This took me a few hours to write and think, please Spotify, consider this.
My concept
Create a permanent, all-time Top 100 Listeners Leaderboard for every artist on Spotify, showing the 100 users who have listened to that artist the most since the artist was added to the platform. This would be publicly visible and accessible to all users.
Why this is brilliant
Spotify Wrapped 2025 includes a "Fan Leaderboard" feature that shows where you rank among listeners of your favorite artists globally. However, this resets annually and is only visible during Wrapped season (December)...
Spotify data shows super listeners (your most loyal fans) make up only 2% of monthly listeners BUT drive 18% of all streams. They usually spend $113/month on music and concerts and are 9x more likely to share music with their network. A permanent leaderboard would recognise and celebrate these users.
Key benefits
For Users (Listeners) : Super fans get bragging rights, their loyalty is publicly celebrated, users have ongoing motivation to listen and climb the rankings, fans connect through shared love of the same artist, they discover each other, users can post their ranking on TikTok, Instagram, Twitter (as for Wrapped).
For Artists : See exactly who their most dedicated listeners are (names, usernames, listening patterns), identify top supporters for exclusive content deals, meet-and-greets, or VIP experiences, top listeners become brand ambassadors, they naturally promote the artist, artists could message/thank their top 100 listeners, building deeper relationships
For Spotify (Business) : Leaderboards drive repeated app opens, users check their ranking regularly, competitive drive increases total listening hours across the platform, users may upgrade to Premium for ranking visibility or special leaderboard features, users will naturally share rankings on social media (= organic marketing during the whole year).
How it would work
Spotify already collect these informations, so they already have everything.
Each Artist Profile → "Top 100 Listeners" Tab
Rank #1: [Username] | 45,000 lifetime streams
Rank #2: [Username] | 42,300 lifetime streams
Rank #3: [Username] | 38,900 lifetime streams
... (continues to #100)
What the leaderboard would show : Your rank globally (among all listeners of that artist), your total all-time streams of that artist
User Experience : On the artist page, a new tab "Top 100 Listeners" appears alongside "About," "Playlists," "Shows". For personal view, your own ranking shows with a badge "you're #47 out of 10M listeners of [X]". Also you could receive milestone notifications when you reach top 100, top 50, top 10 for an artist. Then it could also be a share feature, "Share my ranking" on TikTok/Instagram/Twitter with custom graphic. Also a leaderboard badge, users would get a profile badge showing their highest-ranked position (e.g., "Top 10 of Travis Scott").
Competitive advantages vs. current solutions
| Feature | My Idea | Spotify's Current Wrapped | Other Apps |
| Year-round availability | Always accessible | December only | Varies but some always accessible |
| Per-artist ranking | Every artist gets one | Only top 5 artists shown | Limited |
| Permanent record | All-time history | Resets annually | Mixed |
| Social Sharing | Designed for it | Yes but seasonal | Limited |
| Community Discovery | Find other super fans | Not integrated | Rare but on Soundcloud yes |
| Artist Visibility | Direct access to top fans | No artist access | Varies but on Soundcloud yes |
Potential concerns
Q: Won't this create toxic competition or harassment ?
A: No. Implement privacy controls, users can opt to make their ranking private/hidden.
+ Artists/labels typically don't interact negatively, they celebrate fans.
Q: Doesn't this already exist ?
A: Partially. Spotify's 2025 Wrapped shows a "Fan Leaderboard" but it's only visible during December (Wrapped season), not permanent on artist profiles, not browsable year-round. Soundcloud does it. But it doesn't exist on Spotify.
Q: Bot manipulation ?
A: Spotify already uses sophisticated bot-detection algorithms.
Why Spotify should launch this now
Wrapped fatigue : Users want engagement beyond once-yearly
TikTok virality : "My top 10 of [X]" content performs exceptionally well, it makes it built-in
Competition : Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music are all exploring gamification
Super Listener strategy : Aligns perfectly with Spotify's 2025 "Music Pro" superfan tier
Low technical lift : Spotify already tracks all this data, it's mainly a UI/visualization add
Final Thought
People love recognition. Spotify Wrapped proves this. This all-time leaderboard extends that energy to every day of the year for every artist creating year-round engagement rather than an annual moment. It would absolutely drive more people to Spotify and keep them listening longer.
Thanks for reading !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
My sources
Spotify Wrapped 2025 announcement; Bloomberg reports on Music Pro tier; Spotify for Artists data on super listeners; Music marketing gamification industry trends (2024-2025)
Spotify Wrapped is here! How to find yours and what's new ... https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/music/2025/12/03/spotify-wrapped-2025-how-to-find/87571...
Gamifying Music Streaming Through Artist Advocacy https://madisonbiz.com/gamifying-music-streaming-through-artist-advocacy/
Spotify to launch 'Music Pro' service with superfan perks ... https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/spotify-to-launch-music-pro-service-with-superfan-perks-like-...
2024 Wrapped Is Here! Experience Your Year in Listening ... https://newsroom.spotify.com/2024-12-04/wrapped-user-experience-2024/
The Gamification of the Music Industry - by Mattea https://substack.com/home/post/p-153202036
Super-Fan Badges https://www.dandad.org/work/new-blood-archive/super-fan-badges
2025 Spotify Wrapped arrives with new features, mixtape feel https://thenewshouse.com/campus-news/spotify-wrapped/
Music marketing: engaging audiences through gamification https://www.adictiz.com/en/blog/music-marketing/
Super Listeners: Your Guide for Developing Fans Who Go ... https://artists.spotify.com/blog/super-listeners-your-guide-for-developing-fans-who-go-deeper
Wrapped 2024 Leaderboard : r/truespotify https://www.reddit.com/r/truespotify/comments/1h6gdk8/wrapped_2024_leaderboard/
Live Concert & Music Streaming App Development | Boost ... https://cygnis.co/blog/live-streaming-music-concert-app-development/
What the Heck Is Spotify Wrapped's New Social Feature, ... https://www.vice.com/en/article/spotify-wrapped-party/
Spotify Wrapped 2024 is here. Here's what's new. https://www.nbcnews.com/pop-culture/spotify-wrapped-2024-new-features-what-to-know-rcna182702
The Role of Gamification in Reinventing Music Consumption https://www.fanraizd.com/blog/the-role-of-gamification-in-reinventing-music-consumption
How to use the new Spotify Wrapped Party feature with ... https://thetab.com/2025/12/03/heres-how-to-use-the-new-spotify-wrapped-party-feature-and-compare-mus...
How To Get Your Spotify Wrapped 2025 (And Fix When It's ... https://www.forbes.com/sites/monicamercuri/2025/12/03/heres-how-to-get-your-spotify-wrapped-2025---a...
The Indie Artist's Guide to Incorporating Gamification in ... https://indiefy.net/blog/the-indie-artists-guide-to-incorporating-gamification-in-music-marketing-st...
Fan Study Fan Connection Detail Page https://artists.spotify.com/fan-study/fan-connection
Spotify 2024 Wrapped https://newsroom.spotify.com/2024-wrapped/
Gamification: Leveling Up Fan Engagement in the Digital Age https://www.the-magic.app/post/gamification-leveling-up-fan-engagement-in-the-digital-age
