Tag: wrapped

Go Behind the Scenes of 2020 Wrapped on Our ‘Spotify: For the Record’ Podcast

December 1, 2020

Every December Spotify announces Wrapped, one of the most anticipated moments of the year where we unveil the most streamed artists, albums, songs, playlists, and podcasts that defined how more than 320 million people around the world listened to and discovered audio. Whether it was to stay informed, sing along, or simply tune it all out, people kept listening and creators never missed a beat.

If you’re eager to learn more about what artists and podcasters defined this year that was unlike any other, you can find 2020’s most-streamed lists here. Want to go behind the scenes? Check out the latest episode of our podcast Spotify: For the Record.

Today we’re chatting with Alex Bodman, Spotify’s VP, Global Executive Creative Director, who gives us a peek behind the creative process and insight into the final product. Learn how this unprecedented year influenced the campaign’s themes of “gratitude” and “resilience.”

One of the most exciting things about Wrapped is learning who, globally, is the most-streamed artist on Spotify. This year, that honor goes to Bad Bunny. In this episode, hear from Spotify’s Co-Head of Music, Jeremy Erlich, as he calls up the Puerto Rican rapper to share the news.

And while Bad Bunny secured the top spot, our data revealed that 2020 has been a strong year overall for Latin music, with five of the top 20 most-streamed artists falling into this category. We talk to Monica Herrera Damashek, Spotify’s Head of U.S. Latin, Artist Label Partnerships in North America, to learn more about why these artists and their music resonates with so many listeners around the world.

Ready to unwrap this year’s Wrapped? Check out the episode “2020: That’s a Wrap!”

This episode is no longer available as of November 2021, however you can get more great stories and news delivered audibly by following our podcasts, Spotify: For the Record, Spotify: Mic Check, and Spotify: Discover This.

Las Tendencias que Marcaron al Streaming en 2020

December 1, 2020

No hace falta decirlo: 2020 fue un año diferente a los demás. Uno que, a pesar de sus desafíos únicos, inspiró la creatividad con tantas personas encontrando formas de unirse como una comunidad resiliente. El 2020 también ha sonado de manera diferente y, en el camino, el audio ha actuado como un compañero, fortaleciendo nuestras conexiones con el mundo que nos rodea y dándonos esperanza.

La campaña Lo más escuchado llega una vez más. Para muchos de nosotros, la música y los podcasts nos ayudaron a sobrellevar el año, que es lo que hace que #MiSpotify2020 sea tan especial: durante los altibajos, la gente siguió escuchando y el audio nunca perdió el ritmo.

Entonces, ¿qué escuchó el mundo en 2020?

Artistas con más streams a nivel mundial

Este año, el puertorriqueño Bad Bunny se adjudica el primer lugar este año con más de 8.300 millones de streams de fanáticos de todo el mundo. Su álbum YHLQMDLG, lanzado a fines de febrero y con colaboraciones con Sech, Anuel AA y Daddy Yankee, es también el álbum número uno en streams. Siguiendo a Bad Bunny están Drake y la estrella de Colombia J Balvin. El cuarto artista más reproducido es el fallecido rapero Juice WRLD, seguido por The Weeknd.

Billie Eilish continúa su reinado como la artista femenina más escuchada en Spotify por segundo año consecutivo, seguida por Taylor Swift y Ariana Grande en segundo y tercer lugar. Dua Lipa y Halsey se ubican como la cuarta y quinta artistas femeninas con más streams.

Canciones más escuchadas a nivel mundial

La canción más reproducida del año es “Blinding Lights” de The Weeknd, que se mantuvo firme después de ser la segunda canción más reproducida del verano con casi 1.600 millones de reproducciones este año. En el segundo y tercer lugar, respectivamente, están “Dance Monkey“, del ex músico callejero australiano Tones And I, que se volvió viral en 2019, y “The Box.” de Roddy Ricch. La cuarta canción más reproducida es la pegajosa “Roses – Imanbek Remix” de Imanbek y SAINt JHN, seguida de “Don’t Start Now” de Dua Lipa.

Álbumes más reproducidos a nivel mundial

Después del primer lugar de Bad Bunny para el álbum más reproducido, YHLQMDLG , está After Hours , de The Weeknd y Hollywood’s Bleeding. de Post Malone. Completando la lista de los álbumes más reproducidos, encontrarás Fine Line de Harry Styles y Future Nostalgia de Dua Lipa.

Podcasts más populares a nivel mundial

Más y más podcasts llegaron a Spotify en 2020, y con más de 1.9 millones de títulos, ahora hay algo para todos. Eso incluye The Joe Rogan Experience, que ocupa el puesto número uno para el podcast más popular del año. Completando los espacios dos y tres están TED Talks Daily y The Daily, que muestran que los oyentes se mantenían informados como de costumbre. En el número cuatro se encuentra otro show nuevo, The Michelle Obama Podcast. El quinto podcast más popular es el programa de comedia y consejos, Call Her Daddy..

Géneros de podcasts más populares a nivel mundial

Los podcasts en Spotify cubren una variedad de temas que se adaptan a los variados intereses de nuestros oyentes. ¿Qué géneros atrajeron a la gente en 2020? El primer lugar es Sociedad y cultura, un género que incluye historias espeluznantes y contenido gastronómico. El siguiente en la fila es Comedia, que no es ninguna sorpresa ya que muchos están buscando más formas de reír este año. El tercer lugar está reservado para Salud y estilo de Vida, lo que demuestra que a los oyentes les encanta acudir a los podcasts para el bienestar. Arte y entretenimiento ocupa el cuarto lugar y Educación ocupa el quinto lugar, lo que demuestra que las personas recurren a los podcasts tanto para un descanso como para aprender.

Tendencias globales del streaming en 2020

Este año, también miramos más allá de los artistas, canciones, álbumes y podcasts individuales y nos sumergimos en las tendencias que dieron forma al streaming este año, las cosas que lo hicieron sonar tan diferente.

A medida que las personas comenzaron a distanciarse de las redes sociales, vimos un aumento en playlists con temas nostálgicos, playlists con temas de trabajo desde casa y en los oyentes que escuchan podcasts de bienestar.

También vimos cambios en la forma en que las personas escuchaban. Notamos un aumento en la escucha desde casa (a través de las playlists que crearon), así como en la cantidad de personas usando Spotify desde consolas de juegos.

Este también fue un año que exigió la amplificación de las voces de comunidades de color en canciones, playlists y podcasts, ya que personas de todo el mundo salieron a las calles para decir: Black Lives Matter.

2020 también estuvo lleno de descubrimientos a medida que más y más personas escucharon podcasts por primera vez.

¿Quieres conocer más sobre tendencias y los primeros lugares de las listas? Echa un vistazo a nuestras listas de los artistas, canciones, álbumes, grupos, y los podcasts más escuchados a continuación, y no te olvides de visitar el micrositio #MiSpotify2020 en los próximos días para ver tus favoritos personales y recibir una playlist basada en tus gustos.

Así que sin más preámbulos…

Unwrapping Wrapped 2019: Spotify VP of Engineering Tyson Singer Explains

February 18, 2020

As December 2019 drew near, people around the world were feeling excited—sure, for the holidays and the New Year—but also for Wrapped. For the past couple of years, Spotify has launched the elaborate end-of-year campaign showcasing the top songs, artists, albums, and, more recently, podcasts that users streamed the most throughout the year.

Last year’s Wrapped was no different, and with the dawn of a new decade, we also took a look back at the last 10 years of streaming.

But how was it all done? How were we able to deliver a seamless personalized experience for more than 200 million users across the globe around a decade’s worth of streaming data?

Well, we’re glad you asked.

For the Record’s Top Stories of 2019

December 23, 2019

It’s been quite a year for Spotify. At For the Record we captured it all—from major milestones and playlist launches to Q&As with the biggest names in the business—plus some “bonus tracks.” But we couldn’t have done it without you, our readers, and your never-ending curiosity. That’s why we’ve rounded up the stories that resonated most around the world in 2019—and make us excited for the year ahead.

Whether you caught them the first time around or are just joining us now, take a look at some of For the Record’s biggest hits.

Astrologer Chani Nicholas shared how music matches your horoscope

“What’s your sign?” Whether you love or hate the question, the cultural obsession made its mark this year. Astrology is no longer simply synonymous with bold predictions about love, fame, and fortune. Instead, it’s attracting more and more people who use horoscope readings as a way to reflect and find direction in their lives. Music can provide that same effect, and that’s why we worked with astrologer Chani Nicholas to create Cosmic Playlists. Check it out and see what’s in store.

CEO Daniel Ek wrote that we’re going “Audio-First”

Early this year, our CEO Daniel Ek explained our goal of becoming the world’s number one audio platform—and how that takes us beyond just music. He also announced the addition of podcasting companies Anchor and Gimlet to Spotify. Then, later in 2019, we shared the acquisition of Parcast. We are family.

We introduced Spotify Lite for our users around the world

We believe that music is meant to be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of network connectivity, data plan, or access to the latest phone. That’s why we introduced Spotify Lite earlier this year. Lite is a small, fast, and simplified version of our unparalleled music experience that works much like the main Spotify app. You can still search and play your favorite songs and artists, as well as save them, share with others, discover new music, and enjoy playlists made just for you. But it also includes a few extra features that make it ideal for older devices and operating systems. See if it’s available in your market.

We got hooked on two new personalized playlists: On Repeat and Repeat Rewind

This past fall, we released two more personalized discovery options into the mix of Discover Weekly and Release Radar: On Repeat and Repeat Rewind. These playlists let you listen to your favorite tracks from the past 30 days and the not-so-far-off past. They were stuck in your head then; they’ll get stuck in your head now.

We launched Spotify Kids: A new standalone app for the next generation of listeners

We’re committed to bringing audio content such as music and stories, to more people in more ways—including the next generation of listeners. That’s why we recently launched a fun standalone app designed with safety in mind specifically for kids and families. If you’re a Family Plan user, check it out for your little ones.

We revealed the top Songs, artists, playlists, and podcasts of 2019—and the last decade

As 2019 draws to a close, so too does a stellar year of streaming on Spotify. We dove into the newcomers, showstoppers, and top performers who united the globe with music and podcasts this year. And ahead of the brand-new decade, we also looked back on the last 10 years in music to reveal who dominated global listening. Take a look at the toppers—or check out your own Spotify Wrapped.

While the last decade has come and gone, there’s one thing we know for sure: if 2020 is anything like 2019, it’s going to be a good one. Stay tuned into the For the Record newsletter to stay up-to-date on all things Spotify in the year ahead.

What Elsa from ‘Frozen 2,’ Eleven from ‘Stranger Things,’ and Lyra from ‘His Dark Materials’ Streamed on Spotify This Year

December 12, 2019

Just last week, Spotify released our annual Wrapped campaign, giving hundreds of millions of users around the globe the ability to relive their year in listening. Fans, artists, and podcasters alike flooded social media with their stats, reactions, and reflections about what they (and their listeners) streamed in 2019. It dominated headlines and social feeds, creating a lot of buzz—and a lot of feelings.

So we thought: What if our favorite fictional characters had feelings [about their favorite music and podcasts] too?

Besides revealing everyone’s top song and artist of the decade as well as the year, we’re also sharing what we think some of everyone’s favorite fictional characters would have on their Wrapped cards. Too real? Take a look below.

Disney’s Frozen 2

We couldn’t let this one go…. Disney’s global hit film, Frozen 2, which was released November 22, brought back some beloved characters like royal sisters Anna and Elsa, lovable snowman Olaf, and rugged outdoorsman Kristoff. This crew’s adventures take them far beyond Arendelle, so you can bet they’d be playing pick-me-up songs and podcasts to help them stay strong as they venture into the unknown.

Spotify Wrapped 2019 Reveals Your Streaming Trends, from 2010 to Now

December 5, 2019

The 2010’s are coming to an end, and soon we’ll be living in a new iteration of the “roaring ’20s.” (Will jazz become the predominant genre again? Only time will tell.) Whether the past ten years feel like they’ve flown or crept by, you’ve surely experienced a decade’s worth of change and growth. You may even be reminiscing with pictures of how you and your loved ones have matured or “glowed-up” throughout the years. But what about your listening habits?

From 2010 to 2019, you’ve likely discovered new tunes and podcasts, fallen back in love with old favorites, and maybe even grown to enjoy a new genre or two. That’s why this year, we’re not only bringing back your annual personalized “Spotify Wrapped,” but we’re also showcasing our users’ listening throughout the last decade.

That means this year, your Wrapped will include the songs, albums, artists, and podcasts you discovered throughout 2019, plus the artists you streamed the most throughout the decade on Spotify. It’s “Wrapped” the way you love it—but with more nostalgia than ever before.

Plus this year, for the first time ever, you can view your Wrapped right when you log in to your Spotify app—or head to spotify.com/wrapped. Once you’re in, you’ll discover your top artist, top song through each season, top podcasts, genres, total minutes streamed in 2019.

This year, we’re also showing how global your listening is by highlighting where some of your top artists hail from on a world map. Spotify users who have been with us for at least two years will get a personalized recap highlighting their top artist and total minutes streamed throughout the decade, as well as top artist and song for each year. Then, relive your top tracks in a personalized playlist, or take a look at the most-streamed songs on Spotify this year and throughout the decade.

Spotify Premium users will even get to go a little deeper, with access to additional personalized data stories and insights about their year in listening that includes the number of artists they discovered and the top artist they discovered this year.

Premium and Free users alike can share the results with friends, family, and followers through Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat or Facebook with a personalized “2019 Wrapped” or “My Decade Wrapped” share card. These are complete with a summary of your top tracks, artists, and genre from their listening history on Spotify.

The Top Songs, Artists, Playlists, and Podcasts of 2019—and the Last Decade

December 3, 2019

As 2019 draws to a close, so too does a stellar year of streaming on Spotify. You may be reflecting back on the past 12 months, thinking about your own music discoveries and the songs you repeated over, and over, and over. (You’ll be able to check them out on your personal Wrapped cards later this week). We’re doing the same—but for the entire world.

We dove into the newcomers, showstoppers, and top performers who united the globe with music and podcasts this year. And ahead of the brand-new decade, we also looked back on the last 10 years in music to reveal who dominated global listening.

So, what did the world listen to in 2019?

This year, Post Malone claimed the spot of most-streamed artist with over 6.5 billion streams from fans around the globe. It’s the rapper-singer-songwriter’s first time topping Spotify’s Wrapped list, and he did it just 12 weeks after dropping his album Hollywood’s Bleeding (which also happens to be the second most-streamed album globally this year). His collaboration with Swae Lee on “Sunflower” from Spiderman: Into the Spiderverse rounded out the top three most-streamed songs of the year, which gives the artist a spot in each of our three major music categories (top artists, top songs, and top albums).

The second-most-streamed artist of the year is 17-year-old singer-songwriter and first time Grammy nominee Billie Eilish, who by now, definitely deserves that crown. In this year alone, she dropped her album WHEN WE ALL FALL ASLEEP, WHERE DO WE GO? and surpassed 6 billion streams. The album has proven to be the top-streamed release of 2019, marking a milestone—Billie is the first female artist to have her album top the Wrapped most-streamed album category. Her dark staccato hit “bad guy” also ranks as the second-most-streamed song of the year.

Finally, Ariana Grande released her immensely popular album thank u, next in February, propelling her to number three on Spotify’s list of most-streamed-artists globally. Her song “7 rings” was also in the top five most streamed this year, giving Ariana a strong two years in the top 10 of Spotify’s Wrapped list. Listeners also showed Taylor Swift lots of love, making her the year’s third top-streamed female artist after her album Lover generated popular tracks like “ME!” and “You Need to Calm Down.”

When it comes to the most-streamed female artist of the decade, Ariana once again takes the cake. Only tears of joy left to cry for this one. (And the top male artist? Last year’s Scorpion king, Drake.)

The year’s top song comes from the duo that took the Northern Hemisphere’s summer by storm: “Señorita” by Shawn Mendes and Camilla Cabello saw more than 1 billion streams. After “Señorita,” “bad guy,” “Sunflower,” and “7 rings,” the year’s fifth-most-streamed track came from Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus. They took their horse all the way to the front with “Old Town Road – Remix.”

This year was a big one for podcast growth on Spotify. There are now more than 500,000 podcast titles available, and our podcast audience has grown by more than 50% since the start of the year. We’ve also seen a 39% increase in podcast hours consumed by listeners quarter over quarter. People are clearly loving podcasts, tuning in the most to Spotify Original The Joe Budden Podcast with Rory and Mal, followed by My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark and Germany’s Gemischtes Hack. The most-streamed podcast genre of 2019 was comedy, showing that laughter is truly universal.

Take a look at some of the world’s top songs, artists, genres, and trends:

Can’t get enough of the chart toppers? Check out our lists of the top artists, songs, albums, groups, podcasts, and more below—and don’t forget to tune in later this week to the Wrapped microsite to see your personal favorites and receive a playlist based on your tastes. Plus, we’ve also created the ultimate Playlist of the Decade: the biggest songs of the past 10 years according to fan streaming.

So without further ado …

Spotify’s Global Top Lists 2019:

Most-Streamed Artists

Most-Streamed Female Artists

Most-Streamed Male Artists

Most-Streamed Tracks

Most-Streamed Albums

Most-Streamed Podcasts

Most-Streamed Spotify Original Podcasts

“A Decade Wrapped” Spotify’s Top Lists 2010–2019

Most-Streamed Artists of the Decade (Global)

Most-Streamed Female Artists of the Decade (Global)

Most-Streamed Male Artists of the Decade (Global)

Most-Streamed Tracks of the Decade (Global)

Click here to download the infographic.

To Our Listeners Around the World

January 1, 2019

Thank you.

Whether you were with us when we laid our roots in Stockholm or just started using Spotify from Cairo, you have helped to make this year an incredible one.

In 2018, over 200 million people—yes, you read that right: 200 million—across 78 markets worldwide used Spotify to listen to their favorite artists, albums, fan-made playlists, podcasts, and more. These fans and listeners tune in by the second and help us learn and grow.

And grow we have. In 2018 alone, we launched in seventeen new markets, including Israel, Romania, South Africa, and Vietnam, plus thirteen in the Middle East and North Africa (complete with a fully localized Arabic platform for our Arabic-speaking listeners). And there’s no sign of slowing in 2019. The opportunities ahead continue to be massive and exciting, and we look forward to continuing to engage with new listeners across generations and continents.

We could not have gotten here without the loyalty and passion of our listeners—you. So as you reflect on the top songs from your 2018 Wrapped or bring in 2019 to your favorite tune, know that we’re singing your praises every step of the way.

Toasting Spotify Wrapped 2018 at Our Influencer Lunch

December 14, 2018

What’s on your 2018 Spotify Wrapped? Our most recent campaign has been the talk of the town since we launched last week, and the celebrations don’t stop there. This afternoon, we continued to share the very best of 2018 listening and music discovery with a Wrapped campaign lunch for several music and culture influencers at the Little Owl Townhouse in NYC’s West Village.

But this wasn’t just any lunch: Festive drinks, delicious food, custom-made gifts, and an exclusive acoustic performance by a rising artist rounded the celebration.

Singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt

Throughout the afternoon, exclusive Wrapped intel was presented to guests by way of a few choice ideas. When checking their coats, guests received a card with a 2018 data point about coat check-themed songs and playlists. They also received a drink menu with the names of the best fan-made playlists about drinking at brunch.

While drinking, chatting, and sharing highlights from their personal Wrapped scorecards, each guest also viewed the best of 2018 Wrapped’s data points across the many mirrors in the room. Then, they sat back and relaxed during an exclusive acoustic performance from singer-songwriter Nina Nesbitt. Nina took to the spotlight to sing two of her original songs, “Colder” and “The Best You Had.”

“This song is a very special song,” Nina explained before launching into “Colder.” “It’s how everything kicked off for me—especially on Spotify. I wrote this at a time when I was unsigned and had no idea what I was going to do. I put it on Spotify and it really connected with people.”

“Earlier this year in London, in August, when it was actually boiling hot, I recorded this Spotify Single,” she continued while preparing for her third number, a cover of her Spotify Holiday Single, “O Holy Night.” But this performance was special. “I have a special surprise for you,” she teased.

The surprise: three gospel singers, who joined Nina onstage while she crooned the holiday classic.

Relive Your Year in Music With Spotify Wrapped 2018

December 6, 2018

From the first song you streamed at 12:01 a.m. on January 1 to the year’s hottest Spotify Single and everything in between, much of your year has been defined by what you listened to. Whether you celebrated your country’s football win with the sounds of “We Are the Champions,” or paid musical tribute to the legendary Aretha Franklin, your highs and lows are neatly recorded. So as you reflect on the past year, Spotify’s Wrapped is here to look back—and listen—with you.

Back by popular demand, Wrapped allows you to rediscover and share the music and podcasts that formed your personal soundtrack in 2018. Enter the site to enjoy a customized, interactive experience based on the music you’ve listened to this year.

For example, you can guess, then check, how many total minutes you streamed. Explore the number of new artists you discovered, your most-played songs and artists, and your top genres—and then share your results to your Instagram, Twitter and Facebook feeds with your personal Wrapped share card. Spotify Premium users will get to go a little deeper, with access to additional insights about their year in listening.

This year, we are also giving some Premium users a chance to take part in our global campaign by offering them the chance to see their share cards up in lights. If your Wrapped share card is worthy, submit it when prompted through the Wrapped site where it could be featured on billboards in key iconic locations around the world, including NYC’s Times Square, London’s Piccadilly Circus, and more.

Additionally, a number of our Premium fans within the U.S. received an exclusive early-access sneak peek of their Wrapped 2018 top artist in the form of a custom-made personalized puzzle. Once completed, the puzzle revealed whom they spent quality time with this year. Top artists included Halsey, Lana Del Rey, and others.

After previewing their Wrapped, users will also be able to enjoy Tastebreakers, a personalized playlist that introduces you to new music from genres and artists you don’t normally explore—but ones that your personal taste profile hints that you’ll like.

And the fun doesn’t stop there. With the launch of 2018 Artist Wrapped, we’re tipping our hats to artists too—giving them access to their own individualized Wrapped microsite. Artists and their teams can enjoy facts about fan listening throughout the year, including most popular songs by month, total fan hours streamed, how many fans they’ve gained this year, and more. By logging in to Spotify for Artists, any artist can discover how their music connected with fans across the globe—as long as they had music on Spotify and at least three listeners before October 31.

Who was your top artist of 2018? To find out, go to spotify.com/2018. The site is rolling out across markets in the coming days. Then, relive the best of your favorite artists and albums in a personalized playlist, or browse through the most-streamed songs and artists this year here.

Whether your top genre of 2018 was hip-hop, alternative rock, country, or ASMR, all we can say is: That’s a wrap.

*In all markets except the Middle East and North Africa