Key stat: Music playlists top digital audio time for every generation, from 55% of millennials to 65% of Gen X, according to a March survey from The Harris Poll and EMARKETER.

Beyond the chart:

• Where audiences spend the most time isn't where ads land best. Only 25% of media consumers call podcast ads the most annoying format, far fewer than the 34% who say the same of music streaming ads, according to YouGov's 2026 US Podcast Advertising Report.
• That listening increasingly runs through one platform. YouTube and YouTube Music reach 51% of US digital audio listeners, the only service to clear the halfway mark, according to the same Harris Poll and EMARKETER survey.

Use this chart: Drop this into your audio strategy deck when a client wants to pour budget into podcasts. Show it to planning teams as proof that music streaming holds the broadest cross-generational attention, then use it to balance playlist placements against podcasts, which command less time but a friendlier, action-driving ad environment.

Related EMARKETER reports:

• Gen Z Digital Audio Habits 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• Radio and Digital Audio Ad Spending Benchmarks: Q2 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)

Methodology: Data is from the April 2026 The Harris Poll and EMARKETER Survey titled "Digital Audio" conducted by The Harris Poll. 2,039 US adults ages 18+ were surveyed during March 12-28, 2026. Data is weighted to be representative of the US adult population.