Tag: product release

3 New Ways to Dive Deeper Into the Music You Love

April 20, 2026

spotify logo

A song that captures a moment can feel like magic. But when you uncover the story behind it—who made it, what inspired it, and the meaning woven into the lyrics—it becomes something even deeper. That’s why we’ve been building new ways to help you go beyond the surface of your favorite tracks. Here are three new features designed to bring you closer to the music you love.

About the Song: The stories behind the music

Every track has a story, and About the Song brings that context right into your listening experience. This beta feature delivers short, swipeable story cards—summarized from third-party sources—that cover the inspiration behind a track, behind-the-scenes moments, and the cultural context around it. It’s available to Premium users in U.S., U.K., Canada, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Indonesia, Singapore, Nigeria, and South Africa.

How to find About the Song:

    • Open the Now Playing view while listening in the Spotify mobile app
    • Scroll down to find the About the Song card on supported tracks
    • Swipe through to explore

Ask DJ: Your personal music expert, now even smarter

DJ is one of our most popular features, built around personalized listening sessions and music requests. Now you can have a conversation with DJ as you listen, getting recommendations, music facts, or context about what’s playing, right from your Spotify homepage. The rollout begins in English for Premium users ages 18 and over in the U.S., Ireland, and Sweden.

Need inspiration? Try asking things like “Start a session with new releases for my Sunday” or “When was this song first released?”

This updated DJ experience is in beta and won’t always get it right, and responses may not always be accurate or complete. We’re continuing to improve the experience over time, and listener feedback will help shape what comes next.

SongDNA: Trace a song’s creative roots

Every track is connected to the songs, samples, and artists that came before it. SongDNA makes those connections visible in an interactive map inside your Now Playing view.

Powered by WhoSampled (now part of Spotify), SongDNA lets Premium listeners explore the creative network behind a track while helping ensure the people who contributed get recognized. Follow the thread from a sample to its source, discover a cover you didn’t know existed, or trace a producer’s fingerprint across decades of recordings.

These three features are part of our ongoing work to bring you closer to the music, podcasts, and audiobooks you love. We’ll keep building on each experience based on how listeners use the features, and continue exploring new ways to unlock discovery.

Spotify Introduces New Video Controls for Listeners

April 9, 2026

Settings User Flow

Spotify has always been about putting listeners in the driver’s seat. Today, people don’t just want more ways to spend their time; they want that time to be well spent. That’s why, from Taste Profile to Prompted Playlist, and the expansion of managed accounts to Smart Filters, we’re giving users more control over their listening experience. That belief, that time on Spotify should be intentional, personal, and rewarding, is at the core of how we build.

Spotify listeners agree, and that sense of control translates directly into value. According to a Burson survey of 8,400 respondents across 19 markets (August 27-October 3, 2025), 93% of Spotify users are excited about features that give them more control, and 92% say Spotify brings them closer to the things they love. For younger listeners, Edison Research finds that 86% of Gen Z listens to music or podcasts to help boost their mood. In a world of passive scrolling, Spotify offers something different: a more intentional experience that people can actively shape around what they love.

That’s why we’ve been hard at work on new video controls that let users better tailor their time on Spotify, either by choosing to maintain an audio-first experience or layer in a richer, video-enhanced one. Rolling out globally starting today, Family Plan managers will be able to switch video content on or off for any plan members through their subscription settings. This is something we already offer for Family Plan managed accounts for users under the age of 13 (or equivalent age in your country), and now any Family Plan member account will have video controls.

We’ll also be introducing new settings so all Premium and Basic users—whether on Individual, Duo, Family, or Student plans—and all users on our free service can control how video appears in their app. The settings update will begin rolling out to all users globally this month. This ensures that all listeners, from individuals to families, can shape an experience that feels right for them.

To access the video controls, go to Settings > Content and display, where you can easily switch Canvas looping visuals or videos for music or podcasts on or off. Once you’ve chosen your preferences, they’ll apply on mobile, desktop, web, TV, or wherever you use Spotify. Users will still see video ads, as well as Canvas-like visuals on some audio ads. Whether you want a visual experience or an audio one, Spotify adapts to you.

Listeners can now choose exactly how they want to engage with the videos that amplify music, podcasts, and audiobooks on Spotify. Control changes everything. Time stops feeling wasted and starts feeling owned. We’ve got more great features in the works, so Spotify remains a place where people love to spend time discovering their new favorite artist, creator, or author. In the meantime, you can listen to or watch our Co-CEO Gustav Söderström share more about how and why we build intentionally.

3 Prompts to Try Using Prompted Playlist, Expanding in Beta to the UK, Ireland, Australia, and Sweden

February 23, 2026

Prompted Playlist UX

Prompted Playlist is expanding in beta to Premium listeners in the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and Sweden, giving more fans a new way to curate the right music for the right moment: by simply describing it in their own words.

With Prompted Playlist, you can type just about anything in English—from a specific mood or memory to a hyper-specific aesthetic or cultural moment—and Spotify will turn it into a personalized playlist. You can be as broad or detailed as you like, referencing anything from eras and genres to activities, lyrics, instruments, or even a playlist inspired by your favorite TV show. 

Prompted Playlist draws on your full listening history and combines it with what’s happening across the world of music and culture right now, so the result reflects both your old favorites and what’s trending. Each track also includes a short one-liner explaining why it fits.

Fine-tune your results by editing the prompt or start fresh whenever you want. If you want your playlist to evolve with you, you can set it to refresh daily or weekly.

Where will your words take you?

The best way to see what the feature can do is to try it for yourself. Just tap “Create” and select Prompted Playlist to get started. To get your creative juices flowing, here are a few prompts you can take for a spin—or use as inspiration to write your own.

To curate a nostalgia-fueled mix of 2000s British pop

Prompt: Make a playlist of British pop bangers from the ‘00s that made me the diva I am today. Add the top tracks I’ve replayed and fill the gaps with era-defining hits I might have missed.

To explore emerging and First Nations artists from Australia 

Prompt: Create a list of Australian artists that I haven’t heard before. Focus on newer and emerging artists and make sure First Nations artists are included in your recommendations.

To go deep on one new-to-you artist

Prompt: Find one artist I haven’t listened to yet but would probably love, or an artist I’ve only heard one or two songs from, and introduce me to them. Build a playlist of songs that’ll give me an overview of their catalog so it feels like I’m getting to know them. Put the songs you think I’ll like most in the top five spots.

As we continue to expand Prompted Playlist in this beta phase, some aspects of the experience may evolve. Usage limits are in place, and these may also change as we test and learn from listener feedback. Any scheduled updates to your Prompted Playlists will also be subject to these usage limits.

With nearly 9 billion playlists on Spotify, our listeners have proven to be endlessly creative. Now, with Prompted Playlist, you can steer the algorithm and use simple language to create something uniquely yours.

5 Ideas for Bringing the Music You Love Into Valentine’s Day

February 12, 2026

Hearts on a pink background

Valentine’s Day often comes with a soundtrack. In fact, Spotify data shows that more people used Blend, our shared playlist feature, on February 14, 2025, than on any other day in the past year. This year, whether you’re heading out on a date, hanging with friends, or flying solo, here are five ideas for bringing music into the moment.

Create a playlist for two

You and your boo can finally have a playlist you agree on. Just tap the “Create” button to invite that special someone to Blend, and Spotify will automatically mix your two music worlds. You’ll get to see where your tastes overlap (and where they diverge) as your shared playlist updates daily.

Set the vibe with your galentines

With Jam, everyone can listen together and add songs to the queue in real time. Premium users can start a Jam by tapping the “Create” button and inviting others to join. It’s ideal for Galentine’s hangs or group dinners—your friend with the control issues will love it.

See a live show in your area

Nothing beats the magic of live music. Use the Live Events hub and your personalized Concerts Near You playlist to discover local shows; perfect for date night with your crush or a solo adventure.

Soundtrack a cozy night in

Sometimes, Valentine’s Day calls for staying in. With Prompted Playlist, you can describe what you want to listen to in your own words and Spotify will turn it into a personalized playlist, drawing from both your listening history and what’s trending. Whether you’re cooking or working on a hobby, you can get specific about what you want to hear without having to build the perfect playlist from scratch.

This feature is currently in beta for Premium users in New Zealand, the U.S., and Canada. Just tap “Create” and select Prompted Playlist to get started.

Say it with a song

When you can’t find the words, find a song. Share your favorites directly with your valentine within Spotify using Messages (available for users 16+ in select markets) and let the music do the talking.

Introducing About the Song, a New Way to Explore the Stories Behind the Music

February 6, 2026

Spotify Bug on a gradient background

Music fans know the feeling: A song stops you in your tracks, and you immediately want to know more. What inspired it, and what’s the meaning behind it? We believe that understanding the craft and context behind a song can deepen your connection to the music you love.

That’s why Spotify is introducing About the Song, a new feature currently in beta that brings stories and context directly into your listening experience. Available in the Now Playing View, About the Song features short, swipeable story cards that explore the meaning behind the music you’re hearing. These stories are summarized from third-party sources to surface interesting details and behind-the-scenes moments.

About the Song (beta) is available on mobile (iOS and Android) in English for Premium users in the U.S., U.K., Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, Australia, and India.

Ready to explore the stories behind the music? Here’s how to find them.

    1. While listening in the Spotify mobile app, open the Now Playing View.
    2. Scroll down to find the About the Song card on supported tracks.
    3. Swipe through to explore the stories behind the track. We’re always looking for ways to improve, and both artists and listeners can share feedback directly via the card to help shape the experience.

About the Song is another step in our mission to bring you closer to the artists you love. Keep an eye out for the feature, and get ready to connect with music on a new level.

Ring In the New Year With New Playlists Mixed by Artists, and More Spotify Hacks

December 17, 2025

Featured musical artists on a purple background

The right playlist is essential on New Year’s Eve, building the energy as you get ready and keeping it high as you count down to midnight. This year, Spotify has your every moment covered. From pro-level party mixes to your own customized creations, here’s how to make your soundtrack unforgettable.

Set the vibe with new mixed playlists

Looking for the perfect party starter? We tapped some of your favorite artists to mix their own New Year’s Eve playlists on Spotify. Head to our Mixed By hub to find and save these new playlists from Anyma and Solomun, Rawayana, Amaarae, Cash Cobain, Jessie Ware, SG Lewis, Rochelle Jordan, Jim E-Stack, and Tiësto.

Celebrate Taylor Swift’s Record-Breaking Year and New Docuseries with Exclusive Playlist Cover Art Stickers

December 11, 2025

Stickers (Taylor's Version)

It’s been a big year for Taylor Swift. Her highly anticipated album The Life of a Showgirl broke several Spotify records, both before and after its release, including most-streamed song in a single day in platform history. Now, she’s following that up with her “The End of an Era” docuseries and “Taylor Swift | The Eras Tour | The Final Show” concert film, coming out this Friday, December 12.

To celebrate, Spotify is dropping an eras-themed playlist sticker collection. Featuring visuals from across Taylor’s discography, these limited-edition digital stickers let Swifties around the world bring the spirit of her albums to life.

Here’s how it works:

    1. Make or find a playlist: In the Spotify mobile app, select any playlist you’ve created, or make a new one.
    2. Create cover art: Tap the three dots (…) under the playlist name and select “Create cover art.” 
    3. Pick out your TS stickers: Tap “stickers” to explore the new sticker pack, dragging and dropping as many as you’d like onto your playlist cover. Look out for “Keep it 100” from The Life of a Showgirl, the heart hands of Fearless, the folklore cabin, and many more.
    4. Customize your cover: From there, listeners can add or update other elements like text, background colors, and their very own images.

Taylor’s record-breaking year

Ahead of its release, Taylor’s 12th album The Life of a Showgirl became the most pre-saved album Countdown Page in Spotify history with over 6 million pre-saves. When it dropped October 3, Swifties everywhere pressed play again…and again…and again, making it 2025’s most-streamed album in a single day, after hitting the milestone in under 11 hours.

The most popular track was “The Fate of Ophelia,” which became Spotify’s most-streamed song in a single day on its release, and later also claimed the title of most-streamed song in a week.

Head over to the Spotify mobile app now to celebrate Taylor’s big year and check out our eras-themed playlist sticker collection.

You’re in Control: Spotify Lets You Steer the Algorithm

December 10, 2025

Spotify bug on a purple background

For the first time, Spotify is giving users the power to steer the algorithm. Gustav Söderström, Spotify’s Co-President, CPO, and CTO, shares the vision behind Prompted Playlist, and how a new era of listener control is taking shape.

Spotify is entering its next chapter, and it felt worth pausing for a moment to look at how far we’ve come and what comes next. With 713 million listeners, 90% of whom say Spotify is essential to their day, we’re standing on the edge of something big. Equally important is our dedication to delivering real innovation and growth for the artists who leverage the power of Spotify to connect with their fans.

That means pushing ourselves again. Stretching the boundaries of what listening can be. And moving into a new era: one that gives you – the user – more control than ever before.

The next evolution of your Spotify

From the start, we’ve tried to make listening feel personal. You’ve seen that in Discover Weekly and Release Radar, which quietly predict what you might love. You’ve also seen it in the tools that let you shape and refresh your own playlists with precision, such as Smart Shuffle, Playlist song suggestions, and Mixing Tools.

But now we’re entering a moment where you don’t just listen to Spotify, you control it.

Imagine a Spotify that doesn’t just passively learn from you but literally listens to you. One you can steer and shape with your own words. For the first time, your ideas, your logic, and your creativity can actually power the Spotify algorithm, directing how it thinks, adapts, and responds to you.

Introducing Prompted Playlist, where your words bring your playlist to life

Starting December 11, Premium listeners in New Zealand will get early access to our latest beta feature: Prompted Playlist. It’s the first feature that puts control of the algorithm and the broader Spotify experience directly in your hands.

Prompted Playlist lets you describe exactly what you want to hear and set the rules for your personalized playlist. And unlike anything before it, this feature taps into your entire Spotify listening history, all the way back to day one. Each playlist reflects not only what you love today, but the full arc of your taste. Spotify then curates and keeps it fresh based on your listening patterns and world knowledge.

You could ask for “music from my top artists from the last five years,” then push it further with “and feature deep cuts I haven’t heard yet.” Or you could request “high-energy pop and hip-hop for a 30-minute 5K run that keeps a steady pace before easing into relaxing songs for a cool-down,” and layer on something like “include music from this year’s biggest films and most-talked-about TV shows that match my taste.” You choose how broad or specific you want to go.

You can fine-tune the results by editing the prompt, or start fresh whenever you want. And for each song, we’ll include descriptions and context that tell you the story behind the recommendation so the playlist feels alive and crafted specifically for your prompt and your taste.

You can also set it to refresh daily or weekly so your playlist always stays new and in sync with your world. Consider this your chance to curate your next Discover Weekly, exactly the way you want it. Need a little help getting started? Tap “Ideas” to pick from prompts like “songs from artists who are headlining major tours right now,” and get a playlist tailored to your taste.

For even more inspiration, our music editors and culture experts have crafted a set of fun and inventive prompts and English language algorithms that will show up as personalized playlists on Home. And because this is a beta, the experience will evolve as we scale to more listeners. We’re excited to see what we learn along the way.

Why it matters

We believe that technology is only as good as the humans behind it. Spotify listeners have created nearly 9 billion playlists, which is proof that human curation is still the heartbeat of the platform. But until now, unless you were a developer at Spotify and could write your own playlist algorithm, your best ideas might have stayed in your head.

Prompted Playlist brings those ideas to life using just the English language. There’s no longer a tradeoff between control and convenience. You finally get both.

And for artists, this unlocks smarter, more inspired discovery, surfacing their music for the right listeners and opening new ways to deepen their fan bases. 

What’s next: More control for you

This new feature is part of a broader shift in how we think about personalization and what we think consumers will expect from their services in the future. Our goal is to make Spotify more personal, more responsive, more intelligent, and more aware of the world and culture around it, in order to bring greater value to listeners, artists, and creators.

This is just the beginning of a new phase where listeners take the lead and make even more of every minute.

2026 is going to be epic for fans and artists alike. We can’t wait to share what’s coming next. Stay tuned.

Spotify Expands Music Videos in Beta to Premium Users in the US and Canada

December 9, 2025

images of artists and music videos across a dark green background.

For decades, music videos have done more than just accompany a song; they’ve shaped style, started conversations, and helped us fall in love with our favorite artists. Now, music videos in beta are rolling out to Premium users in the U.S. and Canada, bringing fans even closer to the music they love.

This expansion gives millions more listeners access to a catalog of official music videos, from studio versions to live performances and covers. The initial video catalog is limited for now while the feature is in beta, but stay tuned as availability will grow quickly over the coming months.

When we introduced music videos in beta to nearly 100 markets last year, we saw how video can elevate the listening experience—and users agree. A recent Burson survey* found that more than 70% of users say more video content would enhance their experience on Spotify.

Music videos join a suite of features like Countdown Pages, Canvas, and Clips that help artists connect with their fans on Spotify. Artists and their teams can learn more on our brand-new music videos landing page on the Spotify for Artists site. And with this launch, fans can continue experiencing the full world of an artist, beyond just their sound.

How to watch music videos on Spotify

With this rollout, Premium users in the U.S. and Canada can begin exploring an initially limited catalog of music videos from artists like Ariana Grande, Olivia Dean, BABYMONSTER, Addison Rae, Tyler Childers, Natanael Cano, and Carín León.

Here’s how it works:

    • Premium subscribers in our beta markets can open Spotify on their TV, desktop, iOS, and Android device, select a supported track, and tap “Switch to video.”
    • The music video will start playing right where the song left off. To return to background listening, simply press “Switch to audio.”
    • For a full-screen experience on mobile, turn your device to landscape mode.

 

To find additional music videos—including live and cover videos—scroll down to explore Related Music Videos, or go to an artist’s profile and look under the Music tab. You can also watch by genre and era via playlists like 90s Video Hits, Hip-Hop Throwbacks, and Latin Party Hits. Music videos will be available to all Premium subscribers in the U.S. and Canada by the end of the month.

Music videos are a proven way to help build fandom. After a fan engages with an artist’s music video, they’re more likely to dive deeper into their artistry. We’ve seen that when fans discover a track with a music video on Spotify, they’re 34% more likely to stream it again and 24% more likely to save or share it in the following week. This is especially true for super listeners, who go on to actively stream the artist 85% more in the next month, on average.

*According to a survey by Burson conducted with 8,400 respondents across 19 markets around the world between August 27-October 3, 2025.

*Update as of December 10: Music videos in beta are now available for all Premium users in the U.S. and Canada.

Lossless Listening Arrives on Spotify Premium With a Richer, More Detailed Listening Experience

September 10, 2025

Lossless on Spotify Premium is here. 

Lossless audio has been one of the most anticipated features on Spotify and now, finally, it’s started rolling out to Premium listeners in select markets. Premium subscribers will receive a notification in Spotify once Lossless becomes available to them. Whether you’re diving into a new album or revisiting old favorites, lossless delivers the highest music audio quality on Spotify.

“The wait is finally over; we’re so excited lossless sound is rolling out to Premium subscribers,” said Gustav Gyllenhammar, VP Subscriptions, Spotify. “We’ve taken time to build this feature in a way that prioritizes quality, ease of use, and clarity at every step, so you always know what’s happening under the hood. With Lossless, our premium users will now have an even better listening experience.”

Lossless is part of our commitment to continually improve Spotify Premium so fans can discover and enjoy the music they love. This highly requested feature takes your Premium experience to the next level. Together with popular features like DJ, Jam, AI Playlist, brand-new Mix, and daylist, as well as playlists curated by our leading global music editorial team, the world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service continues to get better.

With Lossless, you can now stream tracks in up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC, unlocking greater detail across nearly every song available on Spotify. So you can enjoy new releases and your favorite tracks, in the highest quality, while being immersed in the music.

Your device, your music, your listening experience, your choice

We know everyone listens differently, so we’re giving you custom settings for Wi-Fi, cellular, and downloads. Choose between Low, Normal, High, Very High, and now Lossless music quality to provide maximum flexibility and control. You’ll be able to see how much data each of these requires to make choosing easier.

Lossless is available on mobile, desktop, and tablet, as well as on many devices that support Spotify Connect, including Sony, Bose, Samsung, Sennheiser, and more. Support for additional devices, including those from Sonos and Amazon, arrives next month.

How to enable Lossless

To turn on lossless audio in the Spotify app:

    1. Tap your profile icon in the top left.
    2. Go to Settings & Privacy → Media Quality.
    3. Select where you want to enable lossless audio: Wi-Fi, cellular, downloads.

And just to note: You’ll need to enable Lossless manually on each device. You’ll know Lossless is on because the Lossless indicator will appear in the Now Playing view or bar, and via the Connect Picker.

For the smoothest and best listening experience, we recommend streaming lossless music on Wi-Fi using wired headphones or speakers on a non-Bluetooth connection, like Spotify Connect. Currently, Bluetooth doesn’t provide enough bandwidth to transmit lossless audio, so the signal has to be compressed before being sent.

Lossless gives listeners every detail of the music, which means the audio files can be larger. As users enable lossless on their devices, it may take a moment for the track to play. But once it’s cached and loaded, you are ready to listen.

When can I start listening?

Lossless is rolling out gradually to more than 50 markets through October. Premium subscribers in Australia, Austria, Czechia, Denmark, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Portugal, Sweden, the US, and the UK have already started to get access.

*Update as of October 6, 2025: Lossless is now available to Premium users in more than 50 markets.