The news: This year’s Spotify Wrapped went out with fewer hitches than its underwhelming 2024 edition, but it now competes directly with recap offerings emerging from rivals like Amazon, YouTube, and Apple.

• Amazon Music’s 2025 Delivered spotlights top artists, songs, and genres, along with audiobook and podcast listening. Alexa users can also see the song they most frequently asked their device to play.
• YouTube’s Wrapped imitation surfaces users’ notable viewing habits over the past year, including data on top channels and changes in interests over time.
• Apple Music Replay similarly highlights top tracks, artists, and albums, as well as insights on listening behavior such as new artists discovered and most revisited artists.

Wrapped-style roundups have become cultural elements—shareable, identity-driven moments that make passive listening a form of social currency. As competitors replicate the format, the concept is shifting from a Spotify differentiator to a baseline expectation across streaming platforms.

The challenge: Spotify is facing some backlash over its royalty-sharing systems and fraudulent genAI content. Brand perception has also taken a hit due to controversies over investments made by CEO Daniel Ek and Spotify hosting recruitment ads for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), per SF Gate.

While Spotify’s brand strength remains high, rivals could seize an opportunity to differentiate on artist payouts and trust. We expect Spotify to reach 114.4 million US listeners in 2026, more than twice as many than any other audio-first platform.

Looking ahead: Year-end data storytelling is no longer unique to Spotify, pushing the platform to evolve in other areas to maintain its edge.

As recap features become table stakes, the next competition may be around deeper personalization and creator alignment. This could include year-round recap hooks that let users share daily listening in mini-Wrapped moments, rather than once-a-year dumps.

What marketers can do: Brands could enter the space by creating their own Wrapped summaries, turning purchase behavior, sponsored influencer posts, or product usage into shareable moments.

For example, Wrapped summaries for clothing retail brands could provide outfit recommendations based on past purchases and suggest additional items that could improve looks, turning wrap-ups into shoppable moments.