The rise of streaming platforms has revolutionised the way we share and connect through music, eliminating the complexities of past eras. Spotify remains at the forefront, pioneering in this domain through its commitment to bringing people together with music on the platform.

Leaning on its commitment, in 2021, Spotify introduced Blend, a shared social listening feature that combines the musical preferences of friends and families, as well as fans and artists, into one, enabling users to enjoy music seamlessly.  

South African Spotify users have embraced the Blend future since its launch as revealed in the data released today.  Each user has created over one Blend, trailing closely behind the global users with over two Blends. Additionally, the number of Blends created each year globally by Spotify users has grown by 47% in 2023.  

“The saying ‘Music should be shared’, reveals the enthusiasm surrounding Blend when it comes to South African users since the feature was launched. It highlights the innate desire of people to share experiences, and with music, the sharing experience is much more personal. Personalisation will always remain a key element of our product offering at Spotify,”. 

says Spotify’s Head of Marketing for Sub-Saharan Africa Sithabile Kachisa

Spotify Blend is taking centre stage at the Rocking The Daisies festival in Cape Town through a gamified 90s-inspired dating show called “Blend Date”. Blend Date playfully addresses the irony of a generation that is both highly connected online but often disconnected in person. Guests who engage in the activity of Blend’íng with other festival-goers will have the opportunity to unlock physical connections and earn unique festival incentives. In addition, Blend‘s ability to deepen the fans’ connection with artists by combining their musical tastes will be creatively showcased at the festival through a surprise artist Blends initiative.  

“Music allows us to express ourselves in different ways, and for artists, the expression comes through the content they create. However, there is a deeper expression that fans are discovering and experiencing through their Blend with artists,”.  

Kachisa adds

Celebrity Blends on Spotify that will be available during the Rocking The Daisies festival include Megan Thee Stallion, Miley Cyrus, and Post Malone. Fans of the festival can also connect through the Daisies Radio playlist which captures the taste of South Africa‘s biggest three-day music experience. Ayra Star‘s Rush and Tyler ICU‘s viral song Mnike are some of the sixty songs on the playlist. 

To create a Blend, users can simply tap the ‘Your Library’ tab then tap Add’ and choose ‘Blend‘. After creating one, users can tap ‘Invite’ and send the link to their friends or family.