5 Must-Know Facts for Reaching Parents With Digital Audio

Spring has sprung. Flowers are starting to bloom, baby animals abound, and kids are back to playing outside (much to the relief of moms and dads everywhere). If you’re an advertiser, you likely have some budget ready to go to reach parents and the people who love them around their two big days—Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. If you don’t already have digital audio in your media mix, we’re here with five reasons to invest your ad dollars spring, summer, winter, and fall.

With 34M parents listening to Pandora, SoundCloud, and SiriusXM, we can help your brand messages reach 51% of parents in the U.S. Let’s get into the must-know facts for your next parent-centered campaign. 

1. Family Life Happens With Digital Audio

Digital audio listeners spend nearly five hours a day with digital audio—that’s 61% more time with audio than non-digital listeners. Not surprising when you consider that 43% of US households have three or more smart speakers, providing more opportunities than ever to stream music, talk, and podcasts. And that listening isn’t tethered—over seven in 10 parents say they listen to more audio today because they can access it anywhere.

Parents are also sharing the audio they love with their kids, with 90% co-listening to music and other audio and 46% doing so every day. And it’s not just the soundtrack to Encanto playing on repeat. Pop, classic rock, alternative, and hip hop are topping the co-listening charts followed by family-friendly tunes, playing through smartphones, connected cars, smart TVs, smart speakers, and computers.

2. Digital Audio is Part of the Parent-Self Balance

Say it with us: Parents are people, too. They have wants and needs that have nothing to do with their identities as moms and dads, even if those things often take a backseat. And sometimes, digital audio is a parent's quickest escape to a little me time. Nine in 10 parents agree being a parent is the most important role in their life, so it makes sense that 66% have very little time to themselves. Audio offers this busy, selfless demographic convenient opportunities for a well-deserved break. And it’s there to give them the boost they need to get things done.

3. Parents Have Expectations From Brands

Now that we know what parents want from digital audio, let’s get into what they expect from the companies that support their listening habits. These busy household decision makers want help and good deals. Six in 10 want brands to offer products that make their lives easier. And three in four say they want companies to connect with them by offering sales and deals. Additionally, 43% of moms want brands to show realistic portrayals of family life in their advertisements, and 41% of moms want brands to offer fun, family-oriented activities and content.

4. They Take Action After Hearing Podcast Ads

Everyone loves podcasts, and parents are not immune. Podcast audiences are proving to be receptive to ads, including moms and dads. A staggering 83% of parents have researched a product they heard advertised on a podcast, and 73% have visited the brand’s website. One in three parents say they are more likely to consider or purchase a product recommended by a podcast host. When you consider that adding podcasts to a digital audio campaign offers pure incremental reach, targeting podcast ads to parents is a great way to make your ad spend more efficient and effective.

5. Pandora Listening Surges on Mother’s and Father’s Day

By now, it’s clear that reaching parents with digital audio year-round is the way to go. But with their big days in the not-too-distant future, we’d be remiss if we didn’t touch on the surges in Pandora streaming on mom- and dad-centric stations.

Making Time for Moms

Did you know 70% of Pandora listeners 18+ plan to celebrate Mother's Day?

Our Handpicked 100: Mom’s Mix station on Pandora was launched in honor of Mother’s Day. And it was the #1 most added station on Pandora last year with 153K unique listeners that day (and likely many more when you consider co-listening). Other trending content for Mother’s Day 2023 included:

Pop Workout Now

• 4,099% increase in listeners (compared to previous week)

• 30,476% increase in engagements (compared to previous week)

Hip Hop Workout Now

• 400% increase in listeners (compared to previous week)

• 1,895% increase in engagements (compared to previous week)

Doting on Dads

Did you know 75% of Pandora dad's say music improves their mood?

Not to be outdone, Father’s Day on Pandora had the fourth most listening hours on a Sunday, 6% more than the average Sunday in 2023. Our Dad Jokes station had a 1,356% increase in users compared to other Sundays in June. And listening on Dad Country stations jumped +594% on Father’s Day. Other trending content for Father’s Day 2022 included:

Fam Jams

• +158% increase in users (compared to the previous week)

• #5 in station ads (compared to the previous week)

Dad Rap

• 8,000 unique listeners (compared to the previous week)

• +121% increase in engagements (month over month)

Reach Moms, Dads, and the People Who Love Them

From the daily routine to the big moments, digital audio is there to keep parents going. We can help you reach them throughout the day with ad-supported streaming, podcasts, and live content. Let’s talk.