Lockdown Stories
What Spotify has learned from people in Brazil, Indonesia, and the US during the C19 pandemic.
Just listen
“I miss freedom, I miss dancing, I miss the human warmth in bars, cinemas, theaters, shows and shopping malls. I miss sitting on the beach, looking at the sea and having a cold beer in the company of friends. I miss the nature of parks, having lunch in a good open-air restaurant. I miss family gatherings, plane trips and crowds.” Female, Unemployed, Brazil.
When the C19 pandemic swept across the globe in the spring of 2020, a group of Spotify user researchers got together.
We came from different parts of the company, and would in our day-to-day work focus on our teams’ projects. Now, we all shared the same challenge and sentiment. The pandemic meant we could no longer travel to meet participants in our studies, and we had to re-think ways of working. But there was more to it. As a colleague said, ‘It’s more than just making my studies remote. Is it right to ask people to participate in product research right now?’
We wanted to start to ‘just listen’. Ways of living around the globe were changing, but the pandemic was at such an early stage that we didn’t know how, why, or what these changes would be. Working with our analyst colleagues we saw how changes in everyday patterns, such as fewer commutes, started to reflect in our product usage. But we all understood that it was necessary to hear directly from people how the pandemic was transforming their lives, to appreciate what it meant for them, to us, and the world.
With our research partner Sparkler, we set up a longitudinal online diary study to learn about experiences of more than a hundred people in Brazil, Indonesia and the US. Spotify is live in 92 markets today and we wanted to discover lockdown life around the world, to fully represent our different audiences.
With this post, we want to share with the wider community what we learned and how it appears to shape expectations towards online services.
Losing Control and Resources: A Globally Shared Experience
“This year I have felt more disconnected from friends and colleagues than I ever have in my life. I feel more alone and isolated than I have before. The only people I have close to me are my parents.” Female, US.
“My time is very scarce because I need to work, take care of the house and the baby. My wife and I are working like never before. ” Male, Employed full time, Brazil.
“I still study although that’s kind of been not super productive, just because I can’t motivate myself to study for something when I don’t know what the future of my training looks like. So that’s been really hard for the past couple of months, but I’m trying to get there.” Female, Furloughed, US.
Everyday routines may look different in suburban US, outer Jakarta or urban São Paulo. But the experience of having your everyday life completely disrupted is fundamentally human, and was globally shared. A central characteristic of the crisis has been the loss of control in everyday life and uncertainty around future prospects.
During the lockdowns, the breakdown of social connections has been felt everywhere. People have not been able to meet their extended families, friends, co-workers or even their local shop owners for everyday casual contact.
For those living alone, regardless of city, lockdown has meant a long time of isolation. For families it’s been the opposite, a far busier life and constant multitasking with all members of the family staying in for weeks on end. In flatshares, lockdown has been a struggle for privacy. For all, it has meant redefining the home space to accommodate for work, hobbies, and rest.
People have faced the uncertainty about their own physical health, and the health of their loved ones. The consequences of COVID-19 have become intimately known through the conditions of family members or others in the community.
Job security has become threatened, and many are uncertain if they will return to their jobs or find new ones.
Ways of Keeping up Good Spirits
“Our weekday vs weekends — it’s all “Blursday” now but we do try to disengage from work and enjoy outdoor time on the weekends and go for social distance walks, even with one other family sometimes.” Female, Employed full time, US.
“My hobbies that were prevented from being done with the pandemic are: swimming, running and attending parties and bars. on the other hand, I now have new hobbies like yoga, meditation and cooking.” Female, Employed full time, Brazil.
“I think people have been able to slow down, spend time with loved ones, work out, cook dinners. I think it may wake us up as a society of what should be our priorities.” Male, Employed full time, US
“I don’t have any routines anymore. I’ve been trying to get up earlier so I don’t get in the habit of sleeping too late. I try and plan on accomplishing at least one goal a day. This could be painting a chair or grocery shopping. I just want to have a sense of accomplishment.” Female, Unemployed, US.
In our study, people’s reactions to challenges caused by the pandemic have varied more by their life stage and personal approaches than the country, city, or cultures they are surrounded by.
Around the world, people share the desire — and the effort — of sticking to new daily habits that support their health and wellness. The common goal is to avoid spirals of negative habits and sentiments.
Some find ways to keep active, taking up new activities like learning new languages, meditation, or learning to cook a healthy diet. But keeping up activity and commitment at this level of uncertainty and concern is a challenge. For many, the way to cope is simply to get through each day.
The Screen as a Companion
“Before the pandemic, I never listened to podcasts, and now I have listened to several” Female, Indonesia
“I’m watching more shows I have seen before and liked on Netflix and Amazon. Some shows are from 10 years ago. I missed them and I just wanted to see them again.” Female, Furloughed, US.
“Currently my cell phone is much more part of my day-to-day. I chat much more on WhatsApp. I make video calls with friends and customers, access social media and news sites more frequently. I got into the habit of watching live streams of musicians and bands.” Female, Employed full time, Brazil.
With lockdowns, people have become closer than ever to their phones, laptops, and screens. Video chats, online parties, and social media serve as lifelines between friends and extended family — a way to experience joy, spontaneity, and belonging in an otherwise restricted and regulated life.
Watching Netflix, YouTube, and other video services, and listening to Spotify and other audio apps is an escape from the news and the distress. Online content plays a key role as people try to find ways to focus on the present moment and keep enjoying life.
Fun or comforting movies, TV series, and music provide an emotional release. The nostalgia of the past offers the reassurance of continuity. Online live events, new releases, or new discoveries give people topics to talk about when they meet online, at a time when there is not much you can do outside of the home.
In other areas of life, examples of virtual worship, online visits to the doctor or online graduation ceremonies have shown us how lockdowns push boundaries of what we’d normally consider appropriate to do online, as opposed to in person.
New Expectations
“I spend a great deal of time on my phone from doing work to playing games and shopping and banking. I would say I’m definitely addicted to my phone. That can be good and bad. I would say since COVID 19 I have been on my phone much more than ever before”. Male, Employed, US.
“I mostly use music streaming and social media apps the most on my phone. They’ve helped curb my boredom during my self-isolation and have helped me stay connected with family and friends.” Female, student, Brazil.
“I’ve felt more connected to artists who have still released their new music during COVID rather than delaying the release. Artists like The Weeknd, Dua Lipa, Run The Jewels, Kehlani, Pink Sweat$, Taylor Swift, and Drake released new albums during this time and I’ve supported by streaming their albums countless times, sharing with friends, and liking/following on social media platforms.“ Female, Working from home, US.
“I really liked it when the artists tried to lift their fans’ spirit during this pandemic, for instance when various artists sang the song, Rumah Kita, together, from their own homes. I think this is a positive act to give the much-needed spirit to their fans and the larger community.” Female, Indonesia.
Turning to online services to get through a challenging time can mean a lasting shift in what people expect of these services. Based on our study, we believe that expectations have become higher. Online services are fun and useful, but people also expect them to support their wellbeing, maintain effortless connections to loved ones, and create experiences that are comforting, reassuring, and joyful.
After the pandemic eventually ends, we believe these needs and requirements will persist. More and more areas of life are being experienced online, and the notion of screen time as something to regulate, is being stretched or even disappearing. Based on our study, we think the effects of the pandemic will be reflected in three areas:
- A greater focus on quality and fulfillment from online content, when listening, watching, taking part in streamed events
- More attention on values: what brands stand for and how companies contribute to societies and personal lives
- Functionally, requirements for a more seamless and enjoyable integrations of online services into people’s everyday lives.
Spotify has conducted research globally for several years following our approach Think local, act global. Our study on life under C19 lockdowns showed us again how we need to ‘go local’ to fully understand what people are experiencing, and while doing so, we will find experiences that are globally shared. Listening to people at these two levels we hope to discover how Spotify can best serve audio fans and creators locally and worldwide, during the pandemic and beyond.
Credits
Heli Rantavuo
Staff Researcher
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Shanée Benjamin
Illustrator
Spotify research team: Christine Broda, Alexandra McCarter, Emily Chu, Kelly Coonan, Jeff Davison, Chloe Evans, Sarah Reneau, Alexandra Fradin, Shruti Jain, Colette Kolenda, Dominika Mazur, Lauren Murphy, Alex Purwanto, Mira Shah
