Music streaming platform Spotify has highlighted white noise tracks in its personalised end-of-year playlists, inadvertently dunking on thousands of very tired subscribers.
[jwplayer oTUtyuBC]
Spotify’s Wrapped feature, which went live Thursday afternoon, collates the tracks and artists each user listened to the most over 2019 – and over the past decade.
The feature automatically bundles each user’s favourite tunes into new playlists, allowing folks to reminisce over the music they loved the most.
For most subscribers, Wrapped presents a fun, data-driven look at their musical taste. Countless users have shared their bespoke playlists online, sparking discussions about all the really, really good tunes to have emerged from the 2010s.
But Spotify also holds a wealth of white noise and static tracks. This presents an issue for light sleepers, who turn to clips like Brown Noise Baby Sleep Aid or Fan Noise for Sleep ASMR [Loopable] in their quest for rest.
For those unlucky souls, Spotify Wrapped is a reminder that a nondescript hum could technically be their favourite song of the year.
MY TOP SONG IS DEADASS A WHITE NOISE MACHINE. I SWITCHED FROM APPLE MUSIC TO SPOTIFY FOR THIS!? pic.twitter.com/LWS7XY6u7W
— jesse poo poo (@jessicuhjeffers) December 5, 2019
I’m losing my mind. My inabability to fall asleep without white noise has ruined! My Spotify wrapped pic.twitter.com/yGa3g4q0gu
— pussy mullet (@lilgreenghoul) December 5, 2019
https://twitter.com/burningwiIdfire/status/1202643613773160450
LOL my top song from Spotify was my oscillating fan noise I sleep with pic.twitter.com/JhLM7hnaV0
— Kyle Davidson (@_KyMilo_) December 5, 2019
https://twitter.com/Cushwagon/status/1202688266752802816
LOL my top song from Spotify was my oscillating fan noise I sleep with pic.twitter.com/JhLM7hnaV0
— Kyle Davidson (@_KyMilo_) December 5, 2019
At least one user was also told by Spotify that their favourite artist is Sheikh Mishary Rashid Alfasay, whose presence on the streaming platform consists of recitations from the Quran.
In all fairness, though: he has a nice voice.
I’M CRYING I PUT ON THE QURAN WHEN I SLEEP AND FKCKKSKFKDKD “you really vibed with..” SPOTIFY SAYING I REALLY VIBED WITH THE QURAN😭😭 pic.twitter.com/BoS1R37zgR
— 💌 (@99sensh) December 5, 2019
Whether Spotify sequesters white noise or spoken-word tracks into separate categories, like it does with dedicated podcasts, is yet to be seen.
Until then, spare a thought for the poor souls whose end-of-year playlists were hijacked by artificial tinnitus.
