Tag: tips and tricks

How to Get the Most Out of Search on Spotify

May 27, 2021

There’s a lot of great music and podcasts on Spotify. Like a lot. We are talking about over 70 million tracks and more than 2.6 million podcast titles. Having that many songs and episodes at your fingertips is great. Knowing how to find it? Even better. 

Using the search functionality on Spotify can help you find exactly what you’re looking for quickly and efficiently. So to help you become the master of search, we’ve rounded up a few tips and tricks to employ.

Filters on mobile: Categorizing with ease

Just last week, Spotify began rolling out Filters while using search on mobile devices. These filters are designed to help you find information faster and more easily, and allow you to categorize your results by artists, songs, playlists, albums, and more. By clicking on the appropriate tab, you can discover the exact type of music or podcast you’re looking for. For example, if you type in “The Office,” you can filter your results by “Podcast & shows,” where you’ll find content like An Oral History of The Office.

Lyrics search: No need to name that tune

Ready to hear that song you can’t stop singing, but can’t remember the actual name of the song? With Lyrics search, we have you covered. Gone are the days where you need to type the words into a web search engine. Maybe “I’ve been hiding for so long” is stuck in your head. Just start typing the lyrics into the search bar and Spotify will populate the songs that contain the same phrase, which, in this case, is girl in red’s “girls.”  

Using “Hey Spotify” for voice search: Footloose and hands-free

For users in the U.S., take a try at going hands-free by using your voice to search. First, to enable a hands-free voice experience, just tap on the microphone or say “Hey Spotify” when you’re in the Spotify app. Using voice search will allow you to get to your content faster. Next time you’re in the car or busy in the kitchen, give the functionality a go by saying “Hey Spotify, play Discover Weekly” or “Hey Spotify, play ’90s R&B.” You can even play content specific to your account, like “Hey Spotify, play my Liked Songs.”

Now that you’re well versed on the search functionality, it’s time to put that knowledge to use and crank up the tunes or find your next podcast binge.

4 Tips to Make the Most of Your 2021 Wrapped

January 12, 2021

Every December, Spotify unveils your yearly Wrapped, a personalized in-app experience that celebrates the music and podcasts you’ve streamed the most that year. It’s something our listeners look forward to all year long. The results are always a surprise—and more so in some ways than others. Last month, when you opened your 2020 Wrapped, did you notice that your kids’ obsession with Elsa took over your Wrapped cards? Or maybe those many hours of listening to soothing audio while you slept skewed your Wrapped results. 

If that was the case, check out the four tips below to better ensure your 2021 Wrapped is a true representation of you. After all, it’s less than 11 months away.

1. Remove the audio you fall asleep to with private listening mode

If you’re streaming a lot of music or sounds to help you sleep, it may not be the most accurate representation of your listening habits. So go “incognito” with Spotify’s Private Listening mode. Private Sessions allow you to enjoy whatever it is you’re listening to discreetly—meaning it won’t show up in your Friend Activity. It also won’t influence your personalized music recommendations, like Discover Weekly or Release Radar, or be counted toward your Wrapped roundup. 

Simply turn on private listening mode on your mobile device by tapping “Home,” and then heading to “Settings.” From there, under “Social,” switch on “Private Session.” To end the Private Session, simply repeat the steps.

2. Give your children their own musical experience—and preserve your own—with Spotify Kids

If your top song slots in Wrapped went to the latest Disney ballads and nursery rhymes, know that you’re not alone. Parents give up a lot for their kids, and a Wrapped experience exclusive to their listening habits is no exception. Luckily, thanks to the Spotify Kids app, which is exclusive to Spotify Premium Family plan subscribers, children can now enjoy listening to their favorite tunes via a playground of sound that’s separate from their parents’ listening experience. The app is designed specifically for kids, and the content is handpicked by a team of editors. All you need to do is subscribe to the Premium Family plan and then Download the Spotify Kids app to give your kids a music experience of their very own (and reclaim your streaming stats). If your family is looking for songs to get groovin’ to, check out this roundup of the top songs played on Spotify Kids in 2020.

3. Discover more artists, podcasts, and genres with audio for everyone and everything

There’s a world of audio content on Spotify within your reach. So if you’re looking for something new, try the search bar on for size. You can browse playlists—whether Spotify created or user generated—for any activity or mood. These custom creations might speak to you in the moment, as well as help you expand your musical repertoire. In next year’s Wrapped, you might not only see a shift in your top artists, but also in your genres, like exchanging “indie rock” and “pop” for the uniquely specific genres like “permanent wave” and “escape room.” Or, if you’re looking to explore a different type of audio, tap “Podcasts” to browse shows by genre (like true crime or sports), by podcast playlists, or even by podcast charts. 

4. Access Wrapped year-round

Wrapped happens once a year—but it doesn’t disappear come January. Access your 2020 Wrapped year-round by heading to the “Search” section of the app and scrolling through “Browse all.” From there, you’ll be able to replay your 2020 Wrapped experience, as well as stream your personalized playlists, such as Your Top Songs 2020, Missed Hits, and On Record. Plus, keep scrolling to find the rest of the top tracks, artists, and podcasts of the year.

For more Wrapped behind the scenes, check out our Spotify: Discover This podcast.

3 Tips & Tricks to Enhance Your 2020 Wrapped Experience

December 9, 2020

Last week, we unveiled the artists, songs, and albums the world streamed the most in 2020, as well as personalized 2020 Wrapped results for our eligible Free and Premium users. By now, if you’ve indeed “unwrapped” your Wrapped, you probably learned which song you streamed the most, how many artists you discovered, and the number of hours you binged one particular podcast—but that’s not where the fun stops. 

Here are a few tips on three new features we’ve unveiled to help you get even more out of your 2020 Wrapped experience.

1. Check out the new Wrapped voice commands

Did you know you can play Spotify using your voice? Tap Search on your mobile app and you’ll find a small microphone button to the right of the bar. Hit the icon (you may have to grant the Spotify app permission to access your phone microphone if this is your first time using the feature) and simply ask Spotify to play any artist, song, or playlist.

Now, Free and Premium users in the U.S. will also be able to use that same microphone icon to ask Spotify about their Wrapped. Hear one of a dozen unique and personalized facts about your 2020 music and podcast listening habits by saying something like: 

  • “Tell me a Wrapped fact”
  • “Tell me about my listening habits”
  • “Tell me about my listening history”
  • “Tell me a 2020 listening fact”

Or you can ask it to play music featured in your Wrapped:

  • “Play my top songs from 2020”
  • “Play my top songs from this year”
  • “Play my 2020 top songs”
  • “Play my top songs playlist”
  • “Play my top songs”
  • “Play my Wrapped 2020”
  • “Play your top songs 2020”
  • “Play your top songs from this year”

2. Get fancy with our social media integrations

Users and artists love to share their Wrapped on social media channels like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and Snapchat—and 2020 Wrapped sharing is already in full force. This year, users can even use two new interactive Instagram Story lenses, Kaleidoscope and Data Story Quiz, to share their reactions and test their 2020 listening knowledge. Here’s how:

  1. Navigate to Spotify’s official global Instagram profile (@Spotify).
  2. Tap the “Effects” icon (after “Grid” and “IG TV”) to reveal all of Spotify’s custom filters.
  3. Select the “Kaleidoscope” or “Data Story Quiz” lenses and tap “Try It” to check them out!

This year, we’re also adding one more social media channel to the mix: TikTok. This custom Wrapped integration for U.S. and UK TikTok users, available through Thursday, December 11, combines the best of 2020 Wrapped with custom TikTok videos. Here’s how:

  1. Open up the TikTok app and tap the Plus button to create a video.
  2. On the video recording screen, tap Effects to search for the branded 2020 Wrapped effect. 
  3. Tap the 2020 Wrapped effect icon and you’ll see a flash of color take over the screen. After the flash, the prompt “My #2020Wrapped Top _____ is” will appear.
  4. Share your completed stat with a TikTok video creation!

3. Customize your Share Cards

This year, for the first time, users can also customize their share cards before posting them to their social media feeds. On the final screen, you’ll be able to choose from one of four distinct color choices to personalize your Wrapped more than ever before.

Check out all of these features and more by heading to Spotify.com/Wrapped. 

How We’re Answering Users’ Questions With New ‘Tips and Tricks’ Initiative

May 28, 2020

If you’ve ever asked yourself, “How do I customize my Spotify profile?” or wondered if you can create a playlist of both music and podcasts, you’re not alone. The Spotify app (and the Spotify Kids app, for that matter) has capabilities many users may not expect or realize—but no longer. As part of a new social-driven program on @SpotifyCares, we’re unveiling Spotify Tips & Tricks, an ongoing product education resource that will highlight the amazing features and content you may not be familiar with that Spotify has to offer.

The initiative will surface bite-sized—you guessed it—tips, tricks, and how-to information on everything from redeeming gift cards to changing your display name to making a playlist. It will cover features available for users across all of our Free or Premium offerings.

Our hope is to engage with you, our users, to proactively identify your pain points and solve problems, help you find and enjoy our premium product experiences and offerings, and ultimately make sure you’re getting the most of your audio experience—all while continuing to be the brand you know and love.

Can’t wait for the insider info? Follow @SpotifyCares, our channel for customer service, on Twitter, where we’ll be launching the new content series. Find the answers to topics such as how to listen while offline, find different methods for Premium account payment, and connect with integrated devices like smart speakers and watches.

As the name Spotify Cares suggests, we care about our users and helping you make the most of the app. Plus, after you follow @SpotifyCares on Twitter, stay on the lookout for the Tips & Tricks initiative on the Customer Support YouTube channel and FAQ site.