Karachi, April 07, 2023 – As Muslims around the world continue to cherish and celebrate the blessed month of Ramadan, embracing spirituality, togetherness, and gratitude, Spotify celebrates the essence of this grand occasion by amplifying this journey of emotions and holiness for its listeners through a dedicated Ramadan hub. The audio streaming service is offering users the unique opportunity to embody the essence of this holy month through personalized and creatively-curated playlists for all Ramadan moments.
And the chain of exciting announcements continues with the EQUAL Pakistan Ambassador for April, and the face that will light up a digital billboard on Times Square, NYC this time, is none other than the titan of Sufi music, Sanam Marvi. Marking the occasion of Ramadan, Sanam Marvi has released a new soulful kalam, “Aye Khuda”, that will also be featured on Spotify’s EQUAL Pakistan playlist.
Revered throughout Pakistan and beyond, Sanam Marvi is a legend with a career spanning almost 14 years. Singing in Urdu, Sindhi, Punjabi, and Saraiki, she offers a uniquely beautiful interpretation of Sufi poetry supported by an unbelievable vocal range. Trained by her father, classical music legends Abida Parveen and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan, Sanam spent her childhood singing at festivals and shrines across Pakistan.Her music has reached Bollywood and earned her recognition from UNESCO as well as Pakistan’s highest civilian award.
From recitations of the Holy Quran to soulful kalaams, Spotify’s playlists showcase its relevance for every moment. According to data made available by the audio streaming service, listeners gravitate toward recitation of the Quran peaking at 6:00 AM during Ramadan. Ismail An Nouri’s recitation of Surah Al-Kahf, Rehman, Waqiah, Mulk and Yaseen tops the list of the most streamed track during the month followed by Mishary Rashid Alafasy’s recitation of the same Surahs.
“At Spotify, we embrace the spirit of Ramadan alongside our listeners,” said Rutaba Yaqub, Senior Manager Editorial, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, & Bangladesh. “Our Ramadan Hub has a collection of soulful prayers that entice listeners and Salam! is amongst the most streamed playlists. The collection of kalaams titled Hamd-o-Naat is also visibly popular among the listeners featuring the legend Junaid Jamshed’s Mera Dil Badal De, Illahi Teri Chaukhat Per, and Ae Nabi Pyare Nabi in top 5 along with Hafiz Ahmed Raza Qadri’s Dar e Nabi Par and Zulfiqar Ali’s Hum Madinay Se Allah,” she added further.
In addition to religious sentiments, Ramadan is also about gratitude and joy. This reflects in the three most popular moods during the month which are ‘chill’ followed by ‘happy’ and ‘free’. Moreover, Spotify revealed some more interesting insights about listenership during this time revealing that while listenership among male users decreases from 52% to 51.3% during Ramadan, the percentage for female streamers increases from 44.1% to 44.8%.
Millennials, or specifically the age group between 18 and 24 are the most avid streamers on Spotify with 46.6% listeners falling in this category during Ramadan. The age group of 25 – 29 comes next with 19% followed by 15 – 17-year-olds who are 11.5% and 30 – 34-year-olds who make up 10.3% of the total audience base. Another interesting data point revealed by Spotify shows that streaming numbers start increasing at 09:00 pm in Pakistan. Streaming peaks at 10:00 pm and remains strong till 02:00 am. This showcases how listenership enhances at times that reflect unique Ramadan routines of the users.
