iHeart Study Finds Gen Z Turning to Radio for Connection

RADIO ONLINE | Wednesday, August 19, 2026 | 3:45pm CT

iHeartMedia

New research from iHeartMedia suggests Gen Z's desire for community and shared experiences is helping drive engagement with broadcast radio, particularly when young listeners are with friends and family.

The study, conducted by Critical Mass Media, examined Gen Z's relationship with audio and found that younger consumers increasingly view radio as a low-pressure way to share music without the judgment they can experience on social media or when selecting their own playlists.

According to Nielsen data cited by iHeartMedia, broadcast radio reaches 90% of teenagers ages 13-19 monthly, compared with 75% for YouTube, 58% for TikTok and 26% for ad-supported Spotify. Edison Research's Share of Ear estimates radio accounts for 47% of Gen Z's ad-supported audio time, versus 31% for streaming music and 21% 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 iHeartMedia President of Insights Lainie Fertick.

The research found that 96% of Gen Z respondents believe the music they choose says something about who they are, while 68% update their playlists daily or weekly. At the same time, seven in 10 said they worry about being judged for the music they play.

Radio appears to reduce that pressure. According to the study, 85% said they feel less likely to be judged when listening to radio with others and 77% consider radio safer or less risky to play in a group. Some 84% said they default to radio when riding in a car with others.

Co-listening was particularly prevalent among younger respondents. Sixty-three percent said they listen to radio with others frequently or nearly always, compared with 42% of radio listeners overall. Gen Z respondents were also more likely to listen with friends, parents and siblings.

The research found that 93% of Gen Z co-listening occurs in cars, followed by running errands at 61%, road trips at 57% and commuting at 54%.

Shared listening also appears to generate conversation. Eighty percent said they like talking with others about something they heard on the radio, including music, artists, news, personality content and advertising. Six in 10 said mentioning a song, artist, brand or product aloud makes them more likely to search for additional information about it.

Gen Z respondents were also 68% more likely than older generations to view radio as a source for discovering new music and content.

"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 iHeartMedia Chief Business Officer Lisa Coffey. "Radio reaches Gen Z at scale in trusted, shared environments where discovery happens collectively and conversations happen naturally."

Fertick presented the findings during a panel discussion with the Jonas Brothers on August 19 at iHeartMedia headquarters in New York.

The Critical Mass Media research was conducted in June among 1,090 adult radio listeners ages 18-64 nationwide. Of those surveyed, 46% were ages 18-34 and 54% were ages 35-64.