Spotify Wrapped is 'almost here': Update the app to get the full experience, platform says

It's that wonderful time of year again! The air is chilly and holiday shopping is in full swing, which only means one thing: your friends are about to post nothing but screenshots of their Spotify Wrapped.

But they need to make sure their app is up to date before they do.

"Wrapped is almost here," the company said in a news release posted Nov. 27. "And one of the keys to getting the best Wrapped experience is making sure your Spotify app is up-to-date."

So, brace yourself. It's the one day of the year when the people who never post to their Instagram stories actually do. And, who knows, maybe you'll find out that one of your really cool friends is actually super into yodeling and lo-fi jazz.

But, before anyone's results can be screenshotted and blasted all over the internet, they need to make sure their app is up to date to give them the best possible experience, according to a press release from Spotify.

What is Spotify Wrapped?

Spotify has quite a few interesting features, like an AI DJ or an ever-changing, autogenerated "daylist" with odd names (like "jazz house brain food monday early morning"), which reflects the kind of music a person listens to during specific times of the day.

But, by far, the feature that has social media buzzing every year is Spotify Wrapped.

Typically between November and December, the streaming platform creates a presentation of a user's most streamed songs, podcasts and artists to share on social media. Spotify also creates a playlist with a user's 100 most streamed songs, ordered from most to least played.

The campaign also shares quirky data-driven facts about their listening habits, including what color their music aura is, what region their taste is similar to and whether they're in the top 1% of Bad Bunny listeners.

Spotify will create a presentation for each user that shows their own personal listening trends. How many times did they listen to Sabrina Carpenter's album "Short n' Sweet?" Or did they have Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande's rendition of "Defying Gravity" from the "Wicked" movie on repeat?

If you listened to Laufey for 30,000 minutes, your Spotify Wrapped will tell you and maybe ask if you're ok (just kidding, no one who listens to that much Laufey is ok.)

So, this one unique feature people go gaga over every year lets them know everything they need to know about their 2024 music preferences, including if they're one of Lady Gaga's top 0.05% of listeners.

When does Spotify Wrapped come out?

Spotify has yet to announce when its 2024 Wrapped will drop, but in previous years it's been released in late November or early December.

Over the past few years, Spotify has bumped up the Wrapped release date.

When did Wrapped come out in prior years?

Last year's Wrapped dropped on Nov. 29, while in 2022 it was released on Nov. 30. In 2021 and 2020, it was released on Dec. 1. In 2019, it was Dec. 5, and in 2018 it dropped on Dec. 6.

Who should update their Spotify?

People who don't have automatic updates turned on in their phone may not be getting the latest updates on their devices.

The most up-to-date version of Spotify is Version 8.9.94, which came out around the end of November.

How to tell if Spotify is updated on your device

To check if the app is updated, iPhone users should visit the App Store, and Android users should open the Google Play Store and then search for Spotify.

If you don't have the latest version, there will be an option to update the app in the store. Hit that update button, and you will be set.

If your app is already up-to-date, you will only be given the option to open it. Nothing further is required, and all you have to do is listen to your music and wait for Wrapped to be released.

Why do I need to update Spotify?

Users who do not have the most current version of the app may miss out on a "fully optimized Wrapped experience," Spotify said in their press release.

"If your phone isn’t set to update the app automatically and you haven’t manually updated it in a while, you may be missing out on some pretty great features," according to the music-sharing company.

Without updating your app, you also may not be able to integrate social media apps, like TikTok or Instagram, with your listening experience.

How to check your Spotify Wrapped

When Spotify Wrapped 2024 releases, users can see their results when they open the app, as long as no updates are pending.

What does Spotify Wrapped show?

Established in 2016, Spotify Wrapped is an annual campaign that combines Spotify listening data into an interactive display of the music the user listened to the most.

Typically, Spotify Wrapped displays a user's top songs, artists and genres. Users are encouraged to share their Spotify Wrapped on social media.

User data is collected from Jan. 1 through the fall of that same year to produce a user's Spotify Wrapped.

Is Spotify still tracking for Wrapped?

Users have long speculated that the service only tracks data between Jan. 1 to Oct. 31. However, Spotify has debunked that theory, confirming that it continues to track listening habits for its annual Spotify Wrapped past Halloween.

How to see previous years' Spotify Wrapped playlists

Spotify users can find their previous Spotify Wrapped playlists, showing their 100 most streamed songs of the year, through the platform's search engine.

However, the Wrapped presentation sharing annual statistics is only available to users for around a month.

Contributing: Greta Cross

Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. You can connect with her on LinkedIn, follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: When is Spotify Wrapped 2024? It's 'almost here,' company says