Looking to Advertise to Teen Audiences? The Answer Is Audio.

In a world oversaturated with screens, teens are craving their own digital spaces. As the youngest Gen Zers (aged 13-17), they’re true digital natives, having grown up with social media and building platforms and names for themselves with the click of a button. To this group, who fall into our Wanderers persona for Gen Z, audio is more than entertainment—it's a self-discovery tool. In fact, over half say music helps them express their own individuality and style.  

Whether they’re listening to streaming audio, podcasts, or live content, 60% of Gen Z tune into our platforms. And we make it easy for advertisers to zero in on teens. Below, we’ll offer five data-backed strategies to help brands connect and resonate with this influential demographic.

1. Develop Culturally Relevant Creative

Gen Z is more diverse than previous generations, with 50% of this audience identifying as an ethnicity other than white. And half of teens say their race and ethnicity are important to defining their identity. When targeting diverse teens, brands should lean into cultural cues in their creative, such as language, music, relevant themes, and diverse voices. Need some support? Our in-house audio creative agency, Studio Resonate, makes it easy to develop personalized creative.

Why It Works

Culture is at the center of teens' lives. A culture-first approach will show them you know and understand them. For some quick inspo, today’s multicultural Wanderers are challenging the status quo, bringing culture to the classroom, and adding their own spin to popular trends. Black student unions in high schools are celebrating various aspects of their culture by revamping spirit week via dress-up days. Meanwhile, Indian teens are adding a cultural touch to viral songs with traditional Bhangra dance routines.

On SoundCloud

With one in four teens saying they belong to multiple groups and communities, SoundCloud’s Scenes positions brands at the forefront of what's next in music through a custom video series. From Vinahouse, to Alt Black Energy, to Regional Mexican, Scenes showcases the viral music trends around the world, across a diverse range of genres and cultures, through this award-winning documentary social series. Take a look at what’s currently trending:

• +44.6% YoY growth of Afro House

• +33% YoY growth of House/Guaracha

• +26% YoY growth of Vietnamese Hip-hop

• +12% YoY growth of Chilean Reggaeton

2. Become a Part of the Music Teens Love

You can’t separate teenagers from the music they love (or get them to turn down the volume). Ad-supported streaming audio lowers the barriers to access for young listeners while providing brands the opportunity to be a part of the experience. With Pandora, brands can tap into popular Sponsored Stations and digital experiences designed for teens. And with SoundCloud, teens can be a part of the creator’s journey to stardom.

Why It Works

Teens are obsessed with music. Adding music to your strategy will ensure you capture their attention and engage them with one of their key interests. And with both audience and mood targeting on your side, you can tailor brand messages based on who they are and what they’re listening to.

On Pandora

Pandora has the stations that Wanderers have on repeat. Top indexing Sponsored Stations among this group includes Sad Boy, Sped Up Pop, K-Pop Girl Groups, and Ultimate Gaming. Sponsored Stations are a turnkey solution, allowing brands to capitalize on the popularity of Pandora's stations to reach engaged listeners with high-impact branding.

On SoundCloud

Over half of SoundCloud’s users are Gen Z. They’re not lurkers, either, with 62% of comments, reactions, shares, and follows in 2024 coming from Gen Z. Plus, over eight in 10 SoundCloud listeners ages 13-17 are known to share music on their mobile devices. Teens on the platform are actively shaping music trends (before they go viral) and discovering the hottest new artists (before they become headliners). 

SoundCloud’s Promoted Tracks put your brand at the center of teen music discovery by spotlighting emerging artists. And custom branded visuals allow your brand to have a high-impact presence across SoundCloud’s mobile and desktop channels.

3. Let Their Voices Be Heard

Gen Z is a generation of creators and influencers. Teens love an opportunity to express their creativity and get rewarded for it. Create opportunities for teens to show off their skills and leverage the power of their social savviness to generate excitement around your campaign.

Why It Works

Content creation is in Wanderers’ DNA. Programs that challenge and reward them for their creativity will generate buzz and drive a strong association with your brand.

On SoundCloud

Creator contests support their passion for music creation and generate engagement and excitement around your brand. And creator page takeovers offer teens the scale and technology to stream, monetize, and promote their tracks—and your brand can get directly in front of these young creators.

4. Tap into the Fan-Creator Relationship

Teens feel a special connection with their favorite celebrities and cherish any chance to get closer to them. Create opportunities where they can break through the parasocial relationship and see their favorite musicians and podcasts hosts in action. From host-read ads, to sponsored content, to live events, you can bring your brand closer to consumers by facilitating deep fan-creator relationships.

Why It Works

Teens crave authentic fan experiences. Getting them closer to their favorite talent and supporting the hosts and artists they love drives a strong, positive brand association.

On Podcasts 

Teens are all in on omnichannel consumption, with 40% following their favorite podcast creator on social media. Wanderers seamlessly switch from watching a podcast episode on YouTube, to listening to an episode on-the-go, to hitting "like" on their favorite creator’s latest Instagram post. The TL;DR: brands can scale their messaging across platforms, whether it’s podcast, video, or social media. 

IRL

Custom activations like sponsored concerts, events, and episodes allow brands to make a lasting impression on audiences. Fans get the exclusive content and access they crave, while sponsors delight them with branded swag and hands-on product experiences—all while they form memories that will last a lifetime.

5. Reward Audience Engagement

Teens are savvy digital natives, and they expect brands to create immersive advertising experiences. Incorporating video ads into the audio listening experience drives multisensory engagement. Additionally, teens want a more symbiotic relationship with advertisers. Make your brand messages worth their time with entertaining content, incentives, and perks.

Why It Works

Audio and video captures Wanderers’ attention, and tapping into both formats drives your message home and generates engagement. Plus, incorporating rewards creates a positive user experience.

On Pandora

Be the first thing teens see when they open our app or log in by fully immersing this audience in your video messaging. Your creative is guaranteed to be watched all the way through with 100% SOV and vertical video options. And the video completion rate (VCR) is 83.8% for 13- to 17-year-olds.

Ready to Resonate with the Original Tastemakers?

If you want to reach over half of Gen Zers, SiriusXM Media is your way into their lives. We’re here to help you create culture-forward, supportive, rewarding advertising messages that will resonate with young audiences. Let’s talk.

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