How Gen Z Powers Up for Back-to-School Season on Spotify
As summer winds down and backpacks come out, Gen Z isn’t just heading back to class, they’re shaping the soundtrack for a whole new season.
For Back to School 2025, Spotify has compiled a snapshot of the daily rituals and shared listening moments that define this reset. Powered by new listening data and anchored in past trends, it reveals how Gen Z students and their families use Spotify as a daily companion to reconnect and refocus—and how brands can be part of the moment in meaningful ways.
Mornings are the new prime time
As routines shift, mornings become high-attention listening windows. Between 7 a.m. and 9 a.m., Gen Z students on Spotify power up with music and podcasts that turn commutes and pre-class moments into part of their soundtrack. For brands, these ritual-driven spikes offer valuable opportunities to tap in with multiformat campaigns that blend sight and sound.
Study sessions and shared playlists
Back-to-school season isn’t just a retail moment, it’s also a cultural and community reset. Gen Z leans on study playlists and collaborative features like Jam to concentrate and connect with friends.
A shift toward substance
When school starts, Gen Z students don’t just listen more, they listen differently. They tune into science, tech, news, and business podcasts, signaling a shift toward content that informs and inspires. The rise of video is reshaping podcasting, with creators embracing the format to boost discoverability, drive deeper engagement, and unlock access to the digital video ad market. This offers new opportunities for brands to connect with curious and culturally-engaged audiences.
They also turn to audiobooks across genres, from literary fiction, to romance novels, to memoirs, as another way to dive into stories.
Parents are listening, too
Back to school may spotlight students, but parents are part of the soundtrack as well. Recent Spotify data shows that parents on our Free tier are increasingly streaming podcasts and audiobooks. And with in-car listening surging, many are sharing Spotify with their kids. These carpool co-listening moments—especially during busy school-year schedules—are another way families reset and reconnect.
What this means for brands
Back-to-school listening shows how Gen Z and their families use Spotify to shape daily habits and share meaningful moments. For marketers, the impact is clear. According to Nielsen, Kantar, and Foursquare data, brands that advertise on Spotify see stronger results than on other channels, including higher recall, more foot traffic, and greater purchase intent when audio and video formats are combined.
This season, brands have a chance to show up at the right time and help shape the soundtrack to Gen Z’s next chapter.
Discover more about how brands can connect with listeners through Spotify Advertising.
All data reflects Student Premium users on Spotify, from June-July 2024 compared to September 2024, unless otherwise specified.
