By Erica Probst, Head of YouTube Sales UKI
The BRIT Awards is a moment that captures the story of diverse Britain, and of a fundamental change in our media in an expanding world of TV.
As viewing patterns change, billions of music fans around the world who want to engage with every aspect of music culture – the reaction videos, behind-the-scenes content, and fan engagement – turn to YouTube.
Gen Z’s insatiable appetite for music content touches all corners of their day, with 43% saying they ‘like to have always-on access to music via digital’ to aid concentration, manage emotions, and enhance their daily lives. Compared to millennials, they are 1.5x more likely to crave this constant connection to music.
For advertisers, this presents a unique opportunity to connect with audiences in an authentic, meaningful way.
It’s not only about reach, although with the Oasis channel racking up 628M global views in the past year – 6.4M of those views on the day they announced their tour – it’s an undeniable advantage.
But our latest research reveals a striking insight: 91% of YouTube music users who have made music-related purchases in the past year have watched a related YouTube video beforehand. This is a major signal that YouTube is not just a platform for entertainment – it’s a key driver of purchasing intent.
And with viewing behaviours changing, there’s no limit to where and how brands can reach consumers.
A music lover might discover a new artist on Shorts on their mobile while travelling home – and by the time they’ve taken a seat in their living room, they’re watching long-form content on their TV, going deep into a new found fandom about that same musician. And this can happen at scale, with YouTube seen by many today as the future of modern entertainment, with more than half of UK adults watching YouTube on the TV screen.
YouTube’s growth on connected TVs means continued growth in innovation; introducing formats that work particularly well on the big screen, like QR codes and pause ads.
Basically, this multi-screen moment is here to stay, and is only going to get bigger.
The power of music fandom
Music culture is more than a moment. It is always on. Whether it’s a deep dive into the latest album drop, learning a new instrument, or simply unwinding to a curated playlist, music fuels moments of connection, inspiration, and relaxation. On YouTube, we see these moments play out at scale:
- To connect: Fans get ‘access all areas’ – whether it’s Taylor Swift’s tour rehearsals or her announcement via Shorts confirming ‘Fortnight’ as the first single on her album
- To learn: Aspiring musicians turn to YouTube for drumming tutorials or production tips.
- To be entertained: A date night with Billie Eilish’s documentary, or a binge of reaction videos.
- To relax: Ambient piano sessions or Fred Again’s rooftop sets provide the perfect backdrop to unwind.
When it comes to Gen Z in particular 87% of YouTube viewers in the UK agree that YouTube hosts content that allows them to ‘go deep with what they love’ – demonstrating the huge role the platform now plays in defining popular culture.
Leaning into cultural moments delivers results
Brands that embed themselves within these cultural touchpoints see a clear impact.
When ASOS wanted to drive awareness with Gen Z audiences, they sponsored the livestream and an individual award for MOBO Awards, an annual ceremony in the UK that recognizes Black musicians and their achievements. Results?
ASOS reached 2.7 million viewers on YouTube by integrating into red carpet moments, dressing talent and owning the ad space and saw a 28% awareness lift and a 27% lift in sponsorship message recall.
During Tomorrowland, the large scale annual electric dance festival in Belgium, Coca Cola Zero Sugar combined YouTube’s AI-powered reach efficient formats, with effective content solutions, and reached 74% of their key UK Gen Z audience; 40% of which came from Connected TV and 99% of reach from the Tomorrowland sponsorship was fully incremental.
These aren’t outliers. A recent UK Kantar meta-analysis found that YouTube sponsorships drive a 17% uplift in unaided brand awareness – five points above the industry benchmark.
Trust drives Action
And it’s no surprise. Creators are the trusted voices of today’s digital age, and their influence translates directly to consumer behavior:
- 87% of viewers agree that YouTube creators give them recommendations they can trust.
- 91% say YouTube has the most influential creators compared to other social platforms.
- 78% feel that YouTube creators help them make quicker purchasing decisions.
This isn’t just theory – it’s a shift in how audiences engage with content, and by extension, brands.
The missed opportunity for marketers
But too often, marketers focus on a single big moment – like a major awards show – while missing the daily cultural conversations happening around music on YouTube.
It’s understandable. Constantly changing consumer behaviour. So many formats to navigate. It can feel overwhelming for marketers.
But the beauty of these changing times is that AI can help to stitch together this fragmented web of a viewing journey, making it easier than ever to simplify across screens, long-form and short-form, content genres, trends and across the creators that your audiences love.
Music isn’t just an event; it’s a continuous experience. Marketers shouldn’t underestimate the fact that while there might have been millions of live viewers, on YouTube people develop a deeper fandom with creators and musicians – they then continue to watch and engage with that content for many months and years to come.
And the brands that understand this – leaning into YouTube’s fandom, creators, and trusted voices, and letting AI help control frequency and optimise towards marketing outcomes – are the ones driving real brand affinity and conversion.
As advertisers navigate a shifting landscape, one thing remains clear: YouTube is where music culture lives, where viewers go to be entertained and where purchasing decisions are shaped.
The real question is whether advertisers are ready to embrace this shift.
