Dog ownership has gotten increasingly elaborate, and nobody seems embarrassed about it. The fresh food delivery services, the orthopedic beds, the Halloween costumes with coordinating owner outfits—and now, according to new research, the personalized Spotify playlist.
MetLife Pet Insurance analyzed more than 500 public Spotify playlists made specifically for dogs and surveyed over 1,000 dog owners about their music habits. Nine in 10 play music for or around their dog, though 87% are just playing whatever they’d normally listen to. Only 13% choose music based on their dog’s mood or personality, and just 14% have ever made a dedicated playlist. Most people just have Spotify on, the dog is ambient.
People Really Love Playing Their Dogs Taylor Swift
The playlists that do exist have mainstream similarities. “Yellow” by Coldplay is the most popular song across American dog playlists, followed by “Creep” by Radiohead and “Linger” by The Cranberries. Taylor Swift is the top artist overall (surprise, surprise), appearing on 1 in 6 playlists, though no single Swift track cracks the top five in any category. Dog-themed songs skew predictable: “Dog Days Are Over” by Florence + The Machine, “Hound Dog” by Elvis, “Me & My Dog” by Boygenius.
Genre choices are somewhat situational. Rock leads walking playlists at 33%, classical tops calming and anxiety playlists at 34%, and home-alone playlists—which you’d expect to be soft and soothing—somehow include “Don’t Stop Me Now” by Queen and “I Was Made For Lovin’ You” by KISS. Not sure how the dog is feeling about those.
Owners who made dedicated playlists stood out from the rest of the survey. Eighty-eight percent of them also sing to their dogs, versus 59% of those who never made a playlist. They’re more likely to celebrate their dog’s birthday, spend more on food and products, and report that music actually helps with their dog’s anxiety. Nearly 7 in 10 owners have tried music as a calming tool or are open to it—and fewer than 1% got that idea from a vet.
And lastly, 27% of American dog owners have written original songs for their pets. We’ll end things there.
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