Parents Are Listening: How Audio Helps Brands Connect

Spring has sprung. Flowers are blooming and kids are back to playing outside (much to the relief of moms and dads everywhere). If you’re an advertiser, you’re likely preparing to reach parents around the two days that are all about them—Mother’s Day and Father’s Day. If you don’t already have digital audio in your media mix, here are some reasons why you should invest your ad dollars in this medium this spring and beyond. 

If you haven’t heard, 30M parents listen to the SiriusXM Streaming Network 1 and SiriusXM, 2 and two in five parents listen to the SiriusXM Podcast Network. 3 Modern parents can be LGBTQ+, multicultural, first-timers, and even grandparents—and they can all be found here. As the digital audio leader, we can help your brand's messages reach those that are hard at work raising the next generations. Let’s get into the must-know facts for your next parent-centered campaign.

Digital audio and parenting go hand in hand

Listeners spend over four hours per day with digital audio—compare that to non-digital audio listeners, who tune in less than three hours daily. 4 For parents, audio is a part of their daily routine, like 59% of parents who say they use audio content (music, podcasts, audiobooks) to enhance their parenting experience. 5

No matter what part of the day or what task they’re knocking out, digital audio is right there with them. Like 71% of parents who listen to music while cleaning or doing chores and 56% who listen while cooking. 6 And listening goes beyond the home, with 92% of parents listening to podcasts while driving or riding in a car, and one in two who listen while they’re shopping online or in-store. 7

Parents are also sharing the audio they love with their kids, with 82% co-listening to music with their children. 8 And it’s not just Disney tunes playing on repeat (though that’ll always be a crowd pleaser). Families on Pandora tune in to family-friendly stations like Pandora Kids, Lullaby, and Fam Jams, which reach a total of 410K monthly listeners. 9 Whether digital audio is being used as an effective parenting tool, a companion to daily tasks, or a way to spend quality time with kids, music and podcasts set the soundtrack for each day.

Digital audio is a part of their wellness routine

Say it with us: Parents are people, too. They have wants and needs that are separate from 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 self-care and “me time,” especially among diverse groups. In fact, 83% of Hispanic parents say that music improves their mood, 82% of Black parents say that audio relaxes them, and one in four Asian parents say that audio makes them feel less alone. 6 Audio offers busy, selfless parents convenient opportunities for a well-deserved break. And it’s there to give them the boost they need to get things done.

Listening surges on Mother’s and Father’s Day

By now, it’s clear that reaching parents—and the people who love them—with digital audio year-round is the way to go. And thanks to Pandora’s audience targeting solutions, you can narrow down who you’re looking to reach from expectant parents, to working parents, to grandparents. 

With Mother’s and Father’s Day 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 that 75% of Pandora listeners 18+ plan to celebrate Mother's Day? 10

The week of Mother’s Day 2025, these stations were trending. 9

• Handpicked 100: Mom’s Mix: +44,989% in station adds compared to the previous week 

• Family Road Trip: +5,825% in station adds compared to the previous week 

And these were the top artists on Handpicked 100: Mom’s Mix that same week: 9

• Taylor Swift

• Adele

• Céline Dion

• Rachel Platten

• Mariah Carey

Doting on dads

Celebrating parents doesn’t stop at Mother’s Day—64% of adult listeners 18 and up plan to celebrate Father’s Day. And among those celebrating, 54% plan to give a gift. 10

The week of Father’s Day 2025, these stations were turned on and all the way up: 9

• Dad Jokes: +4,631% in station adds compared to the previous week 

• Dad Rap: +3,290% in station adds compared to the previous week 

• Dad Country: +3,007% in station adds compared to the previous week 

And these were the top artists on Dad Country that same week: 9

• Luke Combs

• Morgan Wallen

• Riley Green

• Cole Swindell

• Walker Hayes

More likely to take action

Everyone loves podcasts, and parents are not immune. Two in five SiriusXM Podcast Network listeners are parents, 11 enjoying titles like Making Space with Hoda Kotb, Andy Cohen’s Daddy Diaries Podcast, and The Mel Robbins Podcast. And two in three parents never miss an episode of their favorite podcast. 12 Target them with our Parents Curated Collection, satisfying the appetites of sports fans, true crime fanatics, news enthusiasts, with more with 30 different podcasts to choose from and over 12M monthly downloads. 13

Podcast audiences are proving to be receptive to ads, and moms and dads can be more responsive to podcast ads than other listeners. Just look at the data: 78% of parents researched a product after hearing an ad, 72% visited an advertiser's website, and 57% made a purchase. 12 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.

Your message meets parents’ ears on SiriusXM

Streaming audio and podcasts aren't the only digital audio options to reach moms, dads, and the people who love them. SiriusXM reaches audiences in the car (and everywhere else), driving awareness and influencing purchasing decisions. And for lower-funnel campaign goals, we also offer a way to do just that—just in time for Father's Day.

Starting on April 24th, SiriusXM will host an online Mother's Day Gift Guide, including gift ideas, special offers, and promo codes redeemable by our retail partners. To get in on the action, partner with SiriusXM to run :30 on-air promos across your audience’s favorite talk, entertainment, and sports platforms. Brands can customize their ads by providing copy, a logo, URL, and :05 tag for on-air promo.

Reach moms, dads, and the people who love them

It may take a village to raise a child, but if you're looking to reach and influence parents, all you need is digital audio. From the daily routine, to the big moments, to everything in between, digital audio is there to keep parents fueled and supported.

Whether you’re reaching Gen Z, Gen X, millennial, or baby boomer parents—as the largest digital audio advertising ecosystem in North America—we can help you reach them throughout the day with ad-supported content. Let’s talk.

Reach more parents with digital audio