Gen Z marketing: How to reach and resonate with Zs on Spotify

For Gen Zs, the digital world isn’t just a backdrop—it’s the main stage. These digital natives live online, where every click, stream, and share is an intentional reflection of their identity and values.

So, it should come as no surprise that Zs are increasingly turning to podcasts and playlists as their guide to cultural milestones that matter. In fact, in 2024 Gen Z has listened to over 1.2 TRILLION songs and more than 2.6 billion podcast episodes—a 67% increase over the year prior, making them our fastest-growing cohort in music and podcast listening.¹

Read on for our comprehensive guide to Gen Z marketing on Spotify and what advertisers need to know.

Who is Gen Z?

With technology firmly embedded into their day-to-day lives, Zs don’t just scroll through content—it’s how they connect with the world, and each other. The average Gen Z has had a smartphone since their pre-teen years⁴—and today, the majority of this generation spends nearly half their waking hours engaging with screens.⁵

But Zs aren't content with surface-level scrolling: In fact, our 2024 Culture Next report found that Zs believe social media is contributing more to feelings of isolation than togetherness—and 71% agree that “Spotify is the ultimate antidote to doom-scrolling."⁶ Further, a resounding 78% of Zs in the US agree that Spotify brings people deeper into culture.⁷

How to understand Zs and capture their attention

Why include Gen Z in your marketing plans? For one, Zs have emerged as both creators and curators of global trends—and their smart devices are their compasses. With mounting purchasing power, this connected generation now wields considerable influence.⁸ By understanding and addressing their unique characteristics and preferences, marketers can create more effective campaigns and, ultimately, help instill brand loyalty.

Engaging this coveted cohort of customers means thinking outside the box of traditional advertising tactics. Zs tend to value realness above all, and when they discover a brand that "gets" them, they’re all in. They're also at a critical age when they're deciding which brands to be loyal to—potentially for years to come.

To quickly tune into Zs' frequency to unlock a loyal, vocal customer base, check out the sixth edition of Culture Next—the report gives you a front-row seat to the latest Gen Z trends, showcasing how they engage with media and brands on Spotify. This helpful guide can give you key insights into Gen Z marketing strategies that create genuine connections.

Tips for marketing to Gen Zs

Here are six ways to fine-tune your brand's Gen Z marketing strategies.

1. Embrace Gen Z’s quest for depth

Younger audiences crave content that scratches beneath the surface, seeking music and podcasts that offer depth and provoke dialogue. Brands can leverage this with podcast ads that speak to these priorities, or playlist ads that align with moments like Study or Focus. Think: Ads that aren’t just ads, but engaging snippets that offer insights and stories that Zs are likely to find authentic and intriguing.

2. Craft personalized journeys of discovery

Tap into Zs' individuality by creating experiences that reflect their unique tastes and preferences. Need some inspo? The “Listen & Book” campaign by easyJet is a prime example: The brand used Spotify’s streaming intelligence to create a bespoke Gen Z advertising experience that matched listeners with travel destinations based on their music preferences.

3. Reach Zs across multiple ad formats

With Spotify Ads Manager, you can build ads with ease and run them in a range of formats to help you reach audiences with a message that resonates. Campaigns that combine audio, video and display ads help to create a sight-meets-sound user experience that gets your message seen and heard. Your brand can also engage Gen Zs on Spotify by sponsoring editorial playlists—like UK-broadcaster ITV did to promote their hit show Love Island—and by optimizing creative across devices to connect with Zs on their terms.

4. Surround Zs' formative "firsts" to become a preferred brand for life

Zs are looking for support and guidance as they navigate new life experiences, and this manifests in their streaming habits on Spotify. For example, Culture Next 2024 revealed that Zs streamed 86M minutes of playlists with the word “first” in the title (like first kiss, first date, first breakup)⁹, while their top daylist words included “make out,” “sleepover,” “adulting,” “graduation,” “puppy love,” and “new school”.¹⁰

As Gen Zs soundtrack these moments throughout their day, they’re creating the memories and music tastes that will resonate with them forever—and brands can be there by creating or sponsoring audio-visual companions to their formative “firsts", encouraging customer loyalty from an early age.

5. Host an IRL event

While Zs spend much of their time online, attending concerts remains essential, but inflated ticket prices are making concerts inaccessible. By hosting or sponsoring live concerts and events for Zs featuring artists and podcast hosts that they love, brands can add tangible value. Get in touch to learn more about sponsoring Spotify franchises both on and offline.

Examples of marketing to Gen Z on Spotify

Still wondering how to reach Gen Z in your digital campaigns? Below are a few examples that successfully reached and engaged younger Spotify users.