How listeners are soundtracking this unusual summer

Summer 2020 hasn’t been typical. Still, as we’ve all adjusted to the global pandemic that has upended our normal lives and daily routines, listeners haven’t stopped soundtracking their moments with Spotify. And while some moments are pretty specific to this year — we’ve seen plenty of playlists for “staycations,” “boredom,” and “quarantine” — many are classic summer pastimes, like road tripping, camping and roller skating.

We took a look at summer streaming trends to understand how people are spending their summer months. Here’s what we found — and what it means for brands and marketers.

• After months of at-home workouts, listeners are back on the move: Between May 5 and July 30, more than 54,000 playlists dedicated to cycling, roller skating, and rollerblading were created globally on Spotify. Unsurprisingly, the top songs on those skating and rollerblading playlists are perfect for cruising down the sidewalk: “Say So” by Doja Cat feat. Nicki Minaj, “The Less I Know The Better” by Tame Impala, and “Jenny from the Block” by Jennifer Lopez feat. Jadakiss & Styles P. For brands and marketers, this is yet another reminder that people are using music to pump themselves up when they’re on the move. Consider sponsoring one of our top fitness playlists to reach them — like Beast Mode, Motivation Mix, or Power Workout.

• Road trips are making a comeback: Between June and July, there was a 92% increase in the creation of road trip playlists on Spotify. Harry Styles’ summer smash “Watermelon Sugar” is one of the top songs on these playlists, along with The Beatles’ “Here Comes The Sun” and Miley Cyrus’ “Party in the USA.” As for podcasts, listeners are turning to Stuff You Should Know, Crime Junkie, My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, and Ted Talks Daily to stay informed and entertained when they hit the road. Auto and QSR brands, among others, should consider in-car targeting to reach listeners as they stream on the road.

• People are heading to the great outdoors: Listeners have been heading to the great outdoors in search of fresh air. Naturally, they’ve also been creating playlists to accompany them on their hiking, star-gazing, and marshmallow-roasting adventures. From June to July, there was a whopping 140% increase in camping-themed playlists created on Spotify. For brands rooted in the great outdoors, advertising on Spotify provides a great opportunity to accompany listeners as they reconnect with nature.

• For many, there’s still no place like home: Of course, with many summer activities on hold and social distancing guidelines still in place, listeners are also streaming while they hang around the house. There are now more than 1.3 million quarantine-themed playlists on Spotify. For the last few months, the most popular tracks for these playlists have been “Stuck With U” by Ariana Grande and Justin Bieber, “Bored In The House” by Tyga and Curtis Roach, “Be Kind” by Halsey and Marshmello, and “Lockdown” by Anderson Paak. We put together the Advertiser’s Guide to At-Home Streaming a few months ago to help you meet your audience in these moments.

To connect with your audience this summer and beyond, get started with our self-serve ad platform, Spotify Ad Studio. And for more on these summer streaming trends, check out Spotify’s For the Record blog.