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As Spotify adds more AI cruft, all I want is better audio
Are randomized songs really too much to ask for?
Spotify has just unveiled an exciting new AI Playlist feature. This innovative tool generates fresh playlists tailored to your unique music taste, drawing from your listening history and preferences. But so do all the other playlists and the recently added DJ. Sure, it sounds like a promising way to discover new music, but it's not the only thing on users' minds. Many are very eager for improvements to basic features like the shuffle button, something that hasn't lived up to expectations for many, and yet AI is the focus.
5 features Spotify ripped off its rivals
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, and Spotify lives by it
Spotify, one of the best music players, tops the global charts with almost a third of the streaming market under its belt. To achieve this kind of domination, leaving behind heavyweights like Apple and Google, one would guess Spotify must be churning out new, innovative features to attract new users from its rivals and maintain existing users. But what if I told you that many of your favorite Spotify features have actually been ripped from other streaming services, for better or worse? Here are the top five features Spotify ‘borrowed’ from its rivals.
Spotify has a new option for you if Discover just doesn't cut it
Spotify AI Playlist can generate new playlists for you in just a few prompts
Spotify is among our favorite music streaming services for a reason. Beyond its expansive music library and excellent app, Spotify stands out with features like Spotify Connect and Spotify Lyrics. More recently, Spotify added music videos to its platform to tackle YouTube Music head-on. But the heart of any music platform lies in discovery. To combat playlist fatigue and help you find fresh tunes, Spotify is taking AI's help.
Spotify loses focus and wants to be a learning platform now
The music streaming service has started offering video-based courses in the UK
Spotify is among the world's largest and most popular music streaming platforms. Over the years, the service has expanded to include audiobooks and podcasts, with music videos getting a limited release on the platform earlier this month. In a new experiment, Spotify is now adding video-based courses to its library in the UK.
Spotify tackles YouTube Music head-on with music videos
It’s a limited release for now, but Spotify has big plans
For all its early flaws, there has always been one key feature YouTube Music stands for long before anyone else: access to all the music videos. With Spotify’s latest announcement, this advantage might soon fizzle out, though. The Swedish streaming giant has announced that it will start rolling out music videos in beta for select regions and titles.
Spotify launches standalone audiobooks tier in the US, undercutting Audible
But for $10, you might as well just get Premium and unlock everything, music and all
It looks like Spotify is determined to grow beyond just music lovers. While the platform's huge library of music has something for everyone, it also offers exclusive content you can't find elsewhere, like podcasts. But the company is not stopping there. After treating Premium users in the US to free audiobooks every month, Spotify has now launched a whole new subscription tier just for audiobooks called the Audiobooks Access Tier.
Android's media player is finally getting Spotify integration, but we still don't know when
Google is again re-introducing a feature it first announced at CES 2023
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Android 13 introduced a squiggly new media player notification, which also allows you to quickly change the output source to other paired or connected Google Cast devices. Back at CES 2023, Google announced it was partnering with Spotify to integrate Spotify Connect into Android's media player. More than a year later, the feature is yet to roll out, with both companies long remaining silent since the initial announcement. It appears the feature could finally go live, as Google again re-introduced the Spotify integration with Android's media player at MWC 2024.
Apple Music wants to make importing Spotify playlists much easier
Some lucky Android users have early access to the feature in the latest Apple Music beta
If you're thinking about switching music streaming services, whether it's for exclusive artists or better features, you don't have to ditch your carefully curated playlists. However, manually rebuilding them could take quite a while, so the best option is to consider an easier route. For example, if you're eyeing the switch from Spotify to Apple Music, you can turn to third-party apps like SongShift to migrate your playlists, although you'll have to log in to your Apple account to complete the transfer. Now, Apple seems to be making that process much easier by making the transfer a native experience within Apple Music.
Spotify offers free music streaming access, but not without limits. You can only download songs for offline use or have an ad-free experience when you subscribe to a premium plan. It's an easy process, but switching to a different payment method in the future is tricky as the mobile app doesn't support it. You'll use a web browser, and it's a long process.
The 10 most common Spotify problems with simple fixes
Fix common Spotify problems and enjoy seamless music streaming
Spotify has become synonymous with streaming music, and the digital giant isn't satisfied with just music. It has been expanding to all streaming audio. It funds popular existing and new podcasts to attract untapped listeners. It also offers a library of more than 200,000 audiobooks. Spotify is available on most modern devices, from desktop PCs and laptops to phones, tablets, and the best smart speakers.
It's time to uncork your 2023 Spotify Playlist in a Bottle
What were your listening tastes a year ago?
Spotify is up there among the behemoths of music streaming apps, and if you're going by subscriber count, it's the top dog. There’s a lot to love about the software that launched way back in 2008 (that’s 16 years ago!) and has only improved in the last decade-and-a-half against steep competition in Apple Music and YouTube Music. Back in 2016, Spotify launched “Spotify Wrapped,” which was a cool stat-tracking feature that recapped what you listened to most over the course of the year. It’s become an industry staple, and last year, Spotify doubled-down on fun user experiences with its “Playlist in a Bottle.” For anyone who participated in that last January, it’s now time to pop open those bottles.
YouTube Music still needs these crucial features to compete with Spotify and Apple Music
While YouTube Music offers some unique advantages, there are still several key features that it's missing
For music enthusiasts, it's not always about sound quality, even though audiophiles tend to prioritize superior audio fidelity. In search of that perfect unicorn of music streaming apps, it's the overall listening experience that strikes a chord with discerning listeners, and that's something that still feels lacking in YouTube Music.
Spotify is a great music and podcast streaming platform, with more than 100 million tracks and 5 million podcasts available at a reasonable price. The ad-supported subscription makes Spotify an enticing prospect if you can't justify another subscription service. What if you signed up and want to cancel? Maybe you're tired of hearing the same mixes or started cycling to work and want to enjoy the sounds of nature.
Spotify announces its third set of layoffs this year, reducing its headcount by 17%
The streaming service wants to become “relentlessly resourceful” going forward
2023 started with all major tech companies announcing major layoffs to reduce their headcount amidst an economic slowdown. While Google and Facebook laid off thousands of employees, Spotify axed 600 people from their jobs as a part of an organizational restructuring after the company's operating expenses grew at twice the rate of its revenue in 2022. The music streaming service is ending the year on a similarly somber note, announcing a 17% reduction in its headcount.
Spotify would rather leave regions outright than deal with fair-pay laws
The music streamer is playing the victim as it abandons Uruguay
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Spotify is one of the biggest music streaming apps on Android, and it consequently accounts for a lion’s share of earnings for artists through music streaming. Copyright law usually governs the payment of royalties from streaming, and that’s also the case in Uruguay, reportedly the world’s 53rd largest market for music. However, the local government voted a budgetary bill into existence in October, which has prompted Spotify to play the victim card and shut shop in the country. However, the amendments may not be as far-sighted as they seem.
YouTube Music's Recap is here to cure your Spotify Wrapped FOMO
Google is known for launching YouTube Music seasonal recaps as well
If you use Spotify to stream music, you might look forward to your Wrapped at the end of the year, which recaps your listening habits. Wrapped has become somewhat of a cultural phenomenon, with Spotify users sharing their results on social media as soon as the feature goes live. That being said, Spotify’s competitors have recognized the growing phenomenon, and YouTube Music has been trying to make its own mark.
How to use Spotify's web player
Enjoy app-free access to millions of songs, podcasts, videos, and audiobooks with Spotify's web player
In a world where there's an app for everything and nothing, it doesn't take long before internal device storage starts to creak at the seams. Spotify users can use the web player to avoid another app installation and access millions of songs, podcasts, videos, and audiobooks. It's also a great way to circumvent download restrictions on workplace or public machines.
It's that time of year again: Spotify Wrapped is back. Providing a playlist of your own personal greatest hits of the previous 12 months, Wrapped has fun features and provides interesting insights into your listening habits. As long as you listen to Spotify throughout the year, whether it's on your Android phone or smart speaker, Wrapped becomes available near the end of each year.
Spotify Wrapped is here to highlight your 2023 musical journey
Time to smile and cringe as you look back on your listening habits
One of the best parts about being a Spotify subscriber is that you get a personalized deep dive into the evolution of your musical tastes over the last year with Spotify Wrapped. Sure, other music apps offer a similar summary nowadays, but Spotify is the industry leader for a reason, and the level of detail you get with Wrapped reflects that. Now, the company has made Spotify Wrapped 2023 available to all of its users.
Google and Spotify’s secret 4% service fee goes public as antitrust trial rolls on
The deal, which Google tried to keep sealed, was revealed in the Epic v. Google trial
As the Google v. Epic antitrust trial continues, more of Google’s undisclosed deals are coming to light. The tech giant was brought to court after Epic Games challenged its Play Store fees, leading some to question if it was stifling competition. Most recently, a deal Google tried to forge with Netflix surrounding discounted in-app purchase fees was made public. Now, a similar deal between the tech company and streaming company Spotify has been revealed in court.