Spotify users disappointed with ‘worst’ 2024 wrapped features and delays
Spotify users are unhappy with this year's Wrapped, citing delayed release, fewer features, and lack of top genres and albums.
Spotify users expressed their disappointment towards Spotify Wrapped 2024 as they found the look and feel cheaper this time, and the streaming service has also shed a number of features and has not provided granular data like its competitor Apple Music and YouTube Music.
One of the main complaints was the lack of users ‘ preferred genres, which were presented in the Spotify Wrapped system in previous years but not in 2024. Nevertheless, relative to those options, and peculiarly to Apple Music, which states users’ most played albums and offers an exhaustive analysis of their listening habits, Spotify did not include the users’ top albums, a feature that was absent for several years.
This year’s new features included an AI-generated podcast that analyzed users’ listening habits and a “music evolution” tool, which described listening trends throughout the year with phrases like “Pink Pilates Princess Strut Pop” and “Surf Crush Beach Reggae.”
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Spotify's delayed release further added to the discontent
Spotify Wrapped dropped on December 4, the latest it has been in years, compared to late November in 2022 and 2023 and December 1 in previous years.
Social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and X were flooded with comments about the lackluster presentation. Like user wrote, “so boring this year. Was expecting something interesting,” while another added, “we need top albums and genres,” claiming that Apple Music’s replay feature outshined Spotify’s Wrapped. A TikTok video criticizing the release received over 353,000 likes, with the creator stating, “this was actually one of Spotify’s worst wraps. Like it’s so obviously AI. They couldn’t even bother to include top genre like they have for YEARS.”
Spotify Wrapped has previously introduced popular features like “listening auras” and “sound town,” which assigned users a city based on their music preferences. These features often went viral and were celebrated by users. This year’s release, however, failed to capture the same excitement, leaving fans disappointed.
Taylor Swift emerged as Spotify’s most-streamed artist for 2024, with her album The Tortured Poets Department ranking as the year’s biggest album. Sabrina Carpenter’s Espresso became the most-streamed song, while Joe Rogan retained his spot as the platform’s top podcaster.