Spotify Wrapped: A Look at the Experience for Undiscovered Artists

As the eagerly anticipated Spotify Wrapped season approaches, users are preparing to revisit their top tunes and most-played artists of the year. Though the exact release date is yet to be announced, Wrapped is expected to arrive within weeks. Ahead of the launch, Spotify has urged users to update their apps to ensure they don’t miss out on this annual music recap.

For artists, however, Spotify Wrapped is a double-edged sword. Many musicians place significant emphasis on their Wrapped results, seeing high streaming numbers as markers of success. This emphasis on metrics can impact both their creative processes and mental well-being. A culture that equates streaming numbers with self-worth may be damaging for artists, who often face immense pressure to deliver high numbers each year.

This focus on data is further complicated by concerns about authenticity. According to the Financial Times, some industry executives estimate that up to 10% of Spotify streams are artificially inflated or “fake,” suggesting that streaming figures may not always represent genuine listener engagement. For artists, this can distort a true picture of success, potentially affecting their self-esteem and placing undue focus on figures that may not accurately reflect their work’s reach or impact.