After sparking backlash over its use of AI in last year’s Wrapped, Spotify is returning to a more human-centered approach for the 2025 edition.
Today (Dec. 3), Spotify unveiled the 11th iteration of Wrapped, its annual analysis of users’ listening habits. This year’s campaign blends classic features with new additions, including a retro-inspired design, a refreshed user experience, and immersive fan destinations around the world.
Over the past decade, Wrapped has evolved into a highly anticipated cultural event and Spotify’s biggest marketing moment of the year.
Last year, however, the company faced criticism from users for leaning too heavily on generative AI and removing some popular elements, like top genres, from the experience.
This time around, “We were aware of the AI criticism and went the other way,” Jeremy Wirth, Spotify’s global head of creative, told ADWEEK.
That shift included revamping Wrapped’s visual identity from what Wirth described as previously “bright, super slick, and digital” into a design inspired by the way people used to share music before streaming: the mix-tape culture of the 1990s and early 2000s.
“We wanted something that felt more handmade and a bit more messy by design… to feel fresh and human,” Wirth said.
Spotify also updated the user experience with new features that capture people’s personalized listening habits, including listening age, top albums, a top song quiz, a fan leaderboard that ranks users among top artists’ listeners worldwide, and Clubs that represent communities of listening styles.
The only AI-powered part of Wrapped is the listening archive, which offers personalized snapshots of users’ most memorable streaming days.
A major new addition is Wrapped Party, an interactive feature that lets hosts invite up to nine friends to compare listening stats via a live competition.
