How to Reach Connected Car and Connected Home Listeners

Audio is a constant companion, setting the soundtrack for our lives. Whether listeners are tuning in to pop hits at home or pressing play on children’s music on a family drive, they’re constantly plugged in. For advertisers, this presents a unique opportunity to connect with consumers in high-engagement, screen-free moments that other media can't.

The average digital audio listener spends over four hours a day with audio, and the majority of audio listening happens at home (56%) and in the car (27%). By leveraging the power of connected car and connected home, brands can deliver relevant messages no matter where the listener is. Explore the relationship between listener mobility and audio consumption and what it means for your advertising strategy.

Connected car accompanies every commute

The car is the final frontier for digital advertisers, and we’re leading the charge by transforming the in-vehicle experience. 

Digital audio listening and new car models go hand-in-hand

The auto industry is embracing a digital-first future, and automakers are increasingly integrating advanced technology into new vehicles. The response? Owners of newer models are more likely to listen to streaming audio, SiriusXM, and podcasts compared to owners of older car models. In fact, nine in 10 new vehicles sold in the US are connected cars, meaning they’re connected directly to the internet.

As in-car AM/FM listening decreases, SiriusXM, streaming audio, and podcast listening continues to rise. Digital audio listeners spend almost two hours more with audio than non-digital audio listeners. This shift is creating a massive opportunity for digital audio advertising to reach a captive and engaged audience during their daily commutes, road trips, and everything in between.

Pandora digitizes the in-car experience

With connected car, Pandora reaches 12.1M monthly listeners in the US, and its presence is only expected to grow. Listenership has skyrocketed, seeing a +12% YoY growth in 2025. Connected car users don’t listen from time to time but consistently. In fact, a whopping 96% of connected car users listen to Pandora weekly or more often.

With their focus on the wheel, drivers can change Pandora stations and log their thumbs directly into the vehicle without touching their smartphone. Brands can increase their in-car reach through Bluetooth targeting, with ads being served throughout the listening experience. 

Better in-car data = more personalization

Our digital connection in the car provides rich, in-car listening insights, powered by Pandora’s first-party data. This allows us to personalize the listening experience and create more relevant, natural ad experiences. For instance, the top genres for connected vehicle listeners on Pandora include: children’s, showtunes, Mesoamerican, Afro-Latin, and Latin. And with 88% connected car owners listening with others and 85% of connected car users saying they listen with family, you can tailor your messaging to resonate with co-listeners. With this in mind, you might target listeners on Pandora stations like DISNEY, Fam Jams, Afro Latino Architects, or Classic Broadway Showtunes. 

By understanding who is listening and how, we can help you deliver tailored messages to specific audiences, like a working professional tuning in to Latin music on the way home from work or a parent streaming family-friendly content on their way to school pickup.

Connected home complements smart speaker and at-home listening 

While the connected car represents a growing frontier, the home remains the primary hub for audio consumption, with Pandora connected home reaching 8M listeners. Connected home advertising allows your brand to become part of the household's daily rhythm, reaching listeners in a comfortable and familiar setting.

Most audio listening happens at home

The home is where the heart (and ear) is, and audio fills every room. With 56% of daily share of ear time listening occurring at home, consumers are tuning in from smart speakers, smart TVs, or smartphones. Connected home advertising provides a unique opportunity for brands to weave their messages into the fabric of daily life, driving relevance and resonance.

Listeners are more connected than ever

The modern home is a sonic ecosystem. The average US household with internet access has a whopping 21 connected devices, and Pandora features 2K+ connected home device integrations, creating plentiful, hyper-connected opportunities to maintain community, be entertained, and hear your message. By setting the soundtrack for listeners who tune in while cleaning (71%), getting ready (44%), and cooking (57%), you can promote positive brand associations and brand discovery.

Co-listening unites households

Listening at home also creates enhanced opportunities for co-listening, with nine in 10 in-home audio entertainment system owners listening with others. Devices like smart speakers and TVs are hubs for co-listening, creating opportunities for family and friends to gather and enjoy music together. 

More ears mean even more advertising opportunities. Targeting smart devices allows brands to reach an incremental audience, moving beyond individual listeners and engaging the entire household. It’s never been a better time to leverage smart speakers, which are owned by 101M Americans ages 12+, while over four in 10 Americans of the same age range own three or more speakers at home.

Adopt these best practices for engaging listeners in their safe place 

To effectively reach listeners wherever they are, advertisers need to adapt their strategies. Whether your audience is in the car or at home, these best practices will help your digital audio advertising campaigns hit the right note.

Speak to the whole room

Co-listening is common both at home and in the car, bringing together listeners of all ages and backgrounds. Instead of always tailoring your message to a single individual, there may be times when you need to craft creative that speaks to a group—which could be parents and their children or a diverse group of friends. Think about shared experiences and create ads that resonate with everyone in the room (or car). This approach can make your message more inclusive and broadly appealing, increasing its effectiveness in shared listening environments. 

Prepping for the summer season? Reach co-listening partiers on the Hipster 4th of July BBQ station. Reaching families on the road? Get in their ears on Family Road Trip. Targeting many consumers under the same roof? Make your brand known with Dinner Party Radio.

Personalize the message with advanced targeting

Context is everything. Deliver the right ad to the right listener with our suite of advanced targeting. Get started with the basics, including demo and geo targeting, and reach your ideal age, gender, and geographic location. Next, for even more personalization, contextual targeting helps your ad feel more relevant and less intrusive. Match your message to the listener's environment, activity, and potential mood. For instance, an ad heard in the car during evening rush hour might create a mellow auditory environment that promotes food delivery, while an ad heard while cooking at home could have an upbeat and inspirational tone. 

Deliver a clear call to action

In a hands-free environment like driving a car or listening to a smart speaker, clicking on a CTA isn't always an option. Personalize your CTA around contactless or voice commands. Your call to action should be clear, simple, and easy to remember. Whether it’s promoting a website, introducing a brand name, or offering up a discount code, your ad’s CTA should be designed for a clickless experience.

Take charge of the car and home with SiriusXM Media

Mobility has fundamentally changed how people consume audio, creating new and exciting opportunities for brands. From connected car to connected home, we offer leading solutions and tools to reach listeners wherever their day takes them—ensuring your advertising messages are heard loud and clear.

Ready to build your next campaign with audio? Let’s chat.

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