Photo: Bogdan Popa/autoevolution/Spotify
The latest Spotify update is centered around a feed whose role is to enhance content discovery within the app. Seemingly inspired by the likes of TikTok and Instagram, the feed lets users scroll on the Home screen to come across music, podcasts, and audiobooks easier.
The music discovery engine is a key Spotify feature, and the company has tried to improve it with several big updates.
The AI-powered DJ that was announced earlier this year also helps in this regard, as it suggests songs and provides contextual information on the playing content.
Spotify’s new redesign might be going a little bit too far with this TikTok-inspired approach.
Turning the Home tab into a feed is supposed to provide users with some sort of exploration experience that requires infinite scrolling. It’s available for music, podcasts and shows, and audiobooks.
The information is presented in pure TikTok style, with a thumbnail that shows a content preview. Additional details are provided right below the thumbnail.
Spotify says everything you see in the feed is a personalized recommendation. This means you’re only getting the content that fits you best, regardless of the category you choose. In every case, the previews are automatically generated, and for audiobooks, you can listen to up to five minutes of content without saving or downloading.
The feed also provides more controls, so users can just press play to listen to a track, album, or podcast episode from the start. For podcasts, there’s also a continue listening option that allows users to resume from where they left off after watching the preview.
Spotify offers options to save and download content to their libraries. This is the main sign that the feed might have served you well, as you were provided with content that matched your interests. And last but not least, you can tap a recommendation to see the entire playlist, album, or single to view more related songs.
The TikTok-inspired approach is likely to be received with mixed reactions by the Spotify user community. While the content discovery has always been an essential Spotify feature, the feed would require users to engage with the app for much longer. The purpose of Spotify is to provide users with audio to listen to, so in many ways, we’d have to spend more time in the app to come across high-quality content.
The new Spotify feed is rolling out to all users on Android and iOS, no matter if they have a Premium subscription or not. Music and podcast previews also launch globally, but on the other hand, audiobook previews are only offered in a limited number of countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. More countries are likely projected to get it shortly, but further specifics will be shared at a later time.
The AI-powered DJ that was announced earlier this year also helps in this regard, as it suggests songs and provides contextual information on the playing content.
Spotify’s new redesign might be going a little bit too far with this TikTok-inspired approach.
Turning the Home tab into a feed is supposed to provide users with some sort of exploration experience that requires infinite scrolling. It’s available for music, podcasts and shows, and audiobooks.
The information is presented in pure TikTok style, with a thumbnail that shows a content preview. Additional details are provided right below the thumbnail.
Spotify says everything you see in the feed is a personalized recommendation. This means you’re only getting the content that fits you best, regardless of the category you choose. In every case, the previews are automatically generated, and for audiobooks, you can listen to up to five minutes of content without saving or downloading.
The feed also provides more controls, so users can just press play to listen to a track, album, or podcast episode from the start. For podcasts, there’s also a continue listening option that allows users to resume from where they left off after watching the preview.
Spotify offers options to save and download content to their libraries. This is the main sign that the feed might have served you well, as you were provided with content that matched your interests. And last but not least, you can tap a recommendation to see the entire playlist, album, or single to view more related songs.
The TikTok-inspired approach is likely to be received with mixed reactions by the Spotify user community. While the content discovery has always been an essential Spotify feature, the feed would require users to engage with the app for much longer. The purpose of Spotify is to provide users with audio to listen to, so in many ways, we’d have to spend more time in the app to come across high-quality content.
The new Spotify feed is rolling out to all users on Android and iOS, no matter if they have a Premium subscription or not. Music and podcast previews also launch globally, but on the other hand, audiobook previews are only offered in a limited number of countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. More countries are likely projected to get it shortly, but further specifics will be shared at a later time.
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