In Their Ear: Audio That Motivates Asian American Audiences

To reach Asian American audiences, brands need to understand who they are and develop messages that resonate. That means speaking to them through their headphones and speakers and aligning with the tunes and voices that move them.

Here at SiriusXM Media, we reach 4M Asian American listeners with the content they crave. And we have the expertise to help brands connect with them through authentic, relevant messages.

Tap Into Asian American Pride Through Music

From electronic beats to pop melodies, Asian American listeners have a wide range of musical preferences. And we found that 66% of them say music connects them to their culture. Brands can build stronger, more authentic relationships with consumers by showing their appreciation for their diverse taste in genres and aligning with their values and favorite artists. 

Connect with Listeners on Pandora

Asian Americans’ taste in music is as diverse as the community. No matter if your listeners are jamming to K-Pop or R&B, brands can plug into the music destinations that resonate most with this audience through sponsored stations. 

Pandora creates tailored audiences, allowing advertisers to align with content that attracts them. Our sponsored stations blend hand-curated musicologist expertise with the personalization of the music genome and listener thumbs. When brands sponsor Pandora stations, they gain 100% share of voice (SOV). And with such a vast taste in music across the Asian American community, you’re bound to meet your ideal audience no matter their mood. 

Check out the genres that over-index with this audience on Pandora: 

• C-Pop: A genre that encompasses subgenres Mando-pop, Canto-pop, Taiwanese pop, R&B, and more.

• Bollywood: A genre focusing on the hits from the thriving Bollywood industry, presenting popular composers and songs from Hindi films.

• K-Pop: A genre originating from South Korea that combines Korean culture and language with Western-influenced dance, pop, hip-hop, and R&B.

• J-Pop: A genre originating from Japan that’s rooted in the traditional music of the country and international influences of pop and rock music. 

Set the Scene on SoundCloud

SoundCloud takes the lead on musical innovation, creating space for artists to break barriers, blend sounds, and create new and unique genres. This platform serves as a launchpad for the next generation of musicians to set trends and deliver fresh music, much like some of today’s biggest musicians who started on SoundCloud, from Doechii to Bad Bunny. And for brands, it’s the destination for young, diverse, and ad-receptive listeners, with 52% of its users being Gen Z and 57% being more likely to have visited a brand website in the last month.  

When it comes to trending genres on SoundCloud, many are on the rise. Think Persian Rap, a hip-hop subgenre that blends traditional Persian sounds with modern rap elements. In fact, two in five growing artists on SoundCloud are Iranian hip-hop artists. Or Vinahouse, a Vietnamese House genre that’s characterized by simple beats and loud bass. Listeners keep on pressing play, with this genre receiving a +168% increase in plays year-over-year. And we can’t forget Bhangra Punjabi, which blends traditional folk sounds with modern beats, making this genre a staple in Bollywood. In 2023, Diljit Dosanjh became the first Punjabi artist to perform at Coachella, showing that this genre (and AAPI artists) are increasingly taking the world stage. 

Advertisers looking for ways to reach this audience on SoundCloud can turn to Promoted Tracks, where brands are at the center of music discovery. By spotlighting emerging artists on SoundCloud, brands play an influential role in introducing emerging talent. With a focus on play rates, brand messages get heightened potential for effectiveness and engagement on their promoted content. Promoted Tracks are the bridge between your brand and the vibrant, music-obsessed listeners sharing their favorite songs on SoundCloud.

Pressing Play on Podcasts

Interest in podcasts has exploded over the last decade, with 55% of Americans now being monthly consumers, and engagement in the medium shows no signs of slowing down. For Asian Americans, podcasts perfectly align with their eclectic interests, whether they’re die-hard fans of Rotten Mango or Stars and Stars. And 89% of Asian American podcast listeners say they listen to multiple shows in a day or week. This allows brands the opportunity to engage directly with Asian American audiences, but keep this in mind: 61% of listeners are looking for brands to collaborate with diverse voices, creators, and artists. 

With 52% of listeners preferring podcasts that delve into culturally relevant discussions, this is a direct invitation for brands to contribute to the rich landscape of podcasts and offer content that resonates with complex identities and interests of diverse audiences.  

Check out some of the over-indexing genres on podcasts:  

• Society & culture

• News

• True crime

• Comedy

• TV & film

Our network is home to Asian American voices that delve into the topics and conversations that really matter to listeners. And 45% of Asian Americans value hosts and guests that share their cultural background. Use tools like our Asian American Culture Predictive Audience segment from Comscore, which gives your brand better, more precise targeting that reaches listeners of Asian ethnicity and allows you to craft culturally relevant ads in the right place.

Get Connected with SiriusXM Media 

We’re not just home to the #1 ad-supported audio platform, we have the content and voices Asian American audiences crave. Plus our targeting, creative, and audio advertising expertise helps brands craft messages that make a real impact. 

Ready to reach this diverse, influential audience? Let’s chat.

For More on Reaching AAPI Audiences