Spotify’s New Feature: How Listening Age is Calculated
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Spotify recently introduced an intriguing new feature as part of its 2025 Wrapped report – the concept of a person’s “listening age.” This addition to the annual Wrapped report has left many users astonished at the age suggested by their music taste. The popular music streaming service unveiled Wrapped on December 3, 2025, offering users a deep dive into their listening habits over the past year. Unlike previous years, the 2025 edition of Spotify Wrapped includes the innovative feature of listening age, sparking curiosity and surprise among users.
Listening age is a unique category introduced by Spotify in its Wrapped feature for 2025. This age is linked to a psychological concept known as the “reminiscence bump,” which highlights the tendency of individuals to feel most connected to music from their younger years. Users have shared on social media that their Spotify Wrapped listening ages ranged widely, from 16 to 92, often differing significantly from their actual age. This discrepancy has led many people to question how Spotify determines their listening age.
To calculate a user’s listening age, Spotify delves into the individual’s music interests compared to their age group. Rather than simply averaging the ages of their favourite artists or the release years of songs, Spotify takes a more nuanced approach. The platform analyses the release dates of all the songs a user listened to over the year, identifying a five-year span of music that the user engaged with more than their peers of the same age. This period is labelled as the user’s reminiscence bump, representing their formative music years between ages 16 and 21. For example, if a person is assigned a listening age of 30, it signifies that they gravitated towards music from the early 2010s.
In addition to the listening age category, Spotify Wrapped for 2025 includes a range of other features such as minutes listened, top songs, top podcasts, top artists, top genres, top albums, and fan leaderboard. Each user’s Wrapped report is unique, tailored to their listening preferences and habits. Notably, the minutes listened category accounts for all listening activity, even private mode sessions, while top artists are determined based on total minutes listened to an artist’s tracks. The fan leaderboard reveals where a user stands among an artist’s top listeners, providing insights into their music fandom.
Moreover, Spotify has introduced new elements this year, such as assessing a user’s emotional preferences through Your Club, which categorises music genres and moods, and a listening archive that showcases significant discovery, listening, and nostalgic days. These additions offer users a deeper understanding of their music consumption habits and emotional connections to different genres and tracks.
The 2025 Spotify Wrapped report generated significant buzz among users, with many exploring their listening age and reflecting on their music choices throughout the year. As users continue to engage with the platform and discover more about their listening habits, Spotify’s innovative approach to analysing user data sets it apart as a leading music streaming service focused on enhancing the listener experience. The introduction of listening age adds a personal touch to the annual Wrapped feature, prompting users to connect with their music in new and unexpected ways.
In conclusion, Spotify’s 2025 Wrapped feature has captivated users with its unique insights into their listening habits, particularly through the intriguing concept of listening age. By offering a detailed overview of a user’s music preferences and emotional connections to different genres, Spotify continues to innovate and provide a personalised music streaming experience for millions of users worldwide.