Tag: product

Spotify Premium Users Can Now Turn Any Idea Into a Personalized Playlist With AI Playlist in Beta

April 7, 2024

We know that discovery happens on Spotify, with nearly two billion discoveries happening on our platform every day. Features like our AI DJ and daylist power those discoveries and bring fans closer to the artists they love. Now we’re providing our Spotify Premium subscribers with another tool to fuel discovery and music curation. With AI Playlist in beta, you can effortlessly turn your most creative ideas into playlists.

Starting with users on Android and iOS devices in the United Kingdom and Australia, creating a new playlist with AI Playlist is as simple as typing a unique prompt into the chat. Looking for “an indie folk playlist to give my brain a big warm hug,” “relaxing music to tide me over during allergy season,” or “a playlist that makes me feel like the main character”? AI Playlist has you covered. Whether you’re a beginner or an expert playlist creator, AI Playlist pairs our powerful personalization technology with AI to deliver that perfect musical mix, just for you.

 

You can use prompts that reference places, animals, activities, movie characters, colors, even emojis. The most successful playlists are generated with prompts that contain a combination of genres, moods, artists, or decades. It’s a brand-new tool, and still in beta, so we’ll continue to iterate and innovate on the experience. Stay tuned for what’s to come!

Get started with AI Playlist:

To find AI Playlist, head to the Spotify mobile app and select “Your Library” at the bottom-right corner of your screen.

    • From Your Library, tap the “+” button at the top-right corner of the app and select “AI Playlist.”
    • Select one of the suggested prompts or type your own. Get creative and be specific! For example, you could try creating “sad music for painting dying flowers” or “tracks for horse riding into the sunset.”
    • Wait as we do our magic. Spotify will offer some tracks that match the vibe you’re going for. 
    • From there, you can easily manage the selection of songs by previewing and deleting tracks. Have notes? You can revise and refine the playlists you generate by telling AI Playlist what you’re looking for (i.e., “more pop” or “less upbeat”).
    • Tap “Create,” and your new playlist will be saved automatically in Your Library.

Just like that, Spotify will help you curate a personalized playlist based on the tracks, artists, and genres we think you’ll like. While it’s designed to be fun, the tool is still in beta and won’t produce results for non-music-related prompts, like current events or specific brands. We also have measures in place around prompts that are offensive—so please prompt responsibly!

At Spotify, we aim to deliver the right piece of music for that exact moment in time. With AI Playlist in beta, we’re excited to give Premium subscribers in the U.K. and Australia a new way to discover music. Over the coming months, we look forward to continuing to iterate on this new feature to best serve our listeners.

Spotify Tests Video-Based Learning Courses in the UK

March 25, 2024

Today we’re launching a test for video-based courses on Spotify in the U.K. We’ve partnered with educational tech companies including BBC Maestro, PLAYvirtuoso, Skillshare, and Thinkific to bring video content directly to Spotify users.

U.K. users will now find video courses for purchase alongside their favorite music, podcasts, and audiobooks. The content for courses on Spotify covers a variety of topics categorized into four main themes: make music, get creative, learn business, and healthy living, giving listeners an abundance of options to expand their knowledge. 

“Testing video courses in the U.K. allows us to explore an exciting opportunity to better serve the needs of our users who have an active interest in learning,” said Babar Zafar, VP Product Development at Spotify. “Many of our users engage with podcasts and audiobooks on a daily basis for their learning needs, and we believe this highly engaged community will be interested in accessing and purchasing quality content from video course creators. At Spotify, we’re constantly striving to create new offerings for our creators and users, and having built best-in-class personalized music and podcast offerings, we look forward to exploring the potential of video-based learning on Spotify.”

With this offer, we are exploring a potential opportunity to provide educational creators with a new audience who can access their video content, reaching a bigger potential swath of engaged Spotify users while expanding our catalog. About half of Spotify Premium subscribers have engaged in education or self-help-themed podcasts.  

For this test, U.K. Free users and Premium subscribers will be able to trial at least two lessons per course for free before making the decision to purchase additional lessons, which they can do on a dedicated web page.

Try it out for yourself:

  • On the mobile app, U.K. users will find course videos in the home and browse tabs.
  • Once clicked through, users can explore available courses across the four categories before purchasing them on desktop. Once purchased, the courses will be available on mobile and desktop. 
  • On desktop: https://courses.spotify.com/home
  • Users can select courses they’re interested in, and upon purchase, start learning, watching on mobile app or desktop.

Learn more about our content partners: 

  • BBC Maestro creates content to educate and inspire people to explore their creativity. Through prerecorded lessons and detailed course notes, anyone can learn a wide range of disciplines and follow in the footsteps of experts respected all over the world. www.bbcmaestro.com
  • PLAYvirtuoso is transforming modern music learning through artist-led courses, mentoring, and structured curriculums. PLAYvirtuoso develops artists to become inspirational educators and empower young creatives with real skills and outcomes. www.playvirtuoso.com
  • Skillshare is an online learning community where millions of creatives go to develop and deepen their skills. Watch thousands of creative classes in topics including design, freelance, 3D animation, entrepreneurship, photography, productivity, and more. Join today at https://join.skillshare.com/learn 
  • Thinkific Labs Inc. is a leading platform for creating, marketing, and selling courses, digital products, communities, and learning experiences. www.thinkific.com

Preview Music, Podcasts, and Audiobooks on Spotify Home

March 8, 2023

Preview on Home

There’s so much to listen to on Spotify, and so little time. We know you don’t want to spend precious hours on titles and tracks you might not enjoy. Beginning today, when you open up Home on the Spotify app, you’ll find personalized, curated previews of the songs, podcasts, and audiobooks you might enjoy. Quickly dive into what speaks (or sings) to you, or save it for later when you need that perfect soundtrack. 

As shared during Stream On, previews make for a whole new way to sample and discover whatever you might be in the mood for, all on your Home screen. And they build on the dedicated feeds for Music, Podcasts & Shows, and Audiobooks that we introduced last year. 

Our data shows that more listeners become committed fans after previewing what they’re about to listen to, making this feature simply the latest update in our larger mission to create even deeper connections between artists and fans. 


The music feed

The music feed contains personalized recommendations for singles, albums, and playlists. At the top of the feed, you’ll see some selected mixes you might like. (If you’re a Premium user in the U.S. and Canada, you’ll also see DJ.) When available, animated song canvases will accompany audio previews, providing you with a peak into an artist’s creative world. 

The Podcasts & Shows feed

Just like music, the podcast feed contains personalized recommendations for new and familiar episodes and shows. At the top of the feed, you’ll have quick access to your shows. Automatically generated previews will showcase what’s in store. For podcasts, real-time transcriptions allow you to easily preview an episode or chapter even with the sound off. Video podcast previews let you watch and listen to the conversation.

The audiobooks feed

The audiobooks feed contains personalized audiobook recommendations. At the top, you’ll have quick access to your purchased or saved audiobooks. And to give you a taste big enough to help you make the perfect call on a purchase, the audio preview may be up to five minutes long.

After previewing, you can: 

  • Save, download, or share with just one tap: Simply tap the Plus (+) icon to save your recommendations to Your Episodes or Your Library. Then, download or queue by tapping the three dots at the bottom of the preview. 
  • Play from the start: Press Play to listen to a track, album, playlist, or episode from the start. For podcasts, tap “continue listening” to play the rest of the preview from where it began.
  • Dive even deeper: Tapping a recommendation will take you to the playlist, album, or single to explore even more related audio. 

Spotify is the first platform to enable truly seamless previews across music, podcasts, and audiobooks—and they’re now beginning to roll out to Premium and Free users globally across iOS and Android. Music and podcast previews are available in all markets where podcasts are available globally. Audiobooks previews are currently available in the U.S., the U.K., Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.

Save Your Favorite Songs, Podcasts, and More With Spotify’s Plus Button

February 27, 2023

There’s so much to stream on Spotify, and the best way to hear those tracks, playlists, and podcasts again and again is to save them directly to Your Library. Previously, you may have used the Heart icon to mark the songs you wanted to save, and the “Add to playlist” icon to add tracks or podcast episodes to your favorite playlist. 

Starting today, we’re consolidating the Heart icon and the “Add to playlist” icon into a single symbol: the Plus (+) button. When you hit Plus (+), you’ll be able to save and choose the destination for any song, playlist, or podcast with a simple tap. This upgrade is the latest step in our ongoing work to create a more intuitive experience—all leading to an easier way for you to engage with the music and podcasts you love.


New ways to use Spotify’s integrated Plus (+) button: 

  • Tap to save: To save a song or podcast episode, tap the Plus (+) button to the right of the song or episode title in the Now Playing view. After your choice has been successfully added to Liked Songs or Your Episodes, the Plus (+) will become a green check. You can change the destination of your saved content by tapping the green check.
  • Easily add an entire album to Your Library: Just click the Plus (+) button to add your favorite album, playlist, or audiobook to Your Library. You’ll see the green check once it’s been successfully added.

Why we’re upgrading the Plus (+) button

The new and improved Plus (+) button now gives users a more streamlined way to save favorite music and podcasts. Plus, in our user research, we found that the Plus (+) button upgrade helped save time and gave users the ability to add to multiple playlists at once. 

We also found that saving songs and podcasts makes users more likely to listen to them again, which means more love for those artists or shows you’ve discovered. So it can do everything the Heart button does—and more! Plus, everything you’ve already saved to your Liked Songs or Your Episodes will still be there. 

This feature will begin to roll out to all users globally on mobile (iOS and Android) beginning today and will become available to all Spotify users in the coming weeks. Stay tuned for more updates to help you more easily engage with the music and podcasts you love.

5 Things To Know About the Newest Limited Release of Car Thing

October 14, 2021

At Spotify, we believe in finding the best audio companion for every moment, whether you’re taking on household chores, enjoying a moment of peaceful mindfulness, or on the go. So a few months ago, we announced our newest exploration: the limited release of Car Thing, a smart player that fills your car with music, news, entertainment, talk, and more. With Car Thing, you can play your favorite audio faster, so you’re already listening to that hit song or the latest podcast episode before you’ve even pulled out of the driveway. 

Today, we’re expanding our limited U.S. release of Car Thing to users who are interested in purchasing the device. Our goal is to bring our entire catalogue of music and podcasts to a wider range of users across an even wider range of vehicles. 

Here’s what you need to know:

  1. Select users in the U.S. who have signed up for the Car Thing waitlist will be among the first to purchase Car Thing for $79.99.
  2. All U.S. Spotify users—Free and Premium—can sign up for the Car Thing waitlist. 
  3. Car Thing does require a paid Spotify Premium subscription plan—whether that’s an Individual, Family, Duo, or Student plan—and connects to your smartphone for mobile data. 
  4. We’ve already released some software updates and will continue to evolve and improve it over time.
  5. Check out if you’re eligible and the other terms that apply.

Already on the waitlist? Get into the road trip feeling by streaming Songs to Sing in the Car.

How To Get Straight to the Music With Spotify Tap™

September 28, 2021

If you’re on the go, you’re likely putting in your headphones so you can soak up your favorite playlist. And we all know the drill: You turn on your phone’s Bluetooth, place it in your pocket, shove the buds in your ear, juggle your coffee to the other hand, and finally, reach back into your pocket to grab your phone again to open up your Spotify app and press play. 

But the days of this overture are becoming a thing of the past. More and more headphones and earbuds are now supporting Spotify Tap—the simplest way to jump back in where you left off or get served something new and fresh based on your personal taste.

 

Spotify Tap allows you to launch your next listening session with a single tap of a button. It’s an effortless experience that brings all listeners one step closer to smart, easeful listening. Simply put on your headphones and get your tunes playing with a tap. Your music will start streaming from wherever you left off. Not feeling that song? Another tap plays a different recommendation just for you. 

You can find Spotify Tap on headphones and earbuds from the likes of Samsung, Microsoft Surface, Bose, Skullcandy, and Jabra, with even more brands coming later this year and in 2022. Head over to Explore Spotify to find the right pair for you.

Many brands support Spotify Tap right out of the box. While on some models, you do need to configure Spotify Tap in order to get going. Here’s how:

  1. Download the companion app for your headphones or earbuds, then open the app and navigate to settings to configure the shortcut button.
  2. Select “Spotify Tap.”
  3. Out of the app, simply tap the headphone shortcut button and Spotify will immediately resume from where you last left off. 

With Spotify Tap, we’re helping our listeners jump instantly into the music they love—all with a simple tap of a button. Spotify Tap will continue to evolve and move to even more surfaces in the future, so stay tuned for updates down the road.

Head over to Explore Spotify to find the perfect pair of Spotify-integrated headphones or earbuds. P.S. Once there, you can also flip through other hardware—like smart speakers, phones, and watches—with Spotify integrated.

Share What You’re Listening to on Spotify with Snapchat

September 9, 2019

With Spotify, you can listen to your favorite music and podcasts anytime, anywhere. With Snapchat, you can share what you’re up to instantaneously. Soon you’ll be able to combine the two seamlessly and share what you’re listening to in a Snap [story].  

As part of a new integration, all Spotify users who have the Snapchat app installed will be able to share your favorite tracks, playlists, albums, and podcasts right to Snapchat for sharing with friends directly or posting to your Story. Here’s how: 

  1. Tap the “share” menu (three dots on the right of the screen) while you’re listening to any song, album, artist, or podcast.
  2. Select “Snapchat” from the dropdown list.
  3. Snapchat will open a new Snap with the full album art included.
  4. Edit and send—whether to a few people or to your Story!

If a friend sends you a Snap with a song, playlist, artist profile, or podcast rec included, you can start streaming with a few quick steps:

  1. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
  2. Tap the context card with song, artist, playlist, or podcast info.
  3. Spotify will open and play away! (If you don’t have the Spotify app yet, download it for free here.)

With this new way of sharing, it’s quicker and easier for friends to share what they’re listening to — and for others to start listening.

Look out for the integration, rolling out soon across iOS and Android devices.