Key stat: 63% of US Gen Z digital audio listeners use YouTube or YouTube Music, making it the top platform for both Gen Z and the total population (53%), according to a March 2026 survey from The Harris Poll and EMARKETER.

Beyond the chart:

• YouTube may win on reach, but it doesn't win on time. In fact, Gen Z adults spend 48 hours a month on Spotify's mobile app, 2.9 times the 16.8 hours they log on YouTube's, according to a Comscore survey.
• Meanwhile, young listeners are reshaping the broader audio pie. Ad-supported streaming music now claims 15% of US audio listening time, up 36.4% year over year, while radio's share slipped to 62%, per Nielsen's The Record report.

Use this chart: Drop this in a media planning deck to show why "audio" budgets can't skip YouTube. Use it to argue for video-native audio buys when targeting Gen Z, and benchmark your platform mix against where young listeners actually tune in versus the broader population.

Related EMARKETER reports

• Gen Z Digital Audio Habits 2026 (EMARKETER subscription required)
• US Digital Audio Forecast Overview 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.