At its Stream On event on Wednesday, Spotify announced that it would be introducing a new user interface that would be comparable to an Instagram or TikTok feed. The change will affect how Spotify recommends music to users by displaying music video clips and other visual aspects rather than its standard album list.
To make it simpler for users to locate new content to listen to and watch, Spotify is redesigning the core home screen of its app. The new layout emphasizes imagery and vertical scrolling, transforming your home screen from a set of album covers into a feed that is significantly more similar to Instagram and TikTok. Spotify also wants to make it easier to find new things in the Spotify ecosystem as you scroll.
Daniel Ek, Spotify’s chief executive officer, and founder stated that the updates include an “entirely new” home feed that has been “completely redesigned from the ground up.” He went on to say, “You’ll see Spotify, I think, come alive. You’re gonna see a lot more interactive content.”
The new look that Spotify just unveiled at its Stream On event exemplifies the kind of business and product Spotify wants to be. It has made significant investments in podcasts, audiobooks, live audio, and other formats over the past few years to be more than just a music app. Additionally, the company wants to be a home for creators: In 2021, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek stated that he envisioned the platform having more than 50 million “audio creators.” Spotify has also worked hard for years to get video podcasts started, and it now mostly watching as YouTube does it.
It’s a lot to pack into a single Spotify app when you combine everything. In an apparent never-ending effort to encourage users to consume more distinctive and profitable content, Spotify frequently made music listening more difficult. As a result, it appears that the app’s new design is intended to provide additional dedicated space for these new types of content. Spotify has tried for years to combine podcasts, music, and other content, but it now seems to realize that giving each more space to breathe is the best solution.
You will continue to see several album and playlist covers at the top of Spotify in the future. However, underneath might be a video podcast that starts automatically and you can tap to enter. Alternately, you might see a large image resembling one from Instagram that aims to tell you a little bit more about a playlist you might like.
If you tap on “Music” or “Podcasts & Shows” at the top, you’ll be taken to a vertically scrolling feed dedicated to that section of Spotify. It looks a lot like Instagram Stories or TikTok than Spotify. You can go through as many as you want, and each one will play automatically to show you what it is. If you tap on one, you can save it or explore or learn more about it.
The design demonstrates a conflict between Spotify’s desire to make the app a calmer and easier-to-navigate environment and its efforts to attract new users. The app now has more autoplaying content than ever before, and there are many ways to quickly preview songs and playlists before diving in. Vertical full-screen scrolling is now commonplace and a useful discovery tool. Millions of people are accustomed to swiping a dozen items before finding one they like. Additionally, every song, playlist, and podcast now has a briefer opportunity to grab you.
Album covers from the streaming service will appear at the top of the app’s feed, but an autoplaying podcast or music video may appear directly below them. The client will want to select the posted video or podcast which will take them to a page that is exclusively structured around that section.
The new Spotify interface is “built for deeper discovery and more meaningful connections between artists and fans,” according to a press release. It is “one of the biggest evolutions” to come to the app since its inception.
“As we look to the future, we are excited to expand that ambition to even more creators across new formats. We’re enabling more creativity, discovery, and personalization than ever before by providing the best resources, support, and interactivity,” Ek said in the release.
“We are focused on building the best home for them—a place where they can establish a career, thrive, and grow, and where the world can be inspired by their creativity. And that’s what we’ve been doing for almost 17 years: building, improving, and reimagining this home to better meet creator needs and help them chart new pathways to success.”
Starting today, the change will be made available to more than 500 million active Spotify users. With it, users will be able to view previews of music, podcasts, and audiobooks as well as updated discovery feeds that will make it simple to click on a song, playlist, or artist. According to the press release, users will also have access to a curated playlist-making Smart Shuffle option and a personalized AI DJ.
These updates are also meant to help artists, and a new feature called Spotify for Artists will let users who like similar music genres meet and showcase artists.
In the press release, Ek stated, “Today, there are more than 10 million creators on Spotify, with over half a billion listeners across 184 countries and markets. Think about the massive potential that represents for creators. No matter where you are on your creative journey within music, podcasts, or audiobooks.”
“The potential to reach half a billion people,” he added. “And that reach is about to become more powerful with what we’ve introduced today.”
Spotify’s main and, for the most part, the only method of discovery has been playlists; however, the new design places a much greater emphasis on introducing you to new content. That makes perfect sense in the podcasting industry, where Spotify desperately needs to find a way to recoup its substantial investments. Even though the company has reduced its team in the field and Ek has admitted that he made a mistake by placing such a large bet on new audio formats, this does not mean that he is slowing down.
The other new thing you might see in Spotify is more personalized artificial intelligence. The “just for you playlist” concept that Spotify has been working on for years is said to be improved by the Smart Shuffle feature, which temporarily adds tracks to your existing playlists. DJ, the AI that spins records and hosts your own personal radio show, is also included.
Despite being the most significant player in music streaming, Spotify still wants to own audio even more. The new design really demonstrates that: that Spotify is no longer a music app and should not appear to be one, nor should it, ideally, appear to be a jumble of content.
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