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- New data from streaming giant Spotify revealed some of the key listening trends by Muslims during this month of Ramadaan on the platform.
- It's interesting to see how a digital tool - like Spotify - was used to foster a sense of mindfulness and spiritual focus by Muslims around the world during this time.
- As the world becomes increasingly digital, technology is not only transforming the way we live and work, but also the way we connect with our sense of spirituality.
As the month of Ramadaan almost comes to a close, millions of Muslims worldwide have been in a period of introspection and renewal.
Interestingly, the increasing use of technology and digital resources in our everyday lives has extended to also enhancing our spiritual experiences. It's intriguing to see how a digital tool - like Spotify - was used to foster a sense of mindfulness and spiritual focus by Muslims around the world during this time.
New data from the streaming giant revealed some of the key listening trends by Muslims during this month of Ramadaan on the platform.
The data - which was pulled from Egypt, the UAE, Pakistan, Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia - showed that most Muslim listeners turned to meditative podcasts, music and yoga playlists at 08:00, using the audio to essentially start the day with a sense of calm and mindfulness, and Quran readings were mostly streamed at night or earlier in the morning.
"In Kenya, South Africa and Nigeria, there were drops in scripted fiction podcasts, as well as in a range of sports sub-genres, indicating a distinct shift away from entertainment in favour of more mindful practices," Spotify said.
- Increased listenership for "human interest" and "culture and identity" podcasts, 27% and 24% respectively;
- Top three moods for music were "chill", "happy" and "free"; and
- 680% increase in podcast genre "Trying Moments", specifically in Nigeria.
"Curiously, Nigerian users have also been listening to more podcasts about digital culture during Ramadaan, but other entertainment genres, like horror/paranormal, science fiction and fantasy, have both seen marked drops," the streaming giant said.
Previously, during Ramadaan, the platform saw a 53% increase in streaming of religious podcasts.
"This makes perfect sense [because] Ramadaan is a time for fasting and enhancing spiritual focus.
"The data suggests that music is being used as a powerful tool for influencing mood, and helping cultivate feelings of patience and positivity."
With the rapid advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning, music technology is allowing for greater personalisation and curation of music for spiritual practices.
With streaming services and music production software, individuals can create their own playlists for meditation or yoga practices, choosing specific tracks and genres that resonate with their spiritual beliefs and intentions.
As the world becomes increasingly digital, technology is not only transforming the way we live and work, but also the way we connect with our sense of spirituality.
