Along with Christmas music, midterms and colder weather, the start of December also means that Spotify Wrapped is out. Since 2016, Spotify has released a yearly wrap for its users, essentially a summary that shows listeners their most listened-to songs, artists, and genres over the past year. Apple Music, on the other hand, has finally caught up and now provides a brief yearly highlight for its users as well. However, I will always be a proud Spotify user, especially because of Spotify Wrapped.

According to MobileSyrup, “In an effort to capture some Spotify Wrapped’s magic, Apple launched an algorithmically generated top songs playlist called ‘Replay’ in 2019.” This means essentially, Apple Music is copying Spotify with this feature due to the amount of audience it attracts in the past and present.

Spotify Wrapped is customized to your listening preferences, compared to other music platforms that just provide you with a generic list of the most popular songs or artists. They also offer you a thorough analysis of the music you’ve heard over the course of the year and even show how your listening preferences have changed over time. This personalized approach makes it easier to find new music that you are likely to enjoy, rather than being stuck with generic recommendations based on the general public.

Additionally, Spotify Wrapped allows users to compare their listening habits with their friends. My friends and I are the biggest music enthusiasts and every year, we would sit in a circle to open our Wrapped together to compare our results. With Spotify Wrapped, I’m able to see how my music taste differs from my peers and maybe even get recommendations from them. Not to mention, Spotify allows you to create and share collaborative playlists, which is a feature Apple Music still doesn’t have.

Now you might argue that you can get most of these features with Apple Music now that they have yearly listening ‘highlights,’ Spotify is still able to take a creative spin with Wrapped, making it interesting and unique every year. This year, you are able to see ‘your listening personality’ and ‘your audio day,’ where Spotify assigns you one out of the sixteen available personalities based on your listening habits, as well as how your music taste evolved throughout the day. My favorite throughout all the years though would have to be 2021, especially with the listening aura. Although Wrapped definitely disappointed me more this year, I can guarantee you that I screamed in the middle of class when I saw that it had come out.

While both platforms are available across most devices, there is a clear distinction between the two, with Spotify being widely accessible to both Apple and Android users. Spotify Wrapped is one of the best features available with Spotify, as they encourage you to discover new music by almost giving each user a ‘personalized plan.’ Having been a loyal Spotify user since 2017 (when I first got my phone), I find it really entertaining that I can still listen to my top 20 songs from that year with the click of a button. Whether you’re an avid music enthusiast or just a casual listener, Spotify Wrapped will enhance your listening experience and make it more enjoyable.