Gen Z’s audio habits are rapidly shifting as streaming, social discovery, and multitasking reshape engagement. Music still dominates, but video podcasts and always-on listening are fragmenting attention and redefining how content is found and consumed.

Music streaming apps hit saturation: As downloads stall, platforms bulk up bundles to justify higher fees and retain paying fans.

As Apple celebrates its 50th anniversary, we dive into how the company has grown as leader in marketing, retail, and services—and what’s next.

Digital audio commands massive attention, and podcasts keep most listeners within reach. As viewing blurs with listening, marketers face an opportunity—but also a widening gap between consumer time spent and the ad investment flowing into audio.

Podcast engagement and streaming variety are fueling rapid digital audio growth in Canada as listeners spend far more time with these digital platforms than with traditional radio.

US media habits show a split between heavy streaming and enduring live TV. Gaming, immersive tech, and short video add complexity, making the market both advanced and fragmented.

The news: Spotify will bring high-fidelity, “lossless” audio to premium subscribers over the next two months across 50 markets, putting an end to years of speculation that it might gate the feature behind a more expensive subscription tier. Our take: Lossless audio certainly won’t be a detractor for Spotify and could help make it an even stickier service with low churn—something the company already excels at. While it is unlikely to drive subscriptions and doesn’t address the company’s advertising pains, it doesn’t hurt to add features that will keep users from cancelling or drifting to competitors.

Apple is partnering with digital platform TuneIn to strengthen its radio reach and better compete with Spotify, per the Wall Street Journal. The move will see Apple distribute its radio stations across connected cars and home speakers globally and marks the first time Apple’s current radio stations will be accessible outside of the Apple Music app. Apple’s radio push could breathe life into its struggling streaming units, attracting listeners who haven’t considered Apple Music and potentially drawing in advertisers who are looking for access to Apple’s library.

The news: Satellite radio company SiriusXM is launching a lower cost ad-supported option in its effort to compete against streaming music giants like Spotify and Apple Music. The ad-supported plan, known as SiriusXM Play, costs under $7 per month, with an ad load around half of traditional AM/FM radio stations’. Our take: SiriusXM’s ad-supported pivot marks its most direct challenge to major digital audio streamers like Spotify in an overdue push to modernize. By introducing an ad-supported, low-cost tier, SiriusXM is entering the same conversion funnel that drives Spotify’s growth—beginning with scale and monetizing with ads.

Amazon Music’s AI push is promising but fumbles the execution: Explore brings deeper fan engagement, but a clunky interface may keep it from stealing share from Spotify or YouTube Music.

Apple’s Fortnite feud, Amazon’s device division cuts, and Apple Music’s new user lure reveal how tech titans are adjusting strategies in a volatile regulatory and consumer landscape.

While Apple TV+ lost money, Services revenue hit $96.2 billion in 2024—showing Apple’s broader ecosystem is carrying the weight of its content ambitions.

While iPhone and wearables sales slipped, Apple’s services revenues grew 13% YoY to $26.3 billion. Apple Intelligence hasn’t paid off yet, but monetizing Siri could give it a boost.

Spotify has nearly twice as many US listeners as the next most popular digital audio platform, Amazon Music, at 103.6 million compared to 53.1 million, per our September 2024 forecast.

High audio listenership and time spent this year means limited growth. Subscription revenues will be healthy, as most listeners pay to limit ads. And Spotify will lead in nearly every metric, though several platforms are doing well.

New revenue-sharing perks could attract more visual content and position the platform to compete with YouTube as video podcasts surge in popularity.

Podcasters can now let Spotify take over control filters, but with election season looming, the platform’s ability to manage offensive comments will be tested.

Contrary to popular belief, not every creator has a podcast. But those who do are a driving force behind the roughly $1.50 billion US creators will generate from digital audio distribution channels this year.

Netflix and YouTube are siphoning subscription revenues from pay TV’s losses. By the end of 2025, more than half of US video subscription revenues will go to streaming services.

Though marketing budgets are under scrutiny in this tight economy, it might make sense to consider integrating audio advertising into your marketing mix. That’s because listener growth is picking up for podcasts and audio formats overall. Audio ad formats also have unique features to help marketers.