Apple Music Replay has finally arrived as Apple‘s response to Spotify Wrapped, but it still can’t quite compete with the personalized experience offered by Spotify for reviewing one’s own musical year. Apple Music Replay will show you your songs, albums, artists, genres, and other information about your listening history in 2023.
Nonetheless, compared to Spotify Wrapped, Apple’s offering lacks the creation of unique and shared experiences like Spotify Aura Audio or the ‘Your Personal Listening’ function in 2022. These types of features engage listeners’ interest in how they stack up against other Spotify users and the curiosity to see how they compare. They are also designed for social sharing; for example, last year’s ‘Listening Personalities’ could be shared on Instagram Stories or sent to friends. They are captivating, entertaining, and follow cultural trends.
The Differences Between Apple Music Replay and Spotify Wrapped
Apple Music Replay relies on standard metrics instead of offering original functionalities like Spotify does each year. Thus, Apple Music users can discover if they are among the top 100 listeners of their favorite artist or genre and can check the year-end charts that offer few surprises. (For instance, Taylor Swift was the ‘Artist of the Year’ on Apple Music). The data from the charts highlight the songs most popular on Apple Music and Shazam, and for the first time, the songs that had the most success on Apple Music Sing, Apple’s karaoke function.
Users also receive their personal chart of the top 100 songs each year which qualifies them with their Replay playlist. Unlike Wrapped, which offers a more temporary snapshot designed for social media buzz for a certain period, Apple Music users can access Replay throughout the year.
To access Replay, users must log in at replay.music.apple.com with their Apple ID used for Apple Music. Although Apple’s insights are optimized for sharing on their social channels or via messaging, they are not as dynamic, artistic, or original as the functionalities that Spotify promotes each year, which vary annually, leaving users curious about what the next Wrapped will offer.
Still, it should be noted that Apple Music Replay has just arrived ahead of Spotify, evidently trying to preempt the social sharing tied to music in 2023.
How Does Apple Music Replay Work?
To use Apple Music Replay, you just need to go to the official website and log in with your Apple Music ID. Once logged in, you will immediately be redirected to your own Replay page that showcases a recap of the songs, albums, artists, and genres you listened to over the year. Moreover, you can view the rankings of the top 100 songs of each year in which you have qualified with the Replay playlist.
Apple Music Replay also allows you to listen to Replay playlists from previous years, enabling users to relive their favorite musical moments over the years.
Unlike Spotify Wrapped which is available only for a limited time, Apple Music Replay is accessible all year round, allowing users to revisit their favorite songs at almost any moment.
Differences Between Apple Music Replay and Spotify Wrapped
Apple Music Replay
- Shows your most-listened-to songs, albums, artists, and genres throughout the year
- Enables you to find out if you’re among the top 100 listeners of an artist or genre
- Provides year-end charts with the most popular songs on Apple Music and Shazam
- Supplies the ranking of the top 100 songs of each year which qualifies your Replay playlist
- Accessible throughout the year
Spotify Wrapped
- Displays your most-listened-to songs, artists, albums, and genres for the year
- Offers personalized playlists based on your musical tastes
- Facilitates sharing listening statistics on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, and other social media platforms
- Provides a personalized overview of your musical year with graphics and infographics
- Available only for a limited period of time