Spotify’s Annual Wrapped Report Introduces ‘Listening Age’
Spotify has kicked off its annual tradition of sharing user data with the 2025 Wrapped report, and this year, the spotlight is on a new feature called ‘listening age.’ This concept reveals the age that corresponds to a user’s musical preferences, based on the songs they listen to the most.
As part of the Wrapped experience, Spotify summarizes users’ listening habits by showcasing their top songs and artists. The inclusion of the listening age has stirred conversations across social media platforms, where many users are sharing their assigned ages and the reactions they provoke.
In Canada, notable figures like Prime Minister Mark Carney and Conservative Deputy Leader Melissa Lantsman humorously engaged with their Spotify ages. Carney’s listening age was calculated at 44, despite being 60 in reality, while Lantsman proudly shared her Spotify age of 23, even though she is 41. This playful interaction reflects a broader trend among users who are embracing their listening ages, often attributing them to their children’s musical tastes.
The listening age is derived from a concept known as the ‘reminiscence bump,’ which suggests that people have a strong emotional connection to music from their formative years. Spotify’s approach involves analyzing a user’s listening history to identify a five-year span of music that resonates most with them, typically when they were between 16 and 21 years old. For instance, if someone listens predominantly to music from the late 1970s, their listening age might be suggested as 63, akin to those who grew up during that era.
Alongside this intriguing new feature, Spotify also released data on the top-streamed artists of 2025. Bad Bunny emerged as the most-streamed artist globally, racking up over 19.8 billion streams, followed closely by Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Drake, and Billie Eilish. Swift had previously held the top position for two consecutive years, while Bad Bunny had enjoyed a three-year reign starting in 2020.
In the Canadian market, the top five streamed artists consisted of Drake, Taylor Swift, Morgan Wallen, The Weeknd, and Kendrick Lamar. Spotify compiles this data from January 1 to mid-November, which means that holiday hits are not included in the year-end wrap-up.
To qualify for the Wrapped report, users must listen to at least 30 tracks for more than 30 seconds each. For artist rankings, listeners need to engage with five unique artists for a similar duration, while album rankings require at least 70 percent of an album’s tracks to be played.
This year’s Wrapped also introduces new features such as ‘Top Albums’ and a fan leaderboard, allowing users to see how they stack up against others in their favorite artists’ streams. Additionally, the ‘Wrapped Party’ feature offers an interactive avenue for users to compare their Wrapped experiences with friends on Spotify.
As Spotify continues to innovate and enhance user experience, the concept of listening age is likely to spark further discussions about music’s role in shaping our identities and connections over time. For more insights into the music industry, check out the RIAA.
Discover your own patterns and explore more about music industry trends with Spotify’s latest features.