March 9, 2023, 3:40 pm | Read time: 3 minutes
The popular music streaming service Spotify has announced changes for the app and a new feature.
At a Stream-on event, market leader Spotify announced quite extensive updates for its mobile apps. Spotify founder and CEO Daniel Ek described the presentation as the biggest redesign since the app’s launch. The announced updates are both visual and functional, bringing the platform closer to TikTok and Instagram.
Spotify App with New Home Feed
After Spotify recently said goodbye to the heart feature in a newly released update, the service has now announced new adjustments. The most apparent change is the Home Feed that Spotify has added to its app. This clearly resembles Instagram and similar platforms. Scrolling is vertical, there are hashtags like “K-Pop” or “Trap,” you can “follow” artists, and much more. Overall, the Spotify app will become more image- and video-centric with these updates. For example, the feed will include short preview clips that Spotify plays based on your preferences.
According to Spotify, this is intended to create a closer connection to the respective artists. Music and podcasts each get their own feed or are displayed together in the general overview. In the event preview, the feeds were quite discreetly integrated. When you open the app, you will still be greeted by the old design. The feeds then start further down or via a button in the navigation at the top of the display.
The goal, according to Gustav Söderström, Spotify’s co-CEO, is not for users to spend a long time in the feed–a jab at TikTok and others? Rather, it’s about discovering new content for later listening. Whether this means the Home Feed will remain completely ad-free with or without a subscription is still unknown. The success of the new feature in the Spotify app will be measured by how many songs or podcasts users bookmark through the feed.
New “Smart Shuffle” Feature Announced
Through the new feeds, video podcasts are expected to play an even larger role in the future. Spotify is consistently pursuing its strategy to achieve market leadership in the podcast sector as well. Creators will also be provided with new tools for user analysis.
Additionally, “Smart Shuffle” was announced during the event. Spotify is already known for its algorithm, which makes fairly precise suggestions based on what users have listened to. This is set to be expanded. Currently, Spotify plays new suggestions in the app after a playlist ends, or you can alternatively subscribe to a custom-made, weekly changing playlist.
With “Smart Shuffle,” Spotify temporarily adds suitable songs to the app automatically. For playlists with more than 15 tracks, this will be one song for every three existing tracks. Users can then decide whether to keep the songs in the playlist or not. You can also rate the suggestions to get the most suitable additions to your playlists with the help of AI.