#spotify-wrapped

#spotify-wrapped

Every year during late November and early December, our Instagram stories are plagued with Spotify Wrapped posts of people you haven't heard from since middle school or individuals who randomly log back in online to declare to the world that they are the top 0.01% of an artist no one has ever heard of. Spotify Wrapped used to be a social holiday, an annual ritual of showing off who has the more niche top five or who amongst your friend group is the true Swiftie.

Joe Aboud, a former major label executive and founder of 444 Sounds, says streaming platforms now see 100,000 to 120,000 new tracks uploaded every day - roughly 1.5 million a week. AI-generated tracks already make up nearly one in five uploads on some platforms, said Jeremy Morris, a media and cultural studies professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, raising concerns about royalty dilution and algorithmic bias.

How much of the year does Spotify Wrapped cover? To compile Wrapped, Spotify collects listening data from Jan. 1 through around mid-November. That gives the company time to solidify finishing touches and deliver its recap to users by early December. But it also means your late November and December streaming habits won't be included, which may be why your favorite holiday songs aren't on the list, or other year-end hits.

I like year-end list season. I like an opportunity to remember and reflect on the records that stuck with me over the course of a year especially when there is a chance to recommend something that others may have overlooked. I like looking through friends' favourites for albums that I missed completely, and making a big listening queue. I like following along as critics attempt to determine the year's best,

For the first time, Spotify Wrapped is adding a live multiplayer feature to compare your listening data with friends. Wrapped Party, Wrapped's first live interactive experience, allows you to invite up to nine friends to compare listening stats. Also new this year, your Top Songs Playlist will include the play counts for each of the top songs, so you can actually see how much time you spent with your favorite tracks.

Spotify has posted a cryptic video ahead of the official launch of Spotify Wrapped, which is tipped to be this week. 'Who do you think is on your Wrapped?' Spotify captioned the 15-second clip on X. The video features seven versions of the classic Spotify logo, which appear to be inspired by different artists. One is covered in daisies, another is tartan with fuzzy beige stripes, and one is even shaped like a tambourine.

On social media, keen-eyed music fans believe they have spotted a pattern in Spotify Wrapped's recent release dates. And their prediction suggests that there's not much longer to wait. Last year, Spotify Wrapped was launched on December 4, while the annual recap came on November 29 in 2023 and November 30 in 2022. If the music streaming giant sticks to its past pattern, that could mean there are only days before users get to look back on their year in music.