By Jimmy
If you’re an OG Spotify user, then you definitely know about Spotify wrapped. However, if you’re not, or you’re simply new to the music streaming platform, you might be wondering what it is all about and why it is suddenly trending.
Well, time to find out.
What is Spotify Wrapped?
Spotify Wrapped is a viral marketing campaign by Spotify. Released annually since 2016, every early December, it allows Spotify users to view a compilation of data about their activity on the platform over the past year. It also invites them to share it on social media.
Spotify Wrapped typically includes the five musicians a user has listened to most often, the songs which they have listened to most, and their favorite music genres. Producers of content on the platform also have access to a version of Spotify Wrapped, which includes the number of times their content has been streamed that year.
In addition to individualized data, it also includes information about activity on the Spotify platform as a whole. While Spotify Wrapped is commonly referred to as an annual collection of data, only activity from January 1st to an unknown date in the last 2 months is counted for any given year.
Spotify Wrapped is shared widely on social media each year and has led millions of people to promote Spotify on their social media accounts. Its release in early December each year or the end of November, generally accompanied by billboards and television advertisements, has historically correlated with a boost to Spotify’s app store ranking.
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What date does Spotify Wrapped come out?
In 2023, Spotify launched Wrapped 2023 at 8 a.m. ET on Nov. 29. That’s a day earlier than 2022’s Nov. 30 launch, which was earlier than the Dec. 1 reveal in 2021.
What period does Spotify Wrapped cover?
Spotify isn’t sharing exact dates this year, but their ballpark listening window is Jan. 1 through “a few weeks before launch.”
In previous years, data collection stopped on Oct. 31. The company has said the October date allows it time to complete the Wrapped report for users.
How do I view my Spotify Wrapped?
First, make sure your Spotify is updated to the latest version.
Like last year, users can access Wrapped in the Spotify app on iOS and Android. When you launch your updated app, the Wrapped experience will show up on your home screen (click that little house on the bottom left bar).
New this year, users can also view the experience on mobile web view via desktop at Spotify.com/Wrapped.
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What’s new in Spotify Wrapped 2023?
Here are some new features to look out for:
- Me in 2023: Users will see which of a dozen Spotify-created characters best describes their listening habits. Examples of characters include the Shapeshifter (“you’re quick to move from one artist to the next”), the Luminary (“you play light, upbeat music more than others”), and the Alchemist (“you create your own playlists more than others do”).
- Sound Town: Users will be matched to a city based on listening data and shared artist affinity. Cities can be anywhere around the world.
Here’s how fan-favorite Spotify Wrapped features have been updated:
- Top 5 genres feature will display users’ top five music genres as a sandwich-inspired design.
- Top 5 artistes goes a step beyond the list to let users see the month their listening peaked for each artist
- Top artistes is also where users will get to see a video message from one of more than 40,000 artists including Taylor Swift, Bad Bunny, Peso Pluma, NewJeans, SZA, KAROL G and Dolly Parton.
- Wrapped Feed: On the Spotify Home screen, this feature wraps everything into one place. Users can find best of editorial playlists, merch from top artists, concerts near you and more.
- Spotify’s AI DJ: This feature is available for the first week after launch, and will guide listeners through their personalized Wrapped.
- Wrapped Blend: Users can invite friends to create a Blend and tap the ‘2023 Wrapped Top Songs’ filter to combine all of their top songs from this year into one shared playlist.
In the UK, the most streamed artists among Spotify users were… Taylor Swift, Drake and The Weeknd.
Swift, who is the most streamed artist in the UK for the second year running, has been performing her sell-out Eras world tour this year, while Drake released his album For All the Dogs and the surprise project Scary Hours 3, and The Weeknd created the soundtrack for the controversial HBO show The Idol.
