Spotify Users Express Disappointment in Underwhelming 2023 Wrapped Experience

After weeks of anticipation, some Spotify users are left feeling underwhelmed by the streamer’s personalized year-in-review feature, Spotify Wrapped. The disappointment is palpable, with many even going so far as to call it "boring" or a "flop."

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A Shift in Priorities: AI Podcast over Creative Data Stories

Chief among the complaints are that Spotify prioritized the inclusion of an AI podcast for Wrapped over the other creative and clever data stories that it typically offers. These stories have been a hallmark of the feature, allowing users to:

Identify their music personality
Match them to a town that shares their musical tastes
Describe their "audio aura"
Turn their listening history into a game they can share with friends

These features have become an integral part of the Wrapped experience, and many users feel that they were overlooked in favor of the AI podcast. Spotify’s decision to focus on the AI feature has left some feeling disappointed and disillusioned.

Lack of Detailed Stats and Excluded Features

Others are upset over the lack of more detailed stats and the exclusion of information they’ve come to expect, such as:

Top music genres
Top podcasts

Spotify’s failure to provide these details has led to a sense of disappointment among users, who feel that their Wrapped experience was lacking.

The #SpotifyWrapped2024 Hashtag: A Reflection of User Disappointment

A number of people are sharing their feedback alongside the #SpotifyWrapped2024 hashtag on X, where they’re describing this year’s annual review of their listening history as "boring," a "flop," "underwhelming," and a "disappointment." Although this hasn’t stopped people from sharing screenshots of their Wrapped, a scroll through the hashtag currently surfaces more complaints than accolades.

For example, one top post calling Wrapped a flop has over 108,000 likes. This shows just how widespread the disappointment is among Spotify users.

A Mixed Reception for the AI Podcast

The AI podcast itself had a mixed reception. Those who hadn’t come across Google’s NotebookLM before were impressed by the technology, while others expressed unease with the feature. Some even suggested that AI was to blame for the disappointing Wrapped experience.

Staffing Shortages and Overreliance on AI

A number of users connected their disappointment with Wrapped to Spotify’s earlier layoffs, guessing that this year’s downgrade had to do with the lack of staffing combined with an overreliance on AI. The company let go of 2,300 people in 2023, which CEO Daniel Ek said impacted day-to-day operations.

Conclusion

The disappointing experience of Spotify Wrapped 2024 highlights the importance of user feedback and engagement. By prioritizing creative data stories and providing detailed stats, Spotify can create a more satisfying and enjoyable experience for its users. The company must also address staffing shortages and find ways to incorporate AI in a way that complements human creativity.