Starting in 2016 as a marketing campaign to attract users to their unique platform, Spotify Wrapped has made an impression on the music streaming industry and social media. Wrapped is released each year in the first week of December to Spotify’s members — going over the statistics and details of their individual listening history in that year. It will rank the user’s top artists, songs, and genres, as well as the moods that have reflected their song choices over the year. 

The 2021 rendition of Spotify Wrapped was released this Tuesday and received its usual burst of social media response. Many students at MHS have posted pictures of their Wrapped to social media platforms like Instagram and Snapchat, and in doing so, are promoting Spotify’s brand for free.

This promotion has contributed to the company’s massive success in both the music streaming and social media industries alike. Unlike other platforms on the market, Spotify is centered around the idea of sharing your music. The platform allows a “friends’ list” so users can see what their friends are listening to, as well as a liking system that may attract others to a user’s playlists. These social aspects have allowed Spotify to really take off in the last decade and Wrapped creates a perfect opportunity to further promote the brand.

Spotify is now the world’s largest music streaming service and the hub for mainstream music releases, with 30% of the market shares by revenue in the first quarter of 2020 (via Counterpoint Technology Market Research). Competing with companies like Apple, Amazon, and Youtube in an aggressive market relying on constant innovation, Spotify’s incomparable social media presence has allowed them firm control over the music streaming industry.