Spotify’s Culture Next report reveals the latest Gen Z listening trends
New findings from Spotify highlight how Gen Z listeners discover music, build fandoms, and drive the growth of emerging genres.
Spotify’s latest Culture Next report explores how Gen Z listeners are discovering music, supporting artists, and driving emerging trends across streaming.
The report draws on Spotify’s first-party data, analysing more than 4.2 million songs and 680,000 podcast episodes. According to Spotify, as reported by Yahoo News, Gen Z now makes up 35% of its audience and streams for an average of two hours per day, making the generation one of the platform’s most engaged listener groups.
For artists and labels, the findings paint a picture of a generation that is actively discovering new music while maintaining strong connections with the artists they already love.
Gen Z listeners are more loyal than you might think
Despite often being labelled as trend-driven, Spotify’s latest findings suggest Gen Z listeners are building deeper connections with the artists they love.
As Music Ally shares, high-school-aged listeners are the most devoted fan group on the platform, with one in every eight streams coming from their top 20 artists. At the same time, they’re also the most likely to discover new music, showing that loyalty and discovery can coexist.
That finding aligns with comments from Gen Z expert Casey Lewis, who contributed to the report. “Counter to their fickle reputation, Gen Z has become increasingly loyal, especially in terms of the creators and brands they grew up with,” she said. Lewis points to a growing preference for familiarity, with younger audiences increasingly returning to the same creators, podcasts, brands, and communities.
Spotify’s research also found that listening habits evolve across different life stages. While younger listeners are the most devoted to their favourite artists, early-adult listeners favour “a more curated mix”, making them “the most discerning of cohorts”. The findings suggest that while discovery is important, artists who can build genuine fan connections may be better positioned for long-term growth.
Brazilian funk continues its rise
Spotify’s report also highlights Brazilian funk as one of the biggest and fastest-growing musical movements among Gen Z listeners.
According to commentary included in the report, the genre’s growth has been boosted by wider trends that resonate with younger audiences, including fitness culture, wellness routines, and “gymcore” content.
Brazilian funk’s growth is the latest example of how streaming can help genres reach audiences far beyond their home markets. In recent years, genres including Afrobeats, Amapiano, and regional Mexican music have all found growing international audiences through platforms like Spotify.
For independent artists, it’s another reminder that niche sounds can find international audiences when paired with strong digital distribution and discovery opportunities.
Music is increasingly tied to wider culture
Beyond genres, Spotify’s findings point to several cultural interests shaping Gen Z engagement.
The report identifies horror and true crime as particularly popular themes among younger audiences. Rather than consuming culture through traditional media channels, many Gen Z listeners engage with trends, stories, and communities through the creators, podcasts, and content they follow online.
Spotify also notes that tastes can vary significantly depending on life stage, even within the same generation. While preferences change, engagement remains consistently high across different age groups.
What this means for artists
Spotify’s findings suggest that understanding which Gen Z listeners you’re reaching is just as important as reaching Gen Z in the first place.
As Spotify’s Jenny Haggard explains, “Treat Gen Z as one demographic and you’re missing the most exciting creative opportunity in media right now.”
While tastes vary across different life stages, engagement remains strong throughout the generation. For artists, audience data from tools like Spotify for Artists and RouteNote Trends can help identify who’s listening and what’s resonating, making it easier to build stronger connections with fans.