Tag: Smart shuffle

USC Basketball Star Juju Watkins on Fashion, Film, Friendship Bracelets, and More

March 18, 2024

Listeners turn to Spotify to connect with their favorites—from artists and albums to audiobooks and podcasts. At the same time, playlists like Discover Weekly and Daylist, curated recommendations like Fresh Finds, and new features like Smart Shuffle and Jam are helping users find new favorites. In fact, nearly 2 billion music discoveries happen on Spotify every single day.

When creators share playlists, products, and personalities, they open up whole new worlds for their fans and followers. That’s why For the Record’s ongoing Discovery Monday series connects with content creators about their recent finds, whether it’s new music, podcasts, TV, food, beauty, technology, or fashion.

This month, we’re talking to college basketball star Juju Watkins. Just a freshman at the University of Southern California, Juju is already one of the most talented and high-profile players in the country. The guard has been in the public spotlight since she was a top-rated high school recruit and has attracted a massive social media following along the way. This level of popularity has turned Juju’s home games into one of LA’s hottest tickets, and it’s not uncommon to see multiple celebs in attendance on any given night. While Juju is expected to jump to the pros after college, she’s also an aspiring entrepreneur whose interests include fashion and travel.

For the Record sat down with Juju to chat about her experience as a college athlete, her life off the court, and her favorite songs, artists, and playlists on Spotify.

What new things have you discovered that you’re enjoying right now?

Lately, I’ve been fully immersed in basketball and the season. I have focused on giving my all to the game and supporting my team.

You’ve built a huge following on Instagram and count many pro athletes and musicians as fans. Are there any memorable moments you’ve had with them?

It’s been cool connecting with other pro athletes and with musicians. I’ve received friendship bracelets—it’s a small gesture, but memorable. 

What’s been the biggest difference between high school and college on or off the court? 

Managing my time and energy effectively has been crucial in transitioning from high school to college and balancing class and basketball. On the court, the biggest difference lies in the heightened level of experience, basketball IQ, and physicality. It has taught me the importance of continuous growth and adapting to new challenges.

When you’re not playing ball, what are your other pursuits?

I enjoy indulging in a few hobbies. Fashion is one of my passions, so I like shopping and expanding my style. I also like to watch movies, whether catching a film at the theater or watching one at home. Movies are a great way for me to unwind and relax off the court.

Who’s a recently discovered artist or what’s a new genre that you’ve been listening to? 

Lately, I’ve been listening to a lot of Ambré, but I enjoy exploring different genres, so I’m always open to discovering new artists.

What do you like to listen to when you’re working out or before a game?

I love to listen to Brent Faiyaz and Mali Nicole—who also happens to be my sister—for that extra motivation and personal connection to the music.

On Spotify, there are so many ways to discover—through playlists like Discover Weekly, features like our AI DJ, or tools like Smart Shuffle. Do you have a favorite?

The Smart Shuffle feature on Spotify is neat. I love New Music Fridays to stay updated on the latest drops, and artist radios are excellent ways to stumble upon unexpected gems.

Our specialty playlists like Niche Mixes and daylist help you discover based on your listening preferences. Which appeals to your specific music taste?

I’m into playlists like Lowkey and DND, but my absolute favorite is JuJu Watkins Taste—I curated it myself, so you should take a listen!

Keep up with Juju on and off the court by following her on Instagram.

Coach Sydney Carter Breaks Down Her Biggest Style Inspirations, the Joys of Owning a Dog, and the Importance of Being Yourself

October 30, 2023

When it comes to the most-loved features on Spotify, personalization tops many users’ lists. Through Spotify playlists like Discover Weekly and Daylist, editorially curated standouts like Fresh Finds, and new playlist-enhancing features like Smart Shuffle and Jam, we love helping listeners discover something new. And our listeners’ thirst for auditory adventures continues to grow, with nearly 2 billion music discoveries happening on Spotify daily.

Creators around the world also love discovery and turn on their fans to favorite playlists, products, and people. In For the Record’s ongoing Discovery Monday series, we connect with content creators and pick their brains about recent finds, whether it’s new music, podcasts, TV, food, beauty, technology, or fashion.

This month, we’re talking to basketball coach extraordinaire Sydney Carter. After reaching the highest levels of the game as a player, Sydney is now making a name for herself as one of the best-dressed coaches in women’s basketball. But more than just helping her teams succeed on the court, Sydney has become a fierce advocate for gender equality and representation in sports and life.

What’s your favorite way to discover new music on Spotify?

I’m starting to get hip to a lot of things because these young kids, they’re listening to all this type of stuff and I’m still stuck on ’90s R&B like Aaliyah. But I typically like to search for an artist, find a playlist, and then go from there. And then you’ll have different artists in that same genre that are in the mix, so I get into new stuff by listening on shuffle. That’s the easiest way for people like me.

Are there any new podcasts that you’ve listened to or discovered lately?

I love Amanda Seales’ podcast Small Doses. And then I love the podcast Don’t Call Me White Girl. Mona, the host of DCMWG, just makes me laugh. She talks about things you hear in social media and just puts her own thing on it, which I love.

Are you an audiobooks fan? What’s your favorite way to listen?

During the early part of the pandemic, I got into listening to audiobooks. There was something about that experience of listening to a book that was working for me. So I would do it when I would work out. I was big on riding my bike during COVID. I was at home all day, and so instead of listening to music the whole time, I was also feeding myself with information.

As you’ve evolved from player to coach you’ve also grown into a prominent voice for women’s empowerment for your social media followers. Do you have a mantra or mentality for staying true to yourself and your passions as your journey continues?

I mean, I always like to say that representation matters. That’s my whole thing. I never intended for any of this to happen. I grew up in a time where we didn’t have social media, so it was never like, “Okay, let me do this so I can go viral.” People my age don’t immediately think about doing things to go viral.

There’s so many young women that I’ve seen over the years who are simply not comfortable being themselves. They’re worried about what people think. They’re worried about what social media comments will say. And so a lot of people have just told me, “You make me feel like I can do anything.”

And it doesn’t even have to do with basketball or fashion. They just think they can do anything by looking at me. So I’m very grateful for that.

What is most rewarding about your work helping women college athletes progress on and off the court?

Every day, I get to help a young woman get closer to living out her dreams, whether that’s pursuing a degree or playing basketball. And so the passion that I have for coaching stems from knowing that when I come across a young woman or a young individual, I know that I’m going to do whatever it takes to help them succeed. Or if we’re on the basketball court, I’m going to be able to help them and provide them with the tools they need. And so when you see a kid whose life you were able to touch, and then they go off and they go do things, there’s nothing better than that.

When you’re seeking something new, what tools or resources do you use?

Typically when I’m thinking about just new ways to be myself or just other ideas that I’m trying to come up with, I’ll find inspiration from Google, or social media, or somewhere else and think of how I can make it me. I’ve just gotten to a point where I don’t care if no one else likes what I’m into. I don’t care if someone else thinks this idea is completely insane. If I like something, it’s simply because I like it.

When it comes to fashion, you’re well-known for your sideline looks. How did you become interested in that world?

My passion for fashion started when I was a kid, and there’s a long history of me taking pride in how I look. I grew up in a family of seven kids. And so I grew up seeing my sisters be super dainty and everything, but I was a little rough around the edges. I love playing basketball, but I always wanted to be super prissy. If you ask me, my sisters and my mom were fashion queens. My mom was wearing the high-waist pants before we were, and she got me my first pair of boots when I was in the fourth grade, and I wore them every day. That’s why my family calls me “Boots” now.

And then even when I went on to college, people always knew I was going to come out with something that ain’t nobody seen before. And I might not have had all the money or anything like that, but I was going to find a way to at least find a couple of pieces that worked for me.

Did that change at all once you started coaching?

When I started working under the coach that I played for in college, he was always like, “You wear what you want to wear. You don’t let anybody tell you that this is too much or this is extra.” He was like, “Just be yourself.” I felt empowered by that and we actually started dressing up during COVID when all the other coaches were wearing quarter-zip sweatshirts and khaki pants. He was like, “We ain’t doing that. I don’t care if it’s just me and you on the sidelines, we’re going to look nice.” And so it was me and him dressing up to the nines, and it’s what I’m comfortable in. I feel like I’m putting my best foot forward for our kids if I’m looking my best.

What’s something new that you’ve discovered lately and fallen in love with?

I’ve always loved animals and I just got a dog. She’s about to be eight months old. So I am opening my eyes to the fact that my dog is not just a dog to me. She’s like a human being. And so I think I’m always searching for clothes and all types of toys for her.

And this is not necessarily just about her, but I’m at a point where I’m truly growing up and thinking about what’s next in life, and about having kids in the picture. My family, my sisters are having kids left and right and everybody’s looking at me like, “What you doing?” So I’m really starting to think about solidifying the life that I want and doing all the things that I’m doing with fashion, with my job, with a new animal. So yeah, I think that I’m just discovering all of the blessings of life in itself.

Stay up on Sydney’s courtside couture by following her on Instagram.

Futurist Sinéad Bovell Shares Her Favorite Ways To Explore Groundbreaking Ideas in Tech

October 2, 2023

On Spotify, personalization is one of the most popular features among listeners—and we love helping listeners discover something new. Spotify playlists like Discover Weekly and Daylist, editorially curated standouts like Fresh Finds, and new playlist-enhancing features like Smart Shuffle and Jam help to drive our listeners’ thirst for auditory adventures. Altogether, nearly 2 billion music discoveries happen on Spotify every day.

But it’s not just fans who love discovery. Creators around the world are constantly sharing their favorite playlists, products, and people with their followers, which in turn helps their fans fall in love with the next best thing. And in For the Record’s ongoing Discovery Monday series, we connect with content creators and pick their brains about recent finds, whether it’s new music, podcasts, TV, food, beauty, technology, or fashion.

This month, we’re talking with Sinéad Bovell, a futurist, educator, and fashion model. Sinéad has quickly built up a loyal social media following by helping people better understand the groundbreaking ideas in the world of technology that will help push our society forward. 

What have you been up to lately? Same old same old? Discovering a new you? Or somewhere in between?

It’s maybe somewhere in between. I think I really hit the ground running in September, and so to get ready, I intentionally made the end of August a little bit quieter. With work, there’s been a lot of travel, and a lot of canceled flights, but I’ve also found time to develop a lot of new habits, mindsets, and routines. So it’s a bit of work, but then also a lot of intentional growth and things.

What are some of those new habits?

I’m really intense about my morning routine. I wake up every day and I meditate. And then I put music on and dance. Even if it’s one song, and even if I have a day full of meetings, I still find time for that. Music and dance play a big role in my day. 

I’d say in times of stress, I intentionally make space the next morning to journal. And something new is that if I feel like I’m kind of off-balance or like I’m not on my A game, I’ll intentionally push a meeting back a little bit later so I can have that time in the morning to start with a better foundation.

You’re a futurist who focuses on topics like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and politics, and you’ve built a large social media following along the way. How did you establish this space as your niche?

I’ve always been inspired by how technology can be used to solve problems. And I’ve always thought that the more you understand and learn about the future, the better you can shape it. When I was doing my MBA, I studied under a futurist, and that was a time when the light bulbs in my head went off. I realized I could study all of this technology-related data, use that to build models similar to finance or statistics, analyze societal trends, and create forecasts.

In terms of the audience I’ve developed on social media, that was really inspired by my creative path as a fashion model. That’s where I realized creatives, artists—everyone wants to have conversations around technology and the future. But it seemed like only a certain, select group of people were being invited to those conversations. So I really tried to make my social media a place where everyone can digest and hopefully shape and understand the future. And I wake up every day and try to do that.

What is most rewarding about discussing forward-thinking ideas with your followers?

I think it’s empowering people to feel like they can design and cocreate the futures that they want to be a part of. That’s where it feels the most rewarding, especially when I get messages from people that say, you know, I changed my major in school or I spoke up in this meeting about this new technology or asked more questions. Those kinds of little messages really do go a long way for me and I try to reply to as many as I can. 

And in my own practice, I know that the more I understand, the more empowered I feel. So I also feel a responsibility to, in a sense, give back to the people. And I find it quite rewarding and inspiring.

When you’re more intentional about discovering something new, what tools or resources do you use?

I spend a lot of time reading white papers. I like to see what universities are up to, what they’re publishing, and who’s getting research grants. I also do things like review my past notes on a topic and then intentionally go back in to research that topic to see how things have grown or how that industry has changed and evolved. And then I also think discovery for me is, especially when it comes to futurism, asking the right questions to even be able to search and research and get in that mindset. 

Sometimes that means I just need to have a lot of silence, meditation, and intention. Or it can mean getting out of the house, doing a workout, and really getting my mind going and feeling more inspired and thinking bigger about the questions that I go into my research with. 

What’s your go-to comfort food? Are there any recipes or restaurants you’ve discovered lately? 

My go-to comfort foods have always been, and will probably always remain, grilled cheese and chocolate-covered strawberries. Chocolate-covered strawberries changed the trajectory of my life instantly and I take that very seriously.

I’ve also recently discovered a plant-based lentil Bolognese recipe that is really good, and in New York, there’s a Jamaican restaurant that I love called Ms. Lily’s. It’s definitely not something new I’ve discovered, but every time I eat there, I rediscover why I love it. 

Is there an artist or genre that you’ve recently discovered and love?

I would say Lojay, the Nigerian singer-songwriter. I discovered him at a party I was at during the United Nations Youth Summit. We were in Rwanda and the DJ played one of his songs. When I figured out what the song was, I just put his name into Spotify. And for the last year, I’ve just let Spotify use its AI to continue to show me new songs that are either by Lojay or similar to his sound. I’ve always loved Afrobeats, but I think this year it’s kind of gone to another level, and I think the music just keeps getting better. 

What’s your favorite way to discover new music on Spotify?

Smart Shuffle or the Daily Mixes. The Daily Mixes are so easy and quite accurate, so it’s a fun way to discover new music and see how it hypothesizes your taste. It’s fun to have that pleasant surprise that comes with discovery, but discovery that’s in line with you and that you didn’t even know you liked. 

Any new podcasts you’ve gotten especially into lately? 

Huberman Lab is a newer one for me. I’ve always seen clips, but the episodes are long, so you really have to take the time to listen to each episode, which takes a very science-based approach towards exploring how the brain works.

Science, of course, plays a big role in technology and how we unpack the future. Being able to kind of absorb ideas around personalized science and optimized learning is really important for me because I spend a lot of time doing research and work by myself. So the more I can understand the science of mindset and the science of work and all of that, the better.

Are you an audiobooks fan? What’s your favorite way to listen? 

In general, there are two types of listening that I do. One is much more industry based and the other is research based. In order to stay on the cutting edge of what’s happening in the industries I work in, I have to make sure that I read and reread. 

But when it’s books that are a little bit more for pleasure or a bit more for kind of personal growth or just curiosity, I really love listening to audiobooks. I find that I can get a bit more imaginative. And with audiobooks, I actually really make time for that in my schedule. Like this is actually going to be a part of your day where you can just enjoy listening versus being intense in reading and writing things down. 

So on a Sunday morning, I’ll take three hours, walk, and listen to a book about the brain or whatever it is that I’m listening to at the time. I’ve really enjoyed doing that. 

When it comes to the latest news and breakthrough ideas in tech, where do you typically discover those? 

It’s interesting because some of the breakthroughs that come in science and technology I’ve usually already tracked. It’s society’s response to them that is new or that’s more in the moment. I think social media has a lot of problems and we could have a whole conversation on what needs to change there, but it does offer a glimpse into what’s going on with culture—not always an accurate one, but an important one to tune into. 

So I do use social media to understand how society is responding to, absorbing, or rejecting breakthroughs in science and technology. Because if you think that there’s a big pushback like we’ve seen—not a tech backlash, but people waking up to a much more assertive stance on the world of technology and the world of artificial intelligence—that’s actually led to a measurable change. 

What’s something new that you’ve discovered lately and fallen in love with? 

The hour of getting outside before my day starts has been something that I take quite seriously. Before, I would just like to rush quickly, grab a coffee, and run back to my laptop. 

But now, recognizing getting outside as an intentional part of your day and how that actually impacts the brain is something that I’ve really fallen in love with and made sure that I have time for every day.

Learn more about Sinead’s work as a futurist by visiting her tech education company, WAYE.

Discover the Songs that Help Superstar Driver Lando Norris Get Ready for Race Day

May 5, 2023

He might only be 23, but McLaren Racing’s Lando Norris is already one of the world’s biggest motorsport stars. And it’s not just racing enthusiasts who are captivated by the charismatic driver—Lando is attracting new fans to the sport in droves.

Fans are showing their love for the driver through their Spotify playlists. Last fall, searches for Lando spiked more than 400%, and to date, fans around the world have made nearly 25,000 Lando-related playlists, with title themes like “driving with Lando” and “pov: you’re dating Lando Norris.”

From among all Lando Norris–related playlists, some of the top tracks added include “Yellow” and “Speed of Sound” by Coldplay, “Golden” by Harry Styles, “Smooth Operator” by Sade, “Ferrari” by James Hype and Miggy Dela Rosa, and, of course, “Let’s Go Lando!” by Pitstop Boys. 

Meanwhile, top tracks added to Lando Norris “dating” playlists include “London Boy” and “Paper Rings” by Taylor Swift, “Perfect” by One Direction, “Adore You” by Harry Styles, and “Kiss Me More” by Doja Cat (featuring SZA). 

As Lando prepares for the big race in Miami this weekend, he’s created an exclusive Spotify playlist, Sunshine & Tan Lines, that gives fans an inside look at how music helps him get into the right mindset.

Featuring hits from the likes of Bad Bunny, Drake, Burna Boy, Lizzy McAlpine, and even Alan Jackson, Lando’s playlist has a fun and laid-back vibe inspired by the Miami sunshine.

For the Record sat down with Lando to discuss the playlist, his favorite music to listen to before getting in the car, and how he likes to relax when he’s not on the track. 

How do the songs on your playlist help you get ready for a race?

Before a race, I just want to listen to songs with good energy that remind me of good times and make me happy. I like to make sure I’m in a good mood before I go into the garage. 

So there’s a bit of variety on this playlist. There are lo-fi tracks that let me relax and chill out, and upbeat ones that get me focused. But Miami is a hot and fun place, so there are also some fun, quirky, and cheerful tracks that I can have a cheesy sing-along to.  

Are there any songs on the playlist that might surprise people?

Most of them are probably songs that people know, but they may be surprised that I have some sad songs on the playlist. I don’t know why, but I love sad songs for some reason. Not because it connects me to anything. I think a lot of it is just enjoying the lyrics, the melody, and the vibe.

What’s your go-to song when you’re on a drive?

I love a bit of country, so Alan Jackson’s “Drive (For Daddy Gene)” is one of them. Not because it’s about driving necessarily, but it’s more that I like the tune. Miley Cyrus’s “Party In The USA” is another one that I like to throw on. It’s a song that always puts a smile on my face. 

When I’m driving somewhere alone, I love singing along to songs. And typically, slower-paced songs are easier for me to remember and keep up with. It’s a time to be free, so it has to be songs that I know the lyrics to.

How do you like to relax when you’re not focused on racing?

Mostly, it’s about doing ordinary things that let me be a bit more normal and less of a racing driver. My main thing is just hanging out with friends. It doesn’t really matter what we’re doing, but as long as I’m with them, it takes my mind away from racing. As much as it’s good to focus on racing, it’s easy to overthink things. So my time with friends is important.

But when I’m chilling at home, I like to play video games and binge TV shows. I also got back into cycling recently, so when I’m in Monaco, it’s nice to ride down to Cannes or Saint-Tropez and enjoy the coast and countryside.

Golfing with friends is another thing I love. It’s one of the sports I enjoy the most outside of racing. It helps take my mind off racing, but still has a competitive aspect to it where I want to strive to be better.

What’s your favorite song that you’ve discovered recently?

Probably “ceilings” by Lizzy McAlpine. My friend sent this to me yesterday and said I had to listen to it, probably because it’s a sad song. It’s a very different song than what most people would imagine I’d listen to, but we had some good laughs about that. I also watched a documentary about Lewis Capaldi recently, so I’ve also been listening to “Wish You The Best” a lot. 

Are there any Spotify playlists or features that you love?

I probably listen to my Liked Songs playlist the most, so I would say that’s my favorite. I also thank Spotify for enhancing some of my playlists—I like to find a couple of songs that I like, and then Enhance does the rest for me, saving a lot of time.

Stream all of Lando’s favorite race-day jams on his playlist, Sunshine & Tan Lines.

Spotify’s New Experience Inspires Deeper Discovery and Connection

March 8, 2023

Spotify new Home Feed

Spotify has gone through updates and iterations throughout the years, but today, during Stream On, we unveiled our biggest evolution yet: a new, dynamic mobile interface built for deeper discovery and more meaningful connections between artists and fans. It gives listeners a more active role in the audio discovery process and gives creators more space to share their work. 

We’ve found that the next generation of listeners craves better ways to sample audio before fully diving in. So get ready for a more active experience with advanced recommendations, a spotlight on visual canvases, and a completely new and interactive design—all to make discovering new audio easier than ever before and help introduce users to their next favorite artist, podcast, or book. Together, these updates work to bring creators and fans closer than ever, and help each build lasting connections. 

“The world today pulls us in a million different directions,” said Co-President and Chief Product & Technology Officer Gustav Söderström. “So the most important thing we, at Spotify, can do for creators is to reduce the distance between their art and the people who love it . . . or who would love it as soon as they discovered it.” 

What to look out for in Spotify’s more visual, dynamic mobile experience: 

  • Music, Podcasts & Shows, and Audiobook previews on Home: Simply tap into the Music, Podcasts & Shows, or Audiobooks feed to explore visual and audio previews of playlists, albums, podcast episodes, and audiobooks personalized to you. Then, tap to save or share, go deeper into the artist or podcast pages, play from the start, or continue listening from where the preview ended.
  • New feeds for discovery in Search: Scroll up or down to explore short Canvas clips from tracks from some of your favorite genres. Then easily save the song to a playlist, follow the artist, or share it with friends—all from one place. You can also explore related genres using the hashtags within the feed for easy discovery of new favorites. You can even preview tracks on some of your favorite playlists like Discover Weekly, Release Radar, New Music Friday, and RapCaviar. 

Thanks to both of these new feeds of visual clips, you can scroll purposefully through music, podcast, and audiobook previews until you find something you like. And don’t worry—your Favorites aren’t going anywhere. Your shortcuts, or most recently played, will still appear at the top of your Home feed, so you can easily dive into whatever you were listening to last. We’re also adding previews to the top of your music, podcasts & shows, and audiobooks feeds for the first time.

  • DJ: Speaking of great recommendations . . . these announcements also follow the recent Beta launch of DJ, a new personalized AI guide for Premium users in the U.S. and Canada that knows you and your music taste so well that it can choose what to play for you. We’ve already seen so much love for DJ—both on platform and across social media—and we’re not even out to 100% of users yet. On days when users tune in, fans spend 25% of their listening time with the DJ—and they keep coming back for more, with more than half of first-time listeners coming back to listen to DJ the very next day.* 
  • Smart Shuffle: This new experience keeps listening sessions fresh with personalized recommendations that perfectly match the vibe of an original user-generated playlist. It breathes new life into carefully curated user-generated playlists, shuffling tracks and adding new, perfectly tailored suggestions.
  • Autoplay for Podcasts: Just like with music, we’re now serving Autoplay for Podcasts. When a podcast ends, another relevant episode that fits your taste will automatically play. 

We’re constantly innovating our app experience so we can connect even more artists with listeners. And with these latest updates, you’re primed to discover more music, podcasts, and audiobooks easier than ever before. 

*Results are based on eligible users (Premium users in the U.S. and Canada on mobile) and collected from February 22 – March 1.

Smart Shuffle Breathes New Life Into Your Spotify Playlists

March 8, 2023

Our users love creating playlists to reflect key moments in their lives or soundtrack moments that matter. These often become a listener’s most-streamed playlist for the first several months after creation. But over time they stream these playlists less frequently in favor of new music or mixes.

Today at Stream On, we announced Spotify’s new play mode: Smart Shuffle. This new experience keeps listening sessions fresh with personalized recommendations that perfectly match the vibe of an original playlist. It breathes new life into carefully curated playlists, shuffling tracks and adding new, perfectly tailored suggestions. As a bonus, Smart Shuffle is also available for your Liked Songs playlist.

How Premium Subscribers can use Smart Shuffle

  • Ready for a playlist refresh? Use the Shuffle button to activate the feature. As soon as you turn it on, you’ll be able to start listening to your playlist mixed with new recommendations that match the vibe.  
  • You’re in control of what you listen to. If you want to go back to listening to the playlist as you made it, simply tap the Smart Shuffle button again. A fresh mix will be waiting for you next time. 
  • Recognize the tracks we’re recommending with a sparkle (✨) symbol next to a track. For a playlist with more than 15 songs, we’ll recommend one song for every three tracks.
  • If you love what you’re listening to, save it in your playlist! But if a recommendation missed the mark, just tap the minus button on the Now Playing View so we can take note of it for next time.

Smart Shuffle builds on the song recommendation benefits of Enhance, which we launched in 2021. Enhance allows users to discover music while keeping their own track lists fresh. With Smart Shuffle, we’ve taken those capabilities a step further by creating a new experience to keep those listening sessions evergreen. As a result, Smart Shuffle will replace Enhance and will roll out to Premium users globally across iOS and Android devices starting today.

How Free Listeners can use Smart Shuffle

Free users can start getting in on the magic too. Smart Shuffle will now be the default play mode on mobile devices for Free users in Brazil, Colombia, Egypt, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Thailand, the Philippines, Turkey, and Vietnam. Smart Shuffle delivers tailored recommendations that match the vibe of what users are currently listening to—whether that’s a Spotify playlist, album, or artist page. 

Users can identify our recommendations with the sparkle (✨) next to the artist’s name, along with a banner on the Now Playing Bar that offers up more details about why we recommended a specific song or artist. With this new feature rolling out on Free, listeners are bound to discover unexpected gems based on their favorite music. 

As we continue to iterate and evolve our Free listening experience around the world, we will continue to explore bringing this feature to even more users. 

*Update as of October 19, 2023: This article was updated to include “How Free Listeners Can Use Smart Shuffle” 

*Update as of January 25, 2024: Smart Shuffle for Premium users is now available on even more playlists including Collaborative Playlists and playlists created by your squad.