Behind the Share Cards: A Web Engineer’s Work on Spotify Wrapped

Jordan Loeser, a web engineer at Spotify in New York, has spent the last two years contributing to Spotify Wrapped. His focus: the social media share cards — the static images that condense a user’s data stories for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat.

Designing for Fixed Space, Variable Content

The share cards present a unique constraint: they must fit dynamic data and a wide range of languages into a fixed layout. That meant close collaboration with designers and the localization team from the outset to resolve the inevitable conflicts between text length, visual hierarchy, and data density.

The Audio Aura Challenge

Loeser describes the Audio Aura story as the most difficult — and most rewarding — card to implement. It was the team’s first attempt at using advanced web technology to generate graphics in real time. The process involved significant trial and error, but iterative experimentation with designers eventually produced the desired result. The feature supported nearly 100 aura combinations across 30 languages, and Loeser credits its complexity with generating widespread user engagement.

When It All Clicks

Loeser’s most memorable moment came during an internal end-to-end test of the full Wrapped experience, using the team’s own listening data. For the first time, they saw the complete assembly of the brand kit, data stories, and share cards. Seeing personal favorite artists and top tracks in the finished product served as a tangible reminder of what makes the experience resonate with listeners.

Loeser also values the project’s public nature. Releasing Wrapped and watching users reinterpret it through memes and commentary is, he says, a highlight that never loses its impact.

The Team Behind the Cards

Loeser attributes the share cards’ success to a broad cross-functional group:

  • Samantha Whitt — collaborator and builder
  • Melia Wagner — localization expertise
  • Angeline Toh, Cait Charniga, and Sona Dolasia — designers
  • Mike Smith and Patty Santa Cruz — backend support
  • Itay Yahimovitz — problem-solving
  • Zela Taino — tech lead and mentor
  • Udaya Uma Pillalamarri — road manager
  • Ashley Casey — manager and advocate

“It really does take a village,” Loeser says. The final result, he notes, is shaped as much by the people behind the code as by the technology itself.