Tag: Data Saver

Introducing Spotify Lite

July 9, 2019

Music is meant to be enjoyed by everyone, regardless of your network connectivity, data plan, and whether or not you have the latest phone. That’s why today, we’re officially introducing Spotify Lite. Lite is a small, fast, and simplified version of our unparalleled music experience that works much like the main Spotify app. You’ll still be able to search and play your favorite songs and artists, save them, share with others, discover new music, and enjoy playlists made just for you, but with a few extra features making it ideal for older devices and operating systems. 

“Spotify Lite was built from the ground up based on user feedback from around the world, allowing millions more to enjoy the world’s best music experience — especially in areas with limited bandwidth and phone storage,” says Kalle Persson, Senior Product Manager at Spotify.  Lite can be downloaded separately, both for Free and Spotify Premium users, and used either alongside or independently from the main Spotify app on all Android phones running version 4.1 or higher.

With Spotify Lite, you can easily control your data and storage. It’s only 10 MB, so it’s quick to install and load while offering the same great listening experience that lets you discover, play, and enjoy millions of songs. Spotify Lite also comes with the ability to set a data limit and get a notification when you reach it. This way, you’ll be able to focus on finding your next favorite song—not worrying about data.

No need to worry if you’re running low on storage—Spotify Lite also allows you to control your cache, and clear it with a single tap.

Spotify Lite is now available in 77 markets* across Asia, Latin America, Middle East and Africa on Google Play with more markets and features to follow as we continue to improve the Spotify Lite experience.

For more information, see our support pages here.   

*Brazil, Canada, Mexico, Argentina, Peru, Chile, Colombia, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Uruguay, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, Lebanon, Morocco, Tunisia, Oman, Jordan, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, South Africa, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam, Malaysia, India.

Update May 28 2020: Spotify Lite has also launched in Thailand.

Update as of July 14, 2021: Spotify Lite has also launched in Angola, Australia, Bangladesh, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Comoros, Dominica, Gabon, Gambia, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Mali, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Pakistan, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Sri Lanka, Swaziland, Togo, Trinidad and Tobago, Ukraine, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Update as of April 27, 2022: Spotify fully suspended our service in Russia on April 11th, inclusive of Spotify Lite. 

How to Download and Listen to Music and Podcasts — Offline and On the Go

May 24, 2019

Sunscreen; check. Hat; check. Playlists; ready for anything—even a vacation destination without Wi-Fi.

Being completely disconnected from Wi-Fi and data—whether in an airplane or rustic cabin in the woods—doesn’t mean you need to be without your favorite music or podcasts. If you’re a Premium subscriber, it only takes a few simple steps while you’re still at home and on Wi-Fi to download your favorite content and ensure it’s available when you go off the grid or up in the air.

First, if you’d like to use Wi-Fi to download, go to Settings > Music Quality > Download Using Cellular and check that the feature is set to the default “off.” From there, it’s easy to download tracks and podcasts on your cell phone, tablet, or iPad:

  1. Search for the content you want
  2. Select the playlist, album, or podcast you want to listen to offline
  3. Switch the download toggle ON—it will turn green so you know it’s working
  4. Once tracks in your library are downloaded, you’ll see a little green arrow below each song name
  5. Connect your headphones and start listening, no matter where you are!

If you’re using Spotify on desktop, but still want to take those songs or podcast episodes with you on your mobile device:

  1. Select songs to download automatically to your device by clicking the plus symbol next to any track
  2. That plus symbol will turn into a checkmark, which means the song will sync to your phone next time it’s connected to WiFi
  3. If you’re looking to organize your downloads, now’s the time! Using your computer to organize tracks into a playlist before you go can be a bit easier

Note that if you’re seeing songs grayed out when you’re offline, it means they’re not downloaded and you won’t be able to play them without Wi-Fi. (It might be a good idea to experiment with going online before you board the plane.) To see everything you’ve downloaded on your phone, check out the “Downloads” tab under “Your Library” on mobile.

Also know that there’s a maximum to the number of songs and podcasts you can download per device. If you do hit the limit, you can always go back and remove some existing downloads.

Plus, keep in mind that in order for Premium subscribers to keep all downloads available, you’ll need to connect your phone to Wi-Fi at least once every 30 days. So if you’re on an extended hiking trip, just make sure to connect to Wi-Fi at least once per month if you want to keep streaming.

For more tips about offline listening, ask a Rock Star for assistance on our Community page.

Get excited for your upcoming trip with our Soak up the Sun playlist, or plan to catch up on the latest Lore. (And if you want to take them with you on your travels, don’t forget to download now.)

Here’s Where Your Favorite Artists Toured the Most in 2018

December 28, 2018

For an artist, there’s nothing like connecting with diehard fans who are sing-screaming your lyrics from the front row; for concert-goers, there’s nothing like seeing the music you’re obsessed with come alive on stage. That’s why we took our passion for music on the road and dug into the touring trends that reached far beyond our platform this year. Because while many of the year’s biggest artists hit the road in 2018, no two tours looked exactly the same.

Want to see for yourself? The proof is in our 2018 touring map. To create it, we looked at the top-streamed artists who played in 10 or more U.S. cities this year.

The map helped us discover some interesting trends—and some pretty weird shapes. While superstars like Nicki Minaj and Kendrick Lamar spent lots of time on the coasts, rising artists like Juice WRLD and Playboi Carti made sure to hit all corners of the country. Beyoncé, Chris Brown, and Twenty One Pilots toured mostly around the perimeter of the U.S., but Zedd, Gucci Mane, and Dan + Shay clustered lots of dates in the middle.

MVPs like SZA, Kane Brown, and Migos toured throughout the year, but some shorter tours, including Lana Del Rey’s, included stops in Hawaii (and hopefully some beach time).

We also checked out which artists played which cities the most. Texas hip-hop collective Brockhampton played New York seven times, while Rich the Kid, originally from Queens, played L.A. a record 12 times. Perhaps most impressive were the Chainsmokers, who hit Las Vegas a whopping 45 times (although their Vegas residency might have had something to do with that).

Click on each artist to dig deeper into where, when, and how they toured throughout the year. When you click on 5 Seconds of Summer, you’ll see that the Aussies covered lots of ground in the U.S. from April to December. (And to get back to the original map, just click the tab on the top left or the X button at the top right.)

Dive in below—no van required.

Stream hits from these artists and more of the year’s biggest stars here in our Top Artists of 2018 playlist.

5 Things Free Users Need to Be Taking Advantage of on Spotify

August 27, 2018

Since we launched a new version of our free app, many new and existing users on Android and iOS have gotten to experience the new, improved, ad-supported tier. With personalized music recommendations from day one and an easy-to-use interface, they can now enjoy unprecedented access to both the music they love and the favorites they’re yet to discover. Simply put, it’s the best way to get music for free.

Read on for our list of the five must-use features in the new Spotify free experience.

1. Let us get to know you with Taste Onboarding:

After you first download and sign in to the free app, you’ll be prompted to choose five or more artists you like. That means we’ll be able to learn more quickly about your favorite artists, songs, and genres. From there, we’ll make some great playlists for you—as well as tailor your home screen for easier music discovery. And the more you listen, the more we’ll learn, getting better with our recommendations and introducing you to artists you’re bound to love.

Let us get to know you with Taste Onboarding

2. Enjoy On-Demand Playlists:

We use the data from your taste onboarding to present you with 15 personalized and curated playlists that will be particular to you based on your music taste and how you stream on Spotify, meaning every user gets something different. From playlists such as Discover Weekly to Rap Caviar to Broken Heart and up to six Daily Mixes, these lists will update frequently based on how you interact with them and with the rest of the music you listen to. Within them, you can play songs in any order and skip as much as you like. Once we have enough information about what you like to listen to, we’ll update your Discover Weekly every Monday and Release Radar every Friday. The more you stream, the quicker these will become available. You can find these playlists from your home screen.

Enjoy On-Demand Playlists

3. Find new music with Assisted Playlisting:

Making your own playlist? It’s quick and easy. Just start with a title, and then choose a few tracks. In the meantime, we’ll start recommending songs for you to add with the tap of a button. We’ll show songs based on artists in the playlist, your taste profile, and even the title of your playlist—particularly songs with that theme or word in the lyrics—so make sure to choose a title that really describes the vibe you want.

Find new music with Assisted Playlisting

4. Personalize by ♡ing and Hiding:

There’s a new way to fine-tune your streaming experience: by using the new like and hide buttons. Using them can teach us about your tastes so you get recommendations tailored just for you. As you’re listening to songs, note which you “like” by tapping the heart icon ♡. You can also do this with artists, albums, and playlists. This way, the app will get to know what you love and want to hear more of—helping with the personalization process even more. All your liked songs will appear in a new playlist called “Your Favorites,” and new tracks from artists you have listened to will appear in your Release Radar. On the other hand, tapping the “hide” icon ⃠ will ensure you don’t have to hear that song, or others similar to it. You can’t win ’em all.

Personalize by ♡ing and HidingZara

5. Browse using Data Saver:

Many Spotify users around the world can’t enjoy music whenever they want because of how much mobile data streaming uses. That’s why we created Data Saver, a simple switch that optimizes the listening experience to use less mobile data. Data Saver streams at a lower bit rate so you can listen to more music with less guilt. Note that Data Saver isn’t a default setting, so make sure to switch it on in your settings tab.

Browse using Data Saver:

Between more personalization, enhanced playlists, easily creatable playlists, and a data-saving feature, what better way is there to listen to and discover music? Make sure you’re not missing out—listen now for free.

Personalized Discovery: Listen to Music You Love with All-New Free on Spotify

April 24, 2018

Music is the great connector. It unites us across markets, ages, backgrounds, languages, preferences, political leanings and income levels. At Spotify, we believe in music for everyone—and today, we are one step closer to making that a reality as we unveil a new, improved, and more personalized way to discover music and listen to what you love on Spotify, for free.

The new ad-supported Spotify is a natural next step as Spotify continues to innovate and evolve for the needs of our users, and will be rolling out globally to all users of Spotify on iOS and Android. With a new design on mobile, Free on Spotify includes a number of new features to make the listening experience more tailored to what you need to hear, now.

“Our customers always tell us that music discovery and listening is a personal experience, and we are enhancing the free experience with this in mind,” said Babar Zafar, VP of Product Development at Spotify. “This is the beginning of an evolution for Spotify and we will continue to make improvements that mirror our customers’ needs. This is not only about giving users a more customized free experience from the day they sign up, but giving them more control over their listening experience so they can easily find and stream their favorites anytime, from anywhere.”

On-demand playlists

We want all users to have more control over the listening experience so everyone can both discover new artists and return to old favorites. Fifteen new on-demand playlists offer the ability to pick and play any track within our curated lists—without skipping tracks or waiting on shuffle to bring up the music you love. These on-demand playlists will be unique to you, based on your musical tastes, and may include Spotify-curated playlists ranging from RapCaviar and Viva Latino to Ultimate Indie and Alternative R&B as well as personalized playlists like Discover Weekly, Release Radar, and Daily Mix.

More personalized

With Spotify for free, users gain easy access to favorite songs and discovering new music is made simpler—and it’s personalized for you. When you sign up, we’ll ask you about the artists you love, and we’ll deliver curated playlists that match your musical taste and personalized playlists, like Daily Mix. These new playlists are easily accessible on the new Home screen, which is always being updated based on your listening activity.

Make Spotify yours

Tell us which songs and artists you LIKE ♡ (or HIDE ⃠) as you listen. Tap the ♡ to quickly save songs to your Favorites playlist and tap the ⃠ icon to hide songs you don’t want to hear. Recommendations will improve the more you listen and denote preferences.

Create your own playlists

Playlists are the key to creating a mood, whether it’s morning workout or weekend dance party, and now it’s even easier to create and edit a playlist with Spotify. Just give your playlist a name, search and preview specific tracks, and add to your playlist. As you save songs, we’ll continue to suggest more songs that we think you will like.

Play music using less mobile data with Data Saver:

Music should be accessible to everyone, in every market—the love of a great song is what connects communities and cultures across the world. But many users of Spotify for free around the world aren’t able to enjoy music whenever they want, because of the volume of mobile data streaming typically uses. That’s why we created Data Saver, a simple toggle switch that optimizes the listening experience to use less mobile data when listening to music.

The new free experience will be available on iOS and Android and will be rolling out globally to all markets in the coming weeks.

Happy Streaming!

New Free Spotify: Press Assets