Spotify Reveals Your ‘Listening Age’ – And It’s More Than Just a Fun Fact
Stockholm, Sweden – December 4, 2023, 17:45:14 CET – Spotify is rolling out a new feature called “Listening Age” to users worldwide, offering a personalized metric that estimates how open-minded a listener is to different genres and artists. The feature, accessible through a dedicated page, assigns users an age ranging from “musical toddler” to “musical veteran,” based on their listening habits over the past six months.
The launch comes as spotify seeks to deepen user engagement and provide more tailored music recommendations. While seemingly lighthearted, Listening Age offers insights into a user’s musical exploration – or lack thereof – and could influence the algorithms that curate their Discover Weekly and Release Radar playlists. The feature is generating significant buzz on social media, with users sharing their results and debating the accuracy of Spotify’s assessment.
Spotify calculates Listening Age by analyzing the diversity of music a user listens to. According to a Spotify newsroom post, the algorithm considers over 2,000 genres, evaluating both popular and niche artists. Users who primarily stick to mainstream hits will likely receive a younger Listening Age, while those who actively explore a wide range of musical styles will be deemed more musically mature.
“The more varied your tastes, the older your Listening Age will be,” Spotify explains. “If you only listen to what’s popular, your Listening Age will be lower.” The feature isn’t about judging musical taste, but rather quantifying the breadth of a user’s sonic palette.
The rollout of Listening Age follows Spotify’s continued investment in personalization features, including AI DJ and enhanced playlist creation tools. the company faces increasing competition from other streaming services like Apple Music and Amazon Music, and features like Listening Age are intended to differentiate Spotify and foster user loyalty. Users can access their Listening Age by visiting https://listeningage.byspotify.com/.
