The conclusion of November once held significance beyond the impending festive season and the frenzy of Black Friday shopping – it signaled the arrival of Spotify Wrapped. This annual presentation of users’ personalized listening data on the audio streaming platform premiered in 2015 as “Year in Music” and became a staple of the online sphere in the mid to late 2010s.
Traditionally, social media platforms like Instagram and X would overflow with visuals shared by Spotify users showcasing their music preferences from the past year. The popularity of this feature prompted rival platforms, such as Apple Music, to introduce their own versions in the late 2010s and early 2020s, albeit with less enthusiasm.
However, this year, the usual buzz surrounding Spotify Wrapped seems conspicuously absent. This lack of anticipation coincides with a challenging period for the streaming service, grappling with issues like artist compensation, AI-generated music, and controversial ICE recruitment ads.
In recent years, Spotify Wrapped stood out for its diverse features that encapsulated a user’s music habits through engaging visual representations like colorful auras and cityscapes. These features often went viral, inspiring memes that reverberated for weeks. Metrics such as total listening minutes, unique song count, and top artist fan percentages became points of pride. Additionally, the top song and album lists invoked nostalgia, creating a musical backdrop for memorable moments of the year.
However, the controversies of 2025 have cast a shadow on the streaming platform. Chief among them is the ongoing criticism of Spotify’s meager artist payouts. Earlier this year, Grammy-nominated songwriters protested Spotify’s decision to slash royalty rates, prompting some to boycott a Spotify awards event. Another contentious issue was the revelation of Spotify co-founder Daniel Ek’s involvement in a defense startup, leading to music artists withdrawing their content from the platform in protest.
Moreover, concerns about AI-generated music on Spotify gained traction following the rise of The Velvet Sundown, an AI-generated band that amassed over a million streams in a short span. While Spotify pledged to enhance AI protections for artists, users remained wary of the platform’s AI music practices.
The dissatisfaction culminated in some users’ decision to abandon Spotify, triggered by a series of high-profile lawsuits alleging deceptive practices, including accepting payment for playlist promotions and fraudulent stream manipulations benefiting certain artists. The platform’s controversial decision to run ICE recruitment ads further fueled the backlash, prompting calls for boycotts and subscription cancellations.
As Spotify Wrapped season approaches, sentiment among users and industry professionals reflects a disillusionment with the platform. The diminished enthusiasm for this year’s Spotify Wrapped signals a broader shift away from the platform due to its ethical and operational controversies. The discourse surrounding Spotify’s impact on artists and listeners has intensified, highlighting a growing awareness of the platform’s implications on music consumption and fandom.
