic Science study participants reported after the majority of their Spotify listening sessions—regardless of when they listened, what they listened to, and what they were doing at the time. In fact, the research revealed a third of study participants said they felt “happy” or “cheerful” after listening to Spotify, while a quarter described feeling “calm.”¹ These mental health benefits may be an added bonus for some, but for others it’s the whole point.

Spotify listeners don’t just remember ads—they convert

Spotify listeners remember the brands they hear about, whether they’re tuned into music or podcasts.

Insights into the day in the life of Spotify listeners

We all have our daily routines, and Spotify listeners often accompany them with a soundtrack—whether it’s an upbeat playlist for a morning run, some jazzy inspiration in the kitchen, or an immersive podcast episode after a long day.

This contextual relevance makes the brand messaging listeners hear in those moments even more engaging and memorable.

For instance, when commuting in the morning or afternoon, study participants’ level of engagement was 11.3% higher when tuned into Spotify—as determined by electrodermal activity recorded before and during their listening session—and their mood positively increased by +.73 on a ten-point scale. In terms of ad recall, participants were able to recall brands from the ads they heard on Spotify at a rate of 5.3x greater than a model based on chance.¹