NEW YORK — Surprised by how many hours of show tunes you listened to this year? You’re not alone — seven in 10 Spotify users admit they’re too “embarrassed” to make their recent “Wrapped” results public.
According to a recent OnePoll survey, which polled 1,000 self-described Spotify users, 68 percent would feel awkward if they shared their entire Spotify Wrapped story for 2021. On the other hand, less than 20 percent say they wouldn’t feel any embarrassment at all.
First introduced in 2016, Spotify Wrapped is an annual marketing push for the popular music streaming service that presents users with a summary of their listening activity for the past year. In addition to the typical data on users’ most-played artists, genres, and songs, 2021’s offering also features an “Audio Aura,” wrapped up in an Instagram-friendly aesthetic blend of colors.
At the time of the survey, only one in four respondents had posted some of their Wrapped story to their own social media feeds. Another four in 10 were “planning” on sharing more in the near future – but not all of it of course.
Listeners with between 40,000 and 50,000 minutes of playtime recorded on the app were the most likely to feel awkward about their streaming habits (75%). Meanwhile, those with 10,000 minutes or less were the least embarrassed about their selections (55%).
Regardless of what their final playlists say about their listening habits, five in six people still look forward to their Spotify Wrapped report every year, particularly those logging more than 50,000 minutes each year (94%). In 2021, the average respondent listened to 26,637 minutes’ worth of content on Spotify – although men edged out women slightly with roughly 3,550 more minutes of listening time (28,184 vs. 24,634).
Gen X are the biggest Spotify users?
While Gen Z listeners (ages 18-24) clocked in over 10,000 more minutes than their eldest counterparts (ages 64+), Generation X actually listens to the most tunes. Users between the ages of 35 and 44 listened to 28,653 minutes on average this year.
Younger respondents were also more likely to admit that their Wrapped results felt accurate to their experience (94%) — followed, surprisingly, by 85 percent of baby boomers (ages 55-64). Overall, eight in 10 think their Spotify Wrapped story was pretty on the nose.
If you’re worried that your own results don’t feel cool enough to post, there’s always next year. The campaign has already inspired 81 percent of the poll to say they’re expanding their musical tastes in 2022.