Tag: Ramadan

Spotify Celebrates Ramadan With Listening Trends From Around the World

March 21, 2024

March marks the beginning of Ramadan, a cherished cultural event celebrated by Muslims worldwide. As families and communities come together to observe, contemplate, pray, and celebrate the Holy Month, they can also turn to Spotify for meaningful audio content. 

This year, our Ramadan hub is back with a blend of music and podcasts designed to foster self-reflection, wellness, and entertainment. When eligible listeners open the Spotify app, they’ll find carefully curated content for every mood and moment of Ramadan. Listeners will also find personalized content on the Your Ramadan 2024 playlist.

What does Ramadan sound like around the world on Spotify?

As Ramadan begins, many Muslims experience shifts in their daily routines, from work schedules to social interactions. Similarly, their Spotify listening habits also shift, as evidenced by our streaming data from 2023.

Our top finding? Audio was often used to set the tone as families and communities came together for suhoor, the predawn meal, with streaming spiking around 5 a.m. in most markets. Below, we unveil more 2023 listening trends across various markets to shed light on streaming patterns throughout the sacred month.

Egypt

  • Quran listening hours (audio consumption related to the central religious text of Islam, the Quran) spiked around 5 p.m. This aligns with iftar, the post-sunset, fast-breaking meal.
  • Before sunrise, listeners consumed more entertainment-based content.
  • A top podcast throughout the month: Finjan with Abdulrahman Abumalih. Hosted by Saudi journalist and TV presenter Abdulrahman Abumalih, Finjan covers a wide range of topics pertaining to the Middle East and North Africa.

Saudi Arabia

  • Quran listening hours surged around 8 a.m.
  • Before sunset, listeners consumed more spiritual and fitness-based podcast content. Before sunrise, preferred podcast genres included history and crime.
  • A top podcast throughout the month: Areeka. Hosted by Bibi AlAbdulmohsen and Talal Sam, Areeka mostly covers social topics, from psychology to common myths.

Indonesia

  • Generally, streaming spiked between 2 and 4 p.m., which aligns with ngabuburit, the waiting period before breaking fast.
  • Religion and spirituality-based podcasts were the most-consumed genre throughout the month.
  • Listeners gravitated toward well-being podcasts in the morning before shifting to music at night.

Spotify’s top Ramadan playlists

Our Ramadan hub contains a wide variety of curated playlists. In Egypt, the top Ramadan playlist of 2023 was Titrat Ramadan, which showcases soundtracks from the most popular Ramadan TV dramas.

In Saudi Arabia, listeners gravitated most toward Chill-oud. This playlist features songs played with the oud, a stringed musical instrument that is one of the oldest and most important instruments in Arabic culture.

Listeners in Indonesia favored the Your Ramadan 2023 playlist. This personalized playlist brings Spotify’s editorial and algorithmic worlds together to provide users with curated audio content that resonates with their respective Ramadan journeys.

Last but not least, the most-streamed Ramadan playlist in Pakistan was Hamd-o-Naat, which features devotional tracks for an immersive experience. “Naat” was also the country’s most-searched word during the Holy Month, reflecting a desire for poetic expressions of devotion and praise. Our Best of: Coke Studio Sufi playlist, which showcases Coke Studio’s top Sufi tracks, also saw 218% growth last year.

This year, Spotify remains dedicated to delivering a culturally resonant Ramadan experience for listeners around the world. For the ultimate audio companion throughout the sacred month, explore the Ramadan hub.

Listeners in Pakistan Turn to Sufi on Spotify for Spiritual Connection and Reflection During Ramzan

April 13, 2023

a photo of an artist staring at the camera with graphic illustrations around the photo that represent south asian heritage

In Pakistan, during the Holy Month of Ramadan—or Ramzan, as it’s called in the country—people alter their eating, drinking, praying, and even listening habits. During this time of reflection, we see a notable rise in one specific genre on Spotify: Sufi. 

Those who observe Ramzan appreciate the devotional qualities of the tracks, which are inspired by the works of Sufi poets. These lyrical pieces reflect the concept of being close with God, making them a compelling listen for those seeking audio of a more spiritual nature.

For the Record sat down with Spotify Senior Music Editor for Pakistan, Sri Lanka, and Bangladesh Rutaba Yaqub to learn more about Sufi listening in Pakistan during the Holy Month. 

In Pakistan, how do listening habits change during Ramzan?

About a week before Ramzan, we start seeing a slow uptick in tracks that are kind of devotional in nature, and then it takes over the charts once Ramzan begins. This content isn’t music, but rather Islamic and religious spoken word—sort of like a capella that may feature an instrument similar to a frame drum. This kind of devotional content is really popular in the beginning of Ramzan as people focus on fasting and reflecting.

And then, as the month progresses, we see people in the country start to stream Sufi music, which is more spiritual in nature. 

How would you describe the sounds of Sufi?

Sufism, in itself, is the concept of being super close to God by being close to yourself and to your spirit. It’s a way to connect with God. Many Sufis were also poets who wrote about their connection to God, how they achieved it, and what their journey was like to get to that point. The poems are very spiritual and have been adapted into musical songs by different artists.

A popular type of Sufi music is Qawwali. It features instruments like the tabla, which is a pair of hand drums, and a harmonium, which is similar to the accordion. When artists perform this music, they are always sitting on the ground. Usually it’s a group of people performing the vocals together.

Why do you think listeners in Pakistan are drawn to this genre during Ramzan? 

This genre is listened to year-round in Pakistan, but I think it becomes even more popular during Ramzan because listeners want to feel closer to God. Because the lyrics of Sufi tracks revolve around peace, finding contentment, and full trust in the divine power, these tracks have a very calming and uplifting effect.   

Are more mainstream artists dabbling in the Sufi genre?

Over the years, more mainstream Pakistani artists have released Sufi tracks for Ramzan because they know that’s the type of content their listeners are wanting during this time. Some popular artists include Atif Aslam, Ali Zafar, and Bilal Saeed. Their Sufi tracks are melodic and feature a lot of stringed instruments. It’s perfect for listeners who are searching for peaceful and calming music during this time.

Hear some top tracks from the genre in our playlist below.

Spotify Celebrates the Holy Month of Ramadan With a New Personalized and Curated Experience

March 20, 2023

a visual look at the Spotify app's ramadan experience

This week marks the start of Ramadan, a month of spiritual rejuvenation, humility, and togetherness. As families and communities around the globe come together to observe, learn, pray, and celebrate, they can also turn to Spotify for meaningful music, podcasts, and talk content.

Those observing Ramadan have previously enjoyed curated Spotify playlists and podcasts that remained static throughout the month. This year, we’ve built a dynamic new experience for Ramadan. 

“We’re designing an experience on the platform that allows our listeners to take a more active role in discoverability as well as to foster more meaningful connections with artists and podcasters they love on Spotify,” said Gautam Talwar, Managing Director for Spotify Asia Pacific. “We are proud to deliver this supercharged Ramadan experience to our listeners during this important cultural moment to soundtrack their moods and moments across the Holy Month.”

When eligible listeners open the Spotify app, they’ll find new highlights, podcast quotes, clips, and music and podcast releases every day, plus a new topical theme each week. Listeners will also find personalized content on the “Your Ramadan 2023” playlist and see the music and talk content that’s trending in their countries, and podcasters are constantly developing and publishing new Ramadan-related episodes. 

“Ramadan has now become a time for podcast creators to think of special programming for their audiences. We are seeing more and more podcasters release series that are the ultimate companions to everyone observing,” shared Rhea Chedid, Senior Podcast Manager at Spotify. “Everything from shows about cooking and the history of Ramadan traditions and Islam, to audio scripted series that entertain and podcasts that review your favorite Ramadan television series, we are really witnessing creators think deeply about how they can better the lives of listeners through audio during this time.”

Nick Dahl, a Senior Product Manager, is one of the Spotifiers behind creating the Ramadan experience. We talked to Nick to learn more about what listeners can expect within the unique and personalized app destination.

What makes this Ramadan experience different from what Spotify’s done in the past?

In previous years, our editorial teams have curated playlists, podcasts, and talk content for our users during Ramadan, and this year we are taking it to another level. We are spotlighting content that changes each day, creating personalized playlists with songs picked just for listeners, and highlighting trending content that people are listening to in their region. We also made readings from the Quran easily accessible, and listeners can also find exclusive clips and greetings from their favorite artists and celebrities wishing them a blessed Ramadan.

Do you have a favorite element of the experience? 

A personal favorite are the daily offerings that change each day in the Ramadan hub. They highlight locally relevant stories about fasting, self-reflection, and wellness while also showcasing new releases from some of the most popular local creators in our markets.

Another impactful aspect is that our recommendations vary depending on where you’re located and what time of day it is. For listeners observing in Egypt, some popular music playlists they’ll find include Ramadaniyat, Titrat Ramadan, and Chill-oud. And they can easily access some of the most popular Ramadan-related podcasts, like Al Rassol, 1001 Nights, and Sukoun. Meanwhile, for fans in Indonesia, Refleksi Diri, OTW Ramadan, and Ketupat Lebaran are three popular music playlists we’re serving. Someone looking for podcast content can tune into shows like PODKESMAS, RAPOT, Podcast Ancur, Kita dan Waktu, and GJLS, each of which has Ramadan-specific episodes.

Why is it important to build app experiences like this?

We want our fans and creators around the world to feel that Spotify is part of every moment, from Ramadan to regular daily listening. To do this, we’ve built product experiences that celebrate local culture with our users. Each market is different from another, and each user has unique needs when it comes to their listening habits. That’s why we invest heavily in personalization and machine learning. We are able to create not just one version of Spotify, but rather 500 million different versions of our product tailored to each and every listener around the world. 

Ramadan is observed by more than 1.6 billion people around the world and we want to build a better, more localized product experience that celebrates our listeners’ cultures. Our long-term ambition is to become their number one choice as an audio companion throughout the fasting period—from dawn to dusk—and to celebrate the end of Ramadan with Eid.

 

Discover the Ramadan experience by downloading the latest version of Spotify on your mobile, and then search for “Ramadan.”  The experience is rolling out over the coming days on Android and iOS.

Get To Know the Sounds of Ramadan Around the World

April 13, 2022

Ramadan is a month dedicated to spiritual rejuvenation, tranquility, and contemplation by those celebrating across the globe. Many Muslims come together with their families and communities for suhoor, the predawn meal, iftar, the post-sunset meal, and everything in between. For some, audio also plays a large role in setting the tone of the holiday. 

And just as Holy Month traditions play out differently in communities around the world, so does the audio people listen to for reflection or celebration. In the Arab world, observers will mostly play traditional instrumental nasheeds; Turkish celebrants may stream tracks from their favorite Ramadan television series; and in Indonesia, the top tracks played during Ramadan have a pop feel—all while guiding listeners to self-reflection.

Some tracks are universal—Lebanese Swedish R&B singer Maher Zain’s song “Ramadan – English version” is one of the most popular during Ramadan, with listeners tuning in from the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Australia, Canada, Germany, the U.K., and the U.S. last year. Depending on where you’re listening from, you can find plenty of options throughout the month on Spotify’s Ramadan destination. 

For the Record asked five of our music editors celebrating Ramadan around the world to share some of the themed playlists they curated during the Holy Month and what makes the playlists unique to their communities. 

Middle East and North Africa

Curation: Ramadan Series مسلسلات رمضان and Ramadan Spirit by Alaa Ismail and Naoufal El Amrani

What is one element or tradition during Ramadan that is unique to your market? 

The Holy Month is a rich and diverse experience. People across the Arab world are very disciplined in fasting and praying in Ramadan; they decorate their homes with Ramadan lanterns and organize iftar banquets for families. Arabs tend to listen to spiritual hymns (nasheeds), especially during fasting times. After iftar, family and friends gather to watch their favorite Ramadan series, and therefore Ramadan series songs have a distinctive mark during the Holy Month. Ramadan Spirit and Ramadan Series playlists are inspired by the culture, customs, and traditions of the region. 

What are some consistent themes behind the songs or artists you’ll program during Ramadan?

Ramadan is very special and has its own charm; it is like a guest who comes to the house once a year and is welcomed with pleasure. Reflecting the spirit of the month in our Ramadan playlists with relaxing, spiritual, and instrumental tunes is key to our curation process. 

Pakistan

Curation: South Asian Sufi by Rutaba Yaqub

What is one element or tradition during Ramadan that is unique to your market? 

Pakistan is a family- and community-oriented nation. And in the month of Ramadan that feeling of togetherness grows even stronger. Families spend more time together for suhoor, iftar, and in between. Pakistanis love to host big iftar feasts for their families as well as for the needy. Thousands of people are fed on the streets with langar (a communal free kitchen). 

How does that come through in the audio played during the month? 

Because of the busy nature of Ramadan and Pakistan being a majority Muslim nation, the consumption of music, specially in the first 10 days of Ramadan, drops significantly. Most of the consumption happens before suhoor. After the 10 days, audiences ease into consumption of music with more Sufi/devotional content, which is musical content of mystical nature. “Tajdar-e-Haram,” a track performed by Atif Aslam, jumps to the top of charts as soon as Ramadan starts. That’s a very clear indication of listeners’ inclination to Sufi content. 

Turkey 

Curations: Ramazan and İftar by Nazlı Yırtar

What is one element or tradition during Ramadan that is unique to your market? How does that come through in the audio played during the month? 

Gathering with family, neighbors around the iftar table; hosting visitors for big iftar dinners. Also the Ramadan-themed TV shows starting before iftar, where conversations around Ramadan are had and music reflecting the theme of the month is played between conversations. Our Ramazan and İftar playlists are definitely inspired by the music I used to hear on TV and radio during the Ramadans of my childhood.

What are some consistent themes behind the songs or artists you’ll program during Ramadan?

I try to reflect the calm spirit of the month in our Ramadan playlists with instrumental music or Turkish classical songs that would bring our users the experience around those feelings of peace and serenity.

Singapore and Malaysia

Curations: Penenang Hati, Satu, MendekatiNya, Lagu Raya, Salam Raya by Nurul Husniyah

What is one element or tradition during Ramadan that is unique to your market? How does that come through in the music played during the month? 

Ramadan is a time for connecting and reconnecting with loved ones, so one of the top priorities for most people is coming home to buka puasa or iftar with their families and to also spend time with their friends. Singapore saw the return of two really popular annual Ramadan bazaars at Geylang Serai and Kampong Glam after a two-year hiatus. Even though they are scaled down, these events definitely add festive cheer to this year’s celebrations. Raya (the South Asian way to address Eid al-Fitr) songs will also be soundtracking homes and bazaars as early as the first couple of days to the first week of Ramadan.

What are some consistent themes behind the audio or artists you’ll program during Ramadan?

Indonesian artist Opick’s “Ramadan Tiba” (Ramadan is here) and Anuar & Ellina’s “Suasana Di Hari Raya” both start showing up in our viral charts as early as the first day of Ramadan. You can find both of these on Lagu Raya, the quintessential playlist for familiar tracks that dominates the charts throughout the month of Ramadan leading up to Eid al-Fitr. 

Penenang Hati and Satu are usually updated weekly due to the steady stream of artists releasing Ramadan-themed and spiritual tracks throughout the month. Penenang Hati features tracks that are more mellow, and nasyid (nasheed) tracks as well. Satu features more modern-sounding and upbeat Islamic and spiritual tracks.

Indonesia 

Curations: Refleksi Diri, Ketupat Lebaran by Dyah Paramita Saraswati  

What is one element or tradition during Ramadan that is unique to your market? How does that come through in the audio played during the month? 

The unique element in Indonesia during Ramadan is people here usually hang out together or do something unusual in the evening while waiting for iftar. We call the activity “ngabuburit.” That is why Spotify in Indonesia launched a campaign titled #NgabuburitDiSpotify for the second year in a row! Since Ramadan is a big cultural moment in Indonesia, television and radio stations tend to play Islamic songs that are related to Ramadan. Also, some artists launch Ramadan-themed songs during this period, mainly around self-reflection. 

What are some consistent themes behind the audio or artists you’ll program during Ramadan?

For Refleksi Diri, on top of Islamic songs, I also program pop songs themed around wellness, self-reflection, and life contemplation. That is why one of the two music playlists I have programmed is named Refleksi Diri, which means self-reflection in English. As for Ketupat Lebaran, which loosely relates to “The Best of the Festival of Breaking Fast” in reference to the local delicacy ketupat that is served during this period, I program songs that are centered around the celebration of Lebaran or Eid (a period which marks the end of the month of fasting and celebrations over the control over one’s desires).

 

Stream one of the most popular songs during Ramadan—Lebanese Swedish R&B singer Maher Zain’s “Ramadan – English version.” 

5 Ramadan-Inspired Playlists to Stream This Month

May 9, 2019

Each night as the sun begins to set during the holy month of Ramadan, Muslim friends and families around the world gather after a day of fasting and reflection. Ramadan marks the holiest time of the Muslim year—a month of spiritual rejuvenation, humility, and togetherness.

Community gatherings around Suhoor, the pre-dawn meal, and Iftar, the breakfast meal, play a particularly significant role. This week, we kicked Ramadan off with our own Suhoor in Egypt. Guests enjoyed a traditional menu with kobeba (a Middle-Eastern meatloaf) and erk sous (licorice juice) and were entertained by Hegazy Metkal, an iconic Egyptian folk singer.

Hegazy Metkal

We talked to a few friends of Spotify about their own Ramadan traditions. “We eat together of course—it’s a must,” says Egyptian-Lebanese travel and entertainment vlogger Mohamed Mekawy. “We go pray together, watch some series together … it’s all about togetherness.”

Fashion and lifestyle blogger Sarah Taha agrees that her family’s traditions for the holy month include “Praying together, akeed!” (Akeed is an Arabic term for “of course.”) TV presenter and influencer Amr Rady explained that in his family, “the first person to leave the family gathering has to invite everyone for Iftar the next day.”

In addition to prayer and traditional celebratory food, families and friends listen to everyone’s favorite classic and spiritual Ramadan tunes and anthems. Below are our five Ramadan playlists, created or updated especially to celebrate the holy month and provide people of all faiths a sense of the sounds—traditional and modern alike—enjoyed and shared by Muslims around the world.

Ramadan Mubarak

Billions of Muslims around the world celebrate Ramadan. Each of the different cultures also has different traditions—whether it be cooking special food or wearing certain colors or costumes. So to celebrate the holiness and the diversity of practice in this month, we put together a multicultural and personalized playlist on the Global Arab hub.

Ramadan Series

During the holy month, Arab families gather to watch their favorite shows made specifically for Ramadan, called Mosalsalat Ramadan in Arabic. This playlist showcases the soundtracks of the most popular Ramadan TV dramas in the Middle East and North Africa.

https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/37i9dQZF1DX4szXk9xARLm?si=jWQpabTVRzKcPwev0VtnBQ

Ramadan Chill

With instrumental Eastern melodies that are relaxing and spiritual, this playlist is best suited to winding down for the evening at Iftar. The playlist includes artists and songs recognizable to listeners throughout the Middle East and North Africa.

https://open.spotify.com/user/spotify/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWWvGPolkxTYD?

Jalsat

Think of this playlist as “Ramadan Unplugged” (Jalsat means “sessions”). The music, unique to the Persian Gulf region, has an unusual yet alluring beat. It features Khaleeji (people of the Arab peninsula) artists performing both classics and new songs with the crowd clapping along in the background.

Sheilat

Popular in the Persian Gulf, Sheilat is based on folklore and driven more by lyrics than instruments. This is more conservative, traditional music for the month—sure to get you in a reflective mood and mindset.

You can also take a listen to Lagu Ramadan and Lagu Raya for the sounds of Ramadan in Malaysia and Singapore, and Ketupat Lebaran for Indonesia. Or, stream the Ramazan playlist to get a feel for the holy month in Turkey. And because the start of Ramadan is determined by the sighting of the moon, why not check out Stargazer?

No matter where you are, Ramadan Mubarak to all who celebrate.