It’s that time of year — Spotify Wrapped and Apple Music Replay are here! These popular features give users a personalized reel of their top songs, artists and podcasts as the year draws to a close. Beyond the personalized stats, however, the platforms have also unveiled the year’s biggest trends and new features.
Top songs and artists of 2024
Spotify Wrapped spotlighted Sabrina Carpenter’s hit single “Espresso,” which topped the U.S. songs list. Over on Apple Music Replay, Kendrick Lamar’s diss track “Not Like Us” –– aimed at rapper Drake –– claimed the most-played song of the year.
Podcasts were also in the spotlight. “The Joe Rogan Experience” ranked as Spotify’s top podcast globally and in the U.S., while Taylor Swift ruled the music charts. For the second year in a row, Swift became Spotify’s top global artist, with over 26 billion streams worldwide. Her album, “The Tortured Poets Department,” was a major factor in securing her the top spot.
Female artists dominate
Women made waves this year, with female artists claiming eight of the 10 spots on Spotify’s most-streamed albums globally. Swift also reigned supreme on Apple Music Replay, earning the platform’s top artist and top album honors. The singer thanked her fans on social media for their support.
Country and crossovers
Country music saw a significant crossover, with artists like Post Malone, Lana Del Rey and Beyoncé bringing the genre into new spaces. These trends show the evolving music tastes of listeners in 2024.
Spotify’s new AI-powered features
This year, Spotify introduced new AI features to enhance the Wrapped experience.
- AI-powered podcast: This premium-only feature personalizes a podcast experience based on a user’s top songs, artists and podcasts.
- AI DJ: A fan-favorite, the AI DJ provides expert commentary on a user’s year in music and is now available in Spanish.
- AI playlist creator: Premium users can now generate personalized playlists based on prompts like “my top five genres.”
Audiobook ranking debut
For the first time, Spotify revealed its top global audiobooks list. After launching 15 free hours of audiobook listening for premium subscribers last year, the feature has gained traction. Author Sarah J. Maas dominated the list, with three spots in the top 10 thanks to her viral popularity on TikTok.
