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Strategy

Spotify Adds Merch to Popular Wrapped Campaign

The streaming service shares end-of-year listening data; this year, users’ list of top artists will include links to online merch stores.

Spotify’s popular Wrapped campaign has an added dose of merch this year, in another example of the important roles promo products and e-commerce play in music. For the fifth year in a row, the music streaming service is sharing personalized listening data for the past year with its customers.

Smartphone with apps

As part of the annual tradition, users will share their top songs and other stats under the hashtag #SpotifyWrapped, sometimes with pride, sometimes a bit sheepishly, depending on how many guilty pleasures made the cut.

Now that Spotify has integrated with e-commerce platform Shopify, a change that occurred in October, merch opportunities are being incorporated into the Wrapped rollout. This month Spotify is sending out emails to individual customers, listing their top artists of the year as well as links to the performers’ virtual merch tables.

“Wrapped has become this cultural moment that is charged in a really positive way,” Brendan Codey, associated director for creator growth and programs at Spotify, told Newsweek. “Artists and fans take the opportunity to thank each other for the year, and they have these really beautiful interactions on social media. This is just a continuation of that.”

He added: “We’re thinking about different ways to include products and features that foster different kinds of connections. You’ll be able to support your favorite artists on Spotify, in a way that goes beyond simply listening to their music.”

The shopping links will only be available for artists who have already connected their Shopify accounts with the streaming service and who have at least one merch item listed on their page, according to Spotify.