In Their Ear: The Audio that Speaks to Bilingual Hispanic Audiences
Briana Mendez, Senior Sales Marketing Manager, AudiencesJun 27, 2023Earlier this month, we walked you through our recent Bilingual Hispanic Study. Now that we’ve covered some best practices for creating authentic, resonant messages for this audience, let’s look at how you can reach them. You’re probably not going to be surprised to learn the answer: digital audio.
Digital Audio is a Part of Daily Life
Digital audio consumption is rising fast with Hispanic audiences. In the past year, consumption grew 22%—that’s more than double the growth with non-Hispanic audiences. And Hispanics are spending 14% more time with digital audio than the general population (5:40 vs 4:57). The lion’s share (74%) of that five hours and 40 minutes is spent with music.1 But don’t count podcasts out; 59% of Hispanics have listened to a podcast.2
Spanish-Language Content Brings Pride, Joy, and Connection
Bilingual Hispanics don’t just speak Spanish, they live and breathe it with pride. US Hispanics want their cultural experiences to be seen and heard, with 76% saying they feel proud and empowered when they see positive Latino/Hispanic representation in media, entertainment, politics, business, technology, and other major fields.3
For Bilingual Hispanics, music is more than just entertainment. It's a way to stay connected to their heritage and celebrate their unique identity in a world where their voices are finally being heard. And they’re spending 50% of their listening time with Spanish-language music.3
Music Reflects Their Culture and Experiences
Hispanic audiences over-index (159) for saying music is a way their culture and identity becomes better represented.4 And 80% of bilingual Hispanics say they’re passing down their language by listening to Latin music.3 Latin music in particular continues to depict the bilingual experience through its lyrics and the artists themselves who live through it day in and day out.
Bilingual Music Speaks to Bicultural Experience
Young US Hispanic artists are using their music to embrace the nuances of their bilingual and bicultural identities. Their music reflects the dynamic and ever-evolving US Hispanic culture, with lyrics that seamlessly switch between Spanish and English to express complex emotions and experiences. And bilingual Hispanic audiences are loving it, with 88% listening to music in both English and Spanish.3
Popular on Pandora
Snow Tha Product: A Mexican-American rapper known for her fast-paced flow and socially conscious lyrics.
Omar Apollo: A Mexican-American singer-songwriter who blends R&B, indie rock, and funk into his music.
The Marías: A Los Angeles-based band that fuses dreamy indie pop with Latin-inspired rhythms and instrumentation.
Diverse creators are flocking to SoundCloud to release their music, launch their careers, and gain support. SoundCloud is a space where bilingual creators can share their talents and stories, forging connections and elevating the richness of the US Hispanic experience. And with 66% of Gen Z and millennial Hispanics considering themselves content creators, there’s no shortage of new content for audiences to choose from.4
Fresh Faces on SoundCloud
Cuco: A Mexican-American singer-songwriter who creates dreamy, lo-fi indie pop with a touch of Spanish-language lyrics.
Maria Isabel: A Dominican singer-songwriter known for her soulful vocals and eclectic blend of pop, R&B, and Latin music.
Ambar Lucid: A Mexican-Dominican-American singer-songwriter who creates dreamy indie pop with introspective lyrics and bilingual vocals.
Podcasts are Surging with Listeners and Creators
Nearly six in 10 Latino adults 18+ have ever listened to a podcast, and 34% are monthly listeners. And though only 24% of podcast creators are Latino, 66% of monthly Latino podcast listeners have tuned into a podcast by a Latino creator in the last month. Despite English being the primary language used for podcasts, the surge in bilingual consumption highlights podcasts' unique role in keeping listeners connected to their roots.
We Can Get You in Their Ear
From our diverse streaming catalogs to our relationships with Pitaya Entertainment and reVolver, we have the content bilingual audiences are looking for to keep them connected to their cultures and identities—and be entertained five hours and 40 minutes a day.1 And with an 87% addressable audience across SXM Media channels,5 your ads are more likely to be heard. Let’s talk.
Sources
Edison Research Share of Ear Study, Q2 2022, Percent More Time with Audio, Compared to Non-Digital Audio Listeners
Edison Research The Latino Podcast Listener Report 2022
SXM Hispanic User Study 2020
SXM Media, Gen Z & Millennial Study, Hispanic Audio Listeners P18-34, March 2022
Pandora Internal Metrics, Q4-22
