Music streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube Music have released their annual year-end roundups, summarizing users' music preferences and habits in 2022.
These reports include personalized stats of top songs, artists, genres, podcasts, and listening time, as well as new features like the "music personality" on Spotify, "personal highlight reel" on Apple Music, and "music vibe" on YouTube Music.
The platforms hope to generate buzz and engage users through the sharing of these stats on social media.
However, some have criticized these features, pointing out how they ask users to do free marketing for the platforms.
- Spotify Wrapped, newly released on Wednesday 1 December, offers users personalized music stats, including the "music personality" feature, a Myers-Briggs-type system that assigns listeners one of 16 categories.
The new Wrapped also includes a breakdown of users' moods throughout the day, among other features.
(The Verge)
- Apple Music Replay, launched on Tuesday 30 November, compiles users' biggest songs into a personalized playlist based on their listening history, number of plays, genres, and time spent in categories.
The new Replay includes a personalized highlight reel and the ability to discover if you're among the top 100 fans of a particular artist or genre.
(CNET, The Independent)
- YouTube Music 2022 Recap, launched on Wednesday 1 December, highlights users' most-listened songs, artists, and playlists, includes a feature for identifying "music personality" types, and integrates with Google Photos.
Google will also show these music recaps via the main YouTube app on iOS and Android.
(The Verge)
- Some have criticized these features, such as Spotify Wrapped, for asking users to do free marketing for the platforms.
"Spotify doesn't pay musicians fairly.
And now it's asking us to do its marketing for free?" writes a The New Statesman article.
(The New Statesman)