Spotify has quietly begun rolling out a much-anticipated feature: in-app listening statistics that allow users to track their top songs, artists and listening trends throughout the year. According to reports, the feature is framed as a “live Wrapped” experience giving fans insight into their music habits in real time, instead of waiting until the end of the year.

Previously, users would get a yearly recap via Spotify Wrapped, but little visibility inside the app about how their taste is evolving throughout the year. Now, with this update, users will be able to see how often they listened to specific artists, what tracks they returned to, and how their preferences changed across weeks or months. The shift points to Spotify’s broader strategy of deeper personalization and engagement.

For the average listener, the benefits are clear. Understanding one’s listening habits can be fun (e.g., “I have played this one song 300 times”) and can spark fresh listening behaviour (e.g., rediscovering a forgotten artist, or deciding to diversify what one plays). It also enables users to share insights about their listening with friends, fueling social engagement around music identity.

For creators and industry players, the implications are equally significant. If users are more aware of their listening patterns, artists and labels may lean into strategies that encourage deeper engagement rather than just fleeting streams. Repeat listens, playlist loyalty and fan-behaviour may become even more important metrics. While Spotify has not said that this feature directly affects royalty calculations, increased user engagement is likely to benefit creators in the long run.

Of course, rolling out a “live stats” feature is not without challenges. Some users may feel that constant visibility of listening data affects how organically they enjoy music knowing you’re being “tracked” might change behaviour. Additionally, if the feature is only available in select markets initially (as many roll-outs are), users in other regions may feel left behind. From a privacy and data-use perspective, Spotify will need to continue being transparent about how listening data is handled.

It is also worth noting that this update fits into a pattern of recent Spotify feature releases focused on user-control and deeper insight. Earlier this year the company introduced more advanced user controls and filters, and not long ago added enhanced podcast metrics for users and creators.

Spotify’s in-app listening stats feature is a smart evolution in the streaming experience. It bridges the gap between annual retrospective features and real-time listening behaviour, giving users a stronger sense of ownership and insight into their own music habits. For artists and labels, it signals that user attention is becoming as valuable as raw stream numbers. If adopted broadly, this could shift how we think about music consumption, fan-engagement, and even the journey of a song.