posted 12-10-2024 07:41 PM               

Space Meets Sound: NASA Lands in 2024 Spotify Wrapped

NASA's audio storytelling reached new frontiers in 2024, with Spotify Wrapped revealing the agency's podcasts as a favorite among listeners worldwide. In celebration of the milestone, NASA astronaut Nick Hague spoke with Spotify about what space sounded like this year.

Above: NASA’s podcasts let you experience the thrill of space exploration without ever leaving Earth. (NASA)

"Music is one of those things that connects us to the planet," said Hague, in the video released on Spotify and NASA social accounts. "Music is a vital part of life up here. The soundtrack up here, it's just going all the time. Everybody's got their own flavor of music. Every Friday night the crew gets together, we turn on music and we stream things that we like. Whether they're into pop or hard rock, it's an international mix. When I think of space walks, I think of classical music, slow, methodical tunes, because that is the way that we conduct spacewalks. Slowly and methodically. Classical music captures the essence of, just floating in space."

With listeners in more than 100 countries, NASA podcasts reached new audiences and inspired people around the world on Spotify this year. Other 2024 highlights included:

• Ranked as a top choice for thousands of listeners seeking to learn about science and space.

• Spent a combined 37 weeks in Spotify's top charts for science podcasts.

• The top streamed podcast was "NASA's Curious Universe", and the top streamed episode was "A Year in Mars Dune Alpha"

"We're thrilled to have our space-centric content featured in Spotify Wrapped 2024," said Brittany Brown, director of digital communications, NASA Headquarters in Washington. "Our collaboration with Spotify is a testament to NASA's commitment to producing innovative and engaging content. We're excited to see how audiences continue to respond to this unique listening experience only NASA can provide."

The agency's podcasts cover a wide range of topics, including in-depth conversations with NASA astronauts, stories that take audiences on a tour of the galaxy, and Spanish-language content.

"Music, just like space, connects us all," said Katie Konans, audio program lead, eMITS contract with NASA. "Our partnership with Spotify has allowed NASA to share the wonder and excitement of space with music and podcast lovers globally. This year, we're thrilled to take this connection to new heights by bringing the Spotify Wrapped 2024 conversation beyond planet Earth."

NASA released its collection of original podcasts on Spotify in 2023, furthering the agency's mission to engage the Artemis Generation in the science, space exploration, and discovery.

In addition to Spotify, users may find NASA podcasts on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and Soundcloud.