Another fact that stands out from this research conducted by Spotify is the rise of audio content listened to by younger people: in the first half of 2023, around 560 billion songs and over 3 billion podcast episodes were listened to , a nice +76 % compared to the same period of the year 2022. Culture is accessible through music and podcasts Different musical genres from other countries allow us to come into contact with souls and lives different from ours.
Thanks to personalized and editorial Find List music mixes, and features such as Blend, Niche Mixes and DJ, Spotify helps you not only discover, but also explore cultural contexts different from our own. 76% of Gen Z in Italy agree that Spotify allows people to immerse themselves in culture. Even by listening to certain songs in a group you can share part of it. The same goes for podcasts. Listeners play episodes from start to finish, regardless of length. Categories like True Crime and Comedy have a completion rate above 80%. In fact, three-quarters (75%) of Gen Z in Italy agree that podcasts allow them to delve deeper into any topic, taking listeners to the bottom of the issue.
According to Ivan, 18, from Sao Paulo, Brazil: “ON SOCIAL MEDIA YOU READ THAT A POLITICIAN STOLE MONEY." Not only audio-only podcasts, but also video podcasts are in the limelight on the platform, reaching 100,000 videos available. These, in addition to dissecting a topic, improve engagement with the community's fans. Trevor Noah, host of a Spotify Original podcast, commented: ONE THING I'VE ALWAYS LOVED ABOUT PODCASTS IS THAT THEY GIVE YOU THE OPPORTUNITY TO TELL STORIES IN A LONGER, MORE ORGANIC FORMAT… BECAUSE [PODCASTS] ARE SO SHAREABLE THAT IF PEOPLE ARE INTERESTED, INTRIGUED, OR IN SOME WAY SOLICITED THEY WILL PROBABLY SHARE THEM WITH THE PEOPLE AROUND THEM.