Radio vs. Podcasts: These Are the Audio Media Gen Z Wants to Listen to

Everyone is streaming, everyone is podcasting – and younger generations in particular are listening. The supposed loser in all this: radio. But a Munich-based station paints a different picture. According to “Funkanalyse Bayern 2025,” Radio ENERGY tops the list of local competitors among 14- to 49-year-olds, with around 38,000 listeners tuning in every hour. So are young target groups still listening to the radio after all? And how much competition does this pose to the podcast boom? According to the “Podcast Report 2025” by Seven.One Audio, podcasts have more listeners in the 18 to 29 age group than radio for the first time. With 73 percent listening to podcasts “at least rarely,” this format is now ahead of radio with 70 percent. The study confirms the boom in podcasts, but also shows that radio is still relevant. Flo Kerschner, presenter at ENERGY Nuremberg and Head of Broadcast & Audio Solutions at EMS (Experts Managed Services GmbH), agrees. He advises brands strategically in the areas of radio, podcasts, and corporate sound and attributes ENERGY’s success to its clear brand positioning: Hit Music Only. The main reason for listening to the radio, even among the young target group, is still music. “The hits are now created on TikTok. We collect and curate them and then offer them in our stream.” The podcast world is completely different: there, it’s not brand claims that are in the foreground, but the voices themselves. As in the podcast “Wine Wednesday.” The hosts, Alina and Jani (editor’s note: they only want to be referred to by their first names), are friends and talk candidly once a week about personal stories from their everyday lives. They play on their differences: Alina lives in the city and is single, while Jani lives in a more rural area and is in a committed relationship. It’s a concept that works: they record 300,000 to 400,000 streams per month. Their listeners are primarily female and in their early to mid-20s. “The nice thing is that we are only a few years older than our target audience. We are interested in the same things and live similar lives,” says Alina.

Gen Z and their audio preferences

Why do young people use audio so much? The “Online Audio Monitor 2024” shows that audio is primarily a mood booster for under-30s. It helps them switch off and relax. In addition, audio formats have a high everyday and social relevance: this means that listeners feel a sense of belonging, feel less alone, and discover new things. Kerschner, Alina, and Jani agree: audio is the most intimate and emotional medium, which is why it is so popular. “Having someone literally in your ear is just very personal in everyday situations,” says Jani. What’s more, audio formats are easy and uncomplicated to consume, for example via smartphone: they can also be listened to while doing housework, in the car, or while exercising. Radio presenter Kerschner confirms this: “Young people listen to our streams on the go.”

Direct line to the target audience

To obtain more information about listening habits, ENERGY utilizes an efficient feedback system: in addition to calls, comments, etc., formats are regularly evaluated and listener surveys are conducted. Topics such as love, jobs, lifestyle, pop culture, and self-improvement are particularly popular with Gen Z listeners of the young radio station. For “Wine Wednesday,” feedback is received via direct messages on Instagram or comments on streaming services. The two take requests and suggestions to heart: for example, Alina and Jani did not initially use gender-neutral language, but at the request of the community, the hosts adapted their language. “Almost all of our listeners are women

What young people want to hear

When it comes to content, the younger generation wants one thing above all else from their audio formats: authenticity. Presenters and hosts who have a clear profile and stance are crucial. “Young people don’t want to be lectured, they want to be taken along for the ride,” says Kerschner. He feels that this is sometimes lacking on the radio. Kerschner knows what he’s talking about; in addition to his radio work, he is responsible for the production of five successful corporate podcasts. According to him, radio program makers should give presenters free rein and build them up as brands in their own right. The two hosts of “Wine Wednesday,” for example, have no editorial plan, no rules, and express their opinions on any topic that interests them – freely and without pretending. This openness is not only refreshing, but also influential. According to the “Podcast Report 2025,” 81 percent of Gen Z have changed their own opinion frequently or very frequently based on the opinion of a podcast host. 

Success through community

One of the most important factors for the success of a podcast like Alina and Jani’s is a strong connection to the community. Many of their listeners grew up with the two hosts: 15 years ago, they starred in the children’s series “Die Mädchen-WG” on KiKA. Maintaining and further developing this close relationship is a top priority for the two of them. “Wine Wednesday” uses not only social media and merchandise for this purpose, but also live shows. Their come-alone tickets, for example, show how important each individual listener is to them: women from the community who don’t want to come to the show alone are connected with other fans. “This has already led to real friendships,” says Alina. ENERGY is also close to its target audience – on TikTok and Instagram, but also at festivals, events, and campus campaigns, where they are present with event stages or interview tents. “We create real encounters to complement the daily interaction on air. This builds trust and identification in a sustainable way,” says Kerschner. Nevertheless, he sees room for improvement in this area. His vision: the presenters need to get out of the studio. “Take the morning show, put it in a motorhome, and let it drive around the broadcasting area. That’s the only way to stay in people’s minds.” Live interaction is just as crucial: when listeners call in and the presenters engage with the moment, radio stations and listeners are often pleasantly surprised.

Learning in a different format

So which is more popular with the young target group? Time to draw a conclusion: radio and podcasts have their respective strengths, but they can also learn a lot from each other. “Radio is fast and to the point. After the music, you as a presenter only have seven seconds to captivate your audience,” says Kerschner. Podcasts, which occasionally drift off topic, could adopt this conciseness. “A little more structure would certainly benefit our podcast – as a safety net that brings us back to the central theme,” admits Jani. Podcasts, on the other hand, offer a platform for delving deeper into topics and telling stories. This allows them to build an authentic connection with the community. Radio stations can learn from this: they need to promote their talent and be bolder in the design of their programming. A credible presenter gives the brand a face. “Every word you say as a presenter is a marketing message for the station, and you have to be aware of that,” says Kerschner. What he means by this is that one’s own personality should not disappear behind the brand – it is what brings the brand to life. Of course, radio’s reach among younger target groups is no longer what it used to be: its relevance for advertising is declining, while an oversupply of other media is capturing the attention of young people. According to Kerschner, radio must adapt, seek out and exploit points of contact with the younger generation. However, he contradicts the theory that podcasts will slowly replace radio: the live component, the immediate opportunity for interaction and the regional connection are still unique selling points of radio that also appeal to young people. Kerschner, Alina, and Jani do not see the future in competition between the two media formats, but rather in collaboration—through cross-platform formats, joint hosts, shared topics, and cross-platform storytelling. Kerschner emphasizes: “Only if we work together cooperatively as an industry and embrace the new challenges can we continue to develop the future of radio in a sustainable way.”