Tag: nature

Celebrate Earth Day With Audiobooks That Educate and Entertain

April 22, 2025

This year marks the 55th anniversary of Earth Day, celebrated annually on April 22. On Spotify, listeners can explore a world of stories about our planet in our Everything Earth Day hub, which features curated audiobook playlists for all ages and interests. We tapped our editors to share five of their favorite picks.

Zonia’s Rain Forest 

By Juana Martinez-Neal
Narrated by Sisa Quispe and Cinthya Gonzales Perez

Zonia’s Rain Forest takes young readers into the wonders of the Amazon rainforest alongside Zonia, an Asháninka girl. Every morning, the rainforest calls to Zonia…but one morning, it calls to her in a troubled voice. How will Zonia answer?

The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year

By Margaret Renkl
Narrated by Margaret Renkl

Bestselling author Margaret Renkl charts the creatures and plants found in her own backyard over the course of a year, weaving a tale of joy in the pleasures of the natural world and grief over each season’s ending. Along the way, we also glimpse the changing rhythms of human life.

The Climate Book: The Facts and the Solutions

By Greta Thunberg
Narrated by Amelia Stubberfield, Greta Thunberg, Nicholas Khan, and Olivia Forrest

Greta Thunberg, known around the world for her climate activism, shares advice to help secure a safe future for life on Earth. Thunberg weaves her own story with the wisdom of more than 100 experts—from geophysicists to economists to philosophers—to equip us with the knowledge we need to combat climate disaster.

Black Flora: Inspiring Profiles of Floriculture’s New Vanguard

By Teresa Speight
Narrated by Lynnette R. Freeman

Black Flora is the first book to feature profiles of contemporary Black experts innovating in the world of flowers. Longtime gardener Teresa Speight unearths the floral legacies of the past and present, providing inspiration for younger generations of plant lovers seeking examples of successful Black floral artists and entrepreneurs.

Migrations: A Novel 

By Charlotte McConaghy
Narrated by Barrie Kreinik

Migrations is an ode to a disappearing world with Franny Stone as its center, as she arrives in Greenland with nothing but her research gear. Her singular purpose is to follow the last Arctic terns in the world on what might be their final migration to Antarctica. But when Franny’s dark secrets catch up with her, how much is she willing to risk for one more chance at redemption?

Looking for more inspiring tales? Head to our Everything Earth Day hub.

Celebrate Earth Day With New Music Featuring the Sounds of Nature

April 22, 2025

Music has the power to connect us to one another and to the world around us. Spotify is once again teaming up with the Museum for the United Nations – UN Live’s Sounds Right initiative to celebrate that connection and amplify the sounds of nature.

Since launching NATURE as an official artist on Spotify and other streaming platforms last year, Sounds Right has highlighted its beauty to millions. This year, the initiative’s Earth Day celebration includes new tracks from more than 30 artists where NATURE is a featured artist—from birdsong and crashing waves to glaciers and rainforest wildlife.

This unique collection of songs can be found in the feat. NATURE playlist featured within the Sounds Right shelf on Spotify, with the tracks crediting NATURE supporting its conservation.

From classical compositions to pop anthems, the new music showcases a diverse range of global talent. The lineup includes French composer Yann Tiersen, Indian pop sensation Armaan Malik, electronic powerhouse Steve Angello of Swedish House Mafia, Seattle indie-rocker SYML, and Indian American singer-songwriter Raveena. These artists follow in the footsteps of previous NATURE collaborators like Brian Eno, Ellie Goulding, and Lykke Li.

Spotify will also amplify Sounds Right’s mission year-round, spotlighting a new single featuring NATURE each quarter. To kick us off this Earth Day, we’re highlighting three tracks from the new batch of releases: “Wake (in the Olympic Mountains and the Puget Sound) feat. NATURE” by SYML, “What In The World (feat. NATURE)” by Armaan Malik, and “Morning Prayer (feat. NATURE)” by Raveena. Spotify will promote these songs on- and off-platform, celebrating each artist’s unique approach to incorporating nature into their work.

“I’m honored to be a part of the NATURE project,” said SYML. “Nature surrounds us all, but I particularly love nature from my part of the world. I chose some lovely sounds from the Olympic mountain range and Puget Sound region in Washington State. The mountains and waterways are a big part of how I was raised, and now I’m pleased to bring up my own children in the beauty of the Pacific Northwest. No matter where we find ourselves, it’s up to all of us to take care of what was here before, leaving it only better.”

NATURE has been making waves on Spotify, reaching more than 11 million listeners over the past year. By providing a platform for Sounds Right and this innovative initiative, Spotify is helping to build awareness and inspire climate action in a way that feels authentic and impactful.

Stream the feat. NATURE playlist on Spotify and check out NATURE’s artist profile for more.

Take a Beat and Tune In to Nature for World Mental Health Day

October 9, 2024

Research shows that nature sounds can have a positive impact on your mental health. So, this World Mental Health Day, we’re inviting you to take a beat and tune in to nature. 

We’re reintroducing our “Take a Beat” campaign, which aims to help nature sounds become part of people’s everyday lives by highlighting the positive impact they can have on your mental health and well-being. Turning to nature provides listeners an opportunity to do something intentional for themselves by tuning out the background noise and tuning in to their own needs. We’re encouraging listeners to pause, reflect, and immerse themselves in the soothing sounds of nature. 

For Spotify, positive mental health is a state of well-being that allows people to better cope with the daily stresses of life, function productively, and make meaningful contributions. With this in mind, through Heart & Soul, our global mental health initiative for all Spotify employees, we are also encouraging employees to tap into Take a Beat and connect with nature through internal programming that helps educate, inspire, and normalize the idea of taking time away from their desks and spending time in nature.

Nature, mental health, and well-being are inextricably linked. A study of ~20,000 people found that those who spend at least two hours in nature throughout the week report consistently higher levels of mental health and well-being compared to those who don’t. Whether it’s the sound of ocean waves, a birdsong at dawn, or the rustle of wind through trees, the natural world offers a sense of calm and grounding that’s hard to find elsewhere. In today’s fast-paced world, these moments of stillness can feel distant or inaccessible. That’s why Spotify is proud to use its platform to bring these soothing sounds directly to people, wherever they are.

The Take a Beat hub 

The Take a Beat hub is filled with the best nature sounds available on Spotify—from field recordings to nature-themed albums, guided meditations to inspiring podcasts. The highlights in the hub are all backed by science, and the destination also features content from our partners, Sounds Right and Calm. 

Sounds Right, which launched earlier this year, is about recognizing Nature as an artist. By listening to NATURE’s tracks, fans are directly protecting the environment—a portion of royalties are disbursed to high-impact conservation initiatives. The Take a Beat hub includes tracks like Louis VI and NATURE‘s “Orange Skies” (featuring Mick Jenkins and Jelani Blackman); UMI, NATURE, and V’s (of BTS) “wherever u r”; and Cosmo Sheldrake and NATURE’s “Soil.” Our friends at Calm have curated an exclusive selection of nature-themed meditations that can be found in the hub. Listeners can find suggestions like We Are Nature, Nature Walk, Grounded Like a Mountain, Mindful Walking Meditation, and Nature All Around (the last of which is narrated by Jay Shetty). 

Collabs with Louis VI and other artists and influencers

With this year’s initiative, Spotify has teamed up with zoologist, BBC Creator in Residence, and rapper Louis VI, whose main purpose is to use sound to strengthen our connection to the natural world.

His collaboration with the campaign will help showcase how deeply nature and music are intertwined. “Having a strong relationship with nature is so important for both our mental health and creativity,” said Louis VI. “I draw inspiration from the natural world. Its rhythms, sounds, and energy are often a source of healing and creativity when making music.”

The Take a Beat campaign offers an open invitation to everyone, encouraging a deeper connection with the world around us through sound—whether it’s on World Mental Health Day or any other day.

Artists Maejor, N3WYRKLA, and Ralph Castelli are also joining us to share how they take a beat and tune in to nature, along with U.K.-based creators Char Bailey, Nadeem Perera, and Tash LC.

Community impact 

As a part of the campaign, we’re also making donations to organizations that are doing inspiring work to support people to connect with nature for their mental health and well-being. Three of these groups include Dose of Nature in the U.K., Climate Mental Health Network in the U.S., and The Global Fund for Mental Health. 

We also worked with our partners Good Energy to create a resource page where people can learn more about the intersection of mental health and climate change, discover simple ways to look after your mental health through nature, and learn more about partners working in this space. 

Explore the healing sounds of nature in our Take a Beat hub here.