Most common music listening locations in the U.S. 2017, by age group

The most common music listening location among Gen Z and Millennial adults in the United States was revealed to be the home, though 82 percent of Gen Z respondents and 76 percent of Millennials also reported listening to music in a car. The home and the car were also the most popular listening locations among adults aged 35 or above, though listening to music on public transport, at the gym, or at music venues was less popular among older adults.  

How is music consumption affected by the generation of the listener?

  Gen Z and Millennial consumers tend to be more digitally focused than their older counterparts. Whilst Millennials are generally acknowledged as being digital natives, Gen Z is more focused on mobile devices, but in both cases it is clear that the ability to consume media on the go is important. Equally, genre preferences are affected by age, and not necessarily in ways one might expect. 

For example, a survey held in July 2018 revealed that older generations are generally much more likely than younger listeners to enjoy classic rock - not surprising, given that the genre is aligned with music produced between the 1960s and 1990s. However, the data also showed that respondents aged 16 to 19 years old and adults aged 65 or above had something unexpected in common. Listeners in these age categories were similarly likely to name show music and musicals as their favorites, whereas adults aged 25 to 64 years old had little interest in such music. 

When it comes to how Americans listen to music, regardless of genre, habits and preferences also differ with age. The majority of younger music fans’ listening time is dedicated to Spotify, whereas older adults prefer to stream their music via Amazon Prime Music and YouTube.