Audio Connects Us All in Spotify’s Newest Campaign, ‘Listening Together’

What are you listening to right now? Whatever it is, chances are you’re not the only one. Every moment, more than 30,000 people around the world press play on the same song on Spotify. Suffice it to say, listening connects us, even when we aren’t expecting it. Now, through our new global campaign, “Listening Together,” we’re celebrating audio’s unique power to unite us—even when we’re apart.

Whether you’re streaming pop, hip-hop, or opera, the initiative highlights the power of audio to bring us closer together through a visualization-based microsite, artist-influenced Together With playlists, and more.

Listening Together Microsite

Back in 2014, media artist Kyle McDonald had a great idea to find the “serendipity” of two listeners pressing play on the same song within moments of each other. Fast forward seven years to today, and Spotify has hundreds of millions of listeners around the world pressing play on the same song within the same moment. The connections are exponential, and with our new microsite, we’re visualizing those serendipitous clicks and taps in a real-time way like never before.  

Say multiple people hit play on “Imagine,” or “Bored in the House.” A virtual, rotating 3D map of Earth will display the track name, as well as the country and city where the connection is happening. And you’ll be there to watch as the connection happens, and which track brought them together at that very moment. 

Want to see for yourself? Check out the Listening Together microsite here to watch in real time as fans around the world listen to the same track, at the same time.

Listening Together With Playlists 

During this time, we’ve also enlisted the help of artists like Selena Gomez, Lil Yachty, and Dolly Parton to share the music and podcasts that are soundtracking their days. Our new Listening Together With playlists feature these artists, as well as Lennon Stella, Anitta, Grimes and others sharing commentary about what they are currently listening to. Here’s a sample of what each artist had to say about what they’ve been streaming, and why.

“Listening to music brings me such hope and joy even during these hard times.” — Dolly Parton

 “I’ve been listening to kind of down-tempo vibes while I game.” — Lil Yachty

“I’ve been listening to an eclectic mix of classics and current music while feeling inspired to cook new dishes.” — Selena Gomez

We’re constantly adding new playlists from your favorite artists and creators. This week, check out Alicia Keys’ “Cooking Together” playlist for her favorite nourishing tracks.

Whether in good times or challenging ones, Spotify believes in the limitless power of audio. Our hope is that these playlists will allow listeners to forge a common bond with people around the world who are also using audio to stay connected.

Check out how people are Listening Together on the new microsite, or stream our flagship Listening With playlist.