iHeartMedia, the leading audio company in America and the No. 1 podcast publisher globally according to Podtrac, today unveiled new consumer research, fielded through Critical Mass Media, examining Gen Z’s relationship with audio and the surprising resilience of broadcast radio among younger audiences. The study reveals that Gen Z’s desire for community and belonging is driving a surprising resurgence in radio engagement, with the medium continuing to serve as a key source of music discovery, social connection and shared cultural experiences for young listeners.
According to Nielsen, broadcast radio reaches 90 percent of teenagers (13–19) monthly, ahead of YouTube (75 percent), TikTok (58 percent) and ad-supported Spotify (26 percent). Crucially, radio dominates Gen Z’s ad-supported audio time with 47 percent, according to Edison Share of Ear, outpacing 31 percent for streaming music and 21 percent for podcasts.
“While Gen Z is conventionally thought to want everything on-demand and tailored to their needs, the data shows that teenagers are gravitating to the safety and anonymity of radio to create community,” said Lainie Fertick, President of Insights for iHeartMedia. “In a world where young people often feel pressure to curate how they present themselves online, radio offers a shared experience where identity isn’t being evaluated and personal taste isn’t on trial.”
The new study explains why Gen Z connects with radio:
Fear of Judgment Is Shaping Gen Z Behavior – Growing up in an era defined by social media, mobile technology and AI has created a heightened sensitivity to judgment among younger consumers. 40 percent of Gen Z say they have decided not to post something they care about on social media because they worried peers might use it to embarrass them. Additionally, 44 percent say they have actively reduced their social media usage, while 43 percent of teens report feeling pressure to only post content that makes them look good to others. More than one-third (37 percent) feel pressure to share only content that will generate a high number of likes or comments, and 45 percent have deleted posts that received too little validation from others.
Music may define Gen Z’s identity, but radio helps them connect without judgment: For Gen Z, music is far more than entertainment, it’s a reflection of personal identity. Nearly all Gen Z listeners (96 percent) say the music they choose says something about who they are, and 68 percent update their playlists daily or weekly, compared to 44 percent of all listeners. Yet that self-expression comes with pressure: seven in 10 worry about being judged for what they play, more than double the rate of listeners age 35 and older.
Radio offers an alternative. Rather than putting young listeners in the position of selecting the soundtrack for a group, radio removes that responsibility and the potential criticism that can come with it. 85 percent of Gen Z respondents say they feel less likely to be judged when listening to radio with others, while 77 percent say radio feels safer or less risky to play in a group setting. Eight in 10 consider it appropriate for virtually any audience, including friends, parents, coworkers and children. This dynamic helps explain why 84 percent default to radio when riding in a car with others and 60 percent say it’s simply easier to enjoy as a group, making Gen Z the biggest co-listening generation to date.
Co-listening is a Gen Z behavior, not a legacy one: This co-listening trend is unique to Gen Z. 63 percent listen to radio with others frequently or nearly always, versus 42 percent of all radio listeners — a 50 percent higher likelihood than any other age group. Compared to all listeners, they over-index on listening with friends (59 percent vs 36 percent) parents (59 percent vs 14 percent) and siblings (39 percent vs 13 percent). Unlike older generations who typically listen in the mornings, Gen Z’s co-listening time is concentrated in the late afternoon and evening when they’re often around others. For 57 percent of respondents, co-listening happens naturally when friends are together, and that’s often in the car (93 percent), running errands (61 percent), road trips (57 percent) and commuting (54 percent).
Airplay converts to conversation, and conversation moves product: An added bonus of co-listening is that it leads to more discussions between groups influenced by the shared experience. In the study, 80 percent of Gen Z respondents say they like to talk to others about what they hear on the radio, whether that’s songs, artists, news headlines, DJ bits and content, and even advertisements. Overall, 91 percent say radio gives their social circles something to talk about and 90 percent say hearing it together sparks conversation afterward. In addition, 81 percent say they’re more likely to talk about what they hear when listening with others than alone — and 6 in 10 say mentioning a song, artist, brand or product out loud makes them more likely to search for more information about it.
The data showed this generation values external curation with 68 percent more likely to view radio as a way to discover new music and content than older generations. And when a Gen Z listener hears their song on the air, three things happen: they feel much-needed validation of their tastes, belonging with their community of young people and an emotional hit of surprise and nostalgia that a self-selected stream simply can’t manufacture.
This research reveals that younger listeners are valuing community in response to early childhoods spent in isolation, and look for conflict-free entertainment to enjoy with the people they love most. That makes radio the shared, low-risk, high-conversation space where new music gets heard by communities rather than individuals.
“As Gen Z’s purchasing power continues to grow, marketers need to understand not just where they can reach this audience, but how influence happens,” said Lisa Coffey, Chief Business Officer for iHeartMedia. “Radio reaches Gen Z at scale in trusted, shared environments where discovery happens collectively and conversations happen naturally, giving brands a unique opportunity to become part of the cultural moment and drive meaningful engagement.”
The findings were presented by Lainie Fertick, President of Insights for iHeartMedia on a panel discussion with the Jonas Brothers today, August 19 at the iHeartMedia Headquarters in New York City.
The “Gen Z” Consumer Methodology:
This research was conducted by Critical Mass Media in June 2026 among a national sample of 1,090 adults — 18-64 Radio Listeners. Demos included 46% of participants aged adults 18-34 and 54% aged adults 35-64.
About iHeartMedia, Inc.
iHeartMedia, Inc. [Nasdaq: IHRT] is the leading audio media company in America, with nine out of ten Americans listening to iHeart broadcast radio in every month. iHeart’s broadcast radio assets alone have a larger audience in the U.S. than any other media outlet and over four times the ad-enabled audience of the largest digital only audio service. iHeart is the largest podcast publisher according to both Podtrac and Triton, with more downloads than the next two podcast publishers combined, has the most recognizable live events across all genres of music, has the number one social footprint among audio players, has the highest-reach and most engaged influencers, and is the only fully integrated audio ad tech solution across broadcast, streaming and podcasts. The company continues to leverage its strong audience connection and unparalleled consumer reach to build new platforms, products and services. Visit iHeartMedia.com for more company information.
View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260819447466/en/
Media gallery
