Today marks International Dog Day, a perfect occasion to celebrate our loyal four-legged companions with the love they deserve. Ahead of this special day, Spotify analyzed global listening habits, uncovering how dog owners worldwide turn to music to entertain, soothe, and bond with their pets. In the Netherlands, owners stand out by rarely leaving their dogs in silence—many play tunes to keep them company or calm them down. This trend inspired Spotify's launch of Spotify for Pets in 2020, a dedicated platform for crafting personalized playlists tailored to your pet's personality, from disco-dancing dogs to heavy metal-loving cats. Since then, over 5 million pet owners have created playlists, with Dutch users ranking in the global top 10 alongside the United States, United Kingdom, Germany, Australia, Mexico, Spain, Brazil, and Poland.
Spotify surveyed nearly 4,000 dog owners worldwide to dive deeper into these habits.
Key findings include:
One in five plays music during the day for companionship.
One in four reports music helps their dogs relax.
15% say it encourages positive behavior.
One in five dogs enjoy music for at least an hour daily on average.
6% listen for more than 12 hours weekly.
Gen Z owners lead in playlist creation (10%).
Pop dominates pet playlists, with hits from Olivia Rodrigo and Lil Nas X proving popular. The global top 5 tracks are:
1. Florence + The Machine – Dog Days Are Over
2. Olivia Rodrigo – good 4 u
3. Olivia Rodrigo – drivers license
4. Lil Nas X – MONTERO (Call Me By Your Name)
5. Doja Cat – Kiss Me More (feat. SZA)
Podcasts for pups
Complementing playlists, Spotify teamed up with animal experts for My Dog's Favorite Podcast, blending calming music, spoken words, and ambient sounds to ease dogs post-lockdown. The Netherlands again lands in the top 10 listeners, joined by the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, Costa Rica, Spain, and Mexico.
