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For many people, music is their bloodline. People love listening to music while commuting, working, sleeping, or socializing with friends. Because of this, music streaming has become the norm for many people, with over 616.2 million active listeners globally. The biggest platform for music is Spotify, but the competition is tight. To gain an edge in the music streaming market, Spotify redesigned its mobile app.
This new Spotify redesign emphasizes spreading awareness of the platform’s massive catalog of music, podcasts, and other audio content. Inspired by the formatting and algorithms of popular social media platforms, the overhaul aims to create a more tailored experience for its users. This ability to promote relevant content was already known as one of the app’s most robust features, and this Spotify redesign might solidify the streaming platforms’ position on top.
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Where Did the Spotify Redesign Come From?
Spotify was founded in Sweden in 2006 by Daniel Ek and Martin Lorentzon, who both had experience in various Internet startups. At the time, most music sharing was done illegally and on websites where people shared downloaded files. So, the two theorized on a platform where music could be shared legally.
While it took some time to gain momentum, the two achieved support from various music labels. With Mark Zuckerberg’s support, Spotify began offering its services in the United States in 2011. Spotify was initially designed as a computer platform, but they were slow to release a mobile app.
While Spotify mobile was massively successful, streaming music and podcasts on phones has become one of the most significant aspects of the industry. From this, competitors rose. Apple Music, tech giant Apple’s attempt at making a music streaming competitor to Spotify, was released in 2015 to supplement their more traditional iTunes music purchasing platform. Giving all iPhone users a 3-month free trial has made it come close to supplanting Spotify’s position.
To keep the competition strong, Spotify released other features to maintain its success. Spotify Wrapped was announced in 2016 as a way for its users to see the music of their past year, which artists, songs, and albums they enjoyed, through a combination of playlists and slideshow showcasing their rankings and statistics. This was massively successful. Frequent users shared their playlists and top artists all over the internet.
However, a once-a-year event wasn’t enough to keep an edge, and many other platforms adopted similar practices. There is a calling for Spotify to cement its position at the top. This is where Spotify’s redesign comes into play.
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What Changed With the New Spotify Redesign?
The Spotify redesign takes a lot of cues from the current app environment, including social media apps such as TikTok and Snapchat. Some of these new features are only accessible to Premium subscribers, while others have been pushed out to all Spotify users, regardless of their pay plan.
AI DJ
Presently in a Beta state and only accessible by Premium users, the AI DJ is available in the Music tab once users have scrolled below their own personal playlists.
Inspired by the classic radio format, the AI DJ shuffles and intersperses music, both heard before and new, to curate a personalized, live experience. Alongside this, the AI DJ occasionally chimes in themselves, using AI-generated speech to add personal touches.
@spotify Your very own DJ in your pocket, powered by AI. Find it in the music tab on the home feed.
This is one of the most novel concepts the Spotify redesign is showcasing. Many predict this might result in another wave of similar features utilizing AI capacities in other music streaming services.
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Music/Podcast Preview Feed
With music and podcasting being part of Spotify’s meteoric rise to success, Spotify is taking inspiration from apps like TikTok, which promotes personalized music-based content to users. By vertically swiping through clips of songs, podcasts, and music videos, users can experience a lot of Spotifys’ library without actively searching. This gives people more access to new songs, podcasts, and music videos they may be interested in.
@spotify Get inspired by these women-led stories ✨ #booktok #audiobooks #womenshistorymonth #audiobooktok #womenwhoread
This adds to Spotify’s ability to push personalized content to users, such as its’ Discover Weekly and Daily Mix playlists, assembled and sent to users weekly or daily.
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Smart Shuffle
The new Spotify redesign’s Smart Shuffle feature is a development on the platform’s old “Enhance” feature. Shuffle allows users to add the app’s recommendations to their personal-made playlists when played on Shuffle. If a person is looking for more new songs, smart Shuffle is the way to go.
Songs that are added are given two extra buttons, a “plus” button to add it to the playlist and a “minus” button to remove it. This will help personalize the recommendations and add even more depth to Spotify’s recommendation algorithms.
The Future of Spotify
The new Spotify redesign showcases future trends in the music streaming industry by overhauling the app’s framework and giving every user a more personalized experience. Spotify’s ability to innovate and adapt is what will keep Spotify on the top.
From furthering pre-existing features such as the Smart Shuffle option to utilizing new technology to improve the listening experience, Spotify will maintain the top dog in music streaming innovation. There’s no denying that Spotify will become a top competitor and a force to be reckoned with.
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