Spotify’s Wrapped Is More Than a Popularity Contest

The Chart Toppers

Spotify (SPOT) released its year-end data as part of its latest “Wrapped” campaign, publicizing the content with the most streams throughout 2022.

The most popular podcast was Joe Rogan’s The Joe Rogan Experience. This was despite considerable controversy it ignited over the past 12 months, causing some artists to pull their catalog from Spotify in response to Rogan’s published views on the COVID-19 pandemic.

Two artists who notably did not flee the platform were Puerto Rican hip hop star Bad Bunny and British pop crooner Harry Styles, formerly of One Direction fame. Bad Bunny was the most streamed artist overall, as well as the artist behind the most streamed album. Meanwhile, Harry Styles’ “As It Was” streamed more times than any other song.

Peoples’ Preferences

As streaming music has entered the mainstream, Spotify’s year-end data has taken on heightened importance for the industry. It provides a snapshot look at the most popular acts, much like radio ratings and CD sales did not so long ago. Spotify reported 456 million active monthly users as of October, making it one of the most popular music streaming platforms.

Spotify has published this annual data every year since 2016. The company didn’t specify the exact dates that were analyzed, other than that it was from January and early November. Competitors Apple Music (AAPL) and YouTube (GOOGL) also produce similar reports.

Share It on Social

The “Wrapped” campaign is a creative way for Spotify to give its top content producers some credit. It’s also an opportunity for the company to celebrate itself and grow its brand awareness, as it shares the campaign across channels, including billboards, posters, and social media.

All users are sent their personal listening data, and many share it themselves to sites like Facebook (META) and Twitter — in a sense, turning Spotify fans and listeners into Spotify marketers.

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