Spotify gives free users more control over their music listening
It is not very often that companies give users more for free, but this is exactly what Spotify is doing. Having just recently announced that Premium subscribers are gaining access to lossless audio, Spotify is giving users on its free tier something extra as well.
As part of a major change to its treatment of users who do not pay for a subscription, Spotify now lets free users search for and play any song they want. There is no longer a need to wait for an album or playlist to reach the song you want, or use those valuable skips. Here is what you need to know.
Spotify now offers lossless audio
There are many reasons to love Spotify, and just as many to dislike it. One of its many failings has been the fact that audio quality has been – to be diplomatic – less than perfect.
Now, thanks to the long-awaited arrival of lossless audio, this is finally changing. The ability to hear tracks at the best possible quality is something that will be celebrated by Spotify users... but not everyone.
Spotify launches in-app Messages for sharing music, podcasts and audiobooks
Spotify, which three weeks ago announced plans to raise its prices again, has launched an in-app feature called Messages that gives users a new way to share music, podcasts, and audiobooks directly with friends and family. The rollout starts this week for Free and Premium users, with the company describing it as a more personal way to recommend content.
Millions of users already share tracks, shows, and audiobooks on Spotify across social media and messaging platforms. Messages will provide a central space for that sharing inside the app, while keeping external sharing options such as Instagram, WhatsApp, and TikTok intact.
Microsoft adds ability to resume apps from Android phone on Windows 11
Microsoft has been slowly showing more and more love towards Android and its interoperability with Windows 11. This is something that is abundantly clear in the latest builds of Windows 11 released to Insiders on the Dev and Beta channels.
The latest feature to start rolling out is the ability to seamlessly resume apps from Android phones on PC. This is not something that works with all apps – indeed, it is not something you would want or need to work with all apps – but it is an interesting feature which has a lot of potential. For now, however, it is starting small.
Spotify is raising its prices yet again
Spotify has announced an increase in subscription prices for users around the world. For now, the US does not get a mention, but with fees being raised in pretty much every region, it is hard to imagine that the same will not happen stateside as well.
The new pricing is due to kick in for existing subscribers in September, but sooner for new subscribers.
Android Auto’s Spotify update adds new playlist options for long trips
Spotify and Android Auto is a perfect pairing, and with the latest update to the app things just got even better. There is something of a UX-enhancing face-lift to the app, but the update also sees the arrival of new collaborative playlist options.
Jams are not usually a good thing on car journeys, but in the case of Spotify Jam it’s a little different. The feature lets everyone in the vehicle add their own music to a queue and create a playlist that will include something for everyone’s taste.
Spotify reveals new tools to give you greater control over your music discovery journey -- and banish earworms
Spotify remains one of the most popular music streaming services currently available, but popularity does not mean perfection. There are many things that Spotify users complain about, such as the oddities of the discovery algorithms. The company is getting better at listening to feedback and is taking steps to improve things.
Spotify has just announced new tools and controls to help with music discovery, playlist curation and recommendations. There’s something for everyone to benefit from, so let’s take a look at what’s new.
Spotify breaks out of Apple’s payment system stranglehold following court ruling
Moving incredibly quickly after a court ruled that Apple was in “willful violation” of an injunction that ordered it to allow out-of-app purchases, Spotify has updated its app with new payment options. Developers have long been frustrated by Apple’s requirement for purchases and subscriptions to be paid for via the App Store, and Spotify is the first to take advantage of the latest ruling.
The music streaming service submitted an app update to Apple which allows users to start a Spotify subscription or change plans within the app, change plans easily, and avoid Apple’s payment system. Apple has accepted the update, so users in the US now have more flexibility.
Spotify launches new audiobook features
Not content with providing access to music on demand, it did not take long for Spotify to branch out and start hosting podcasts. More recently, audiobooks were introduced, and now the company has announced a series of new audiobook features.
Books and video may not seem like natural bedfellows, but this is one of the things that is currently being tested. Other new features include author pages which are similar to artist pages, and an interesting “follow-along” option.
Spotify adds Offline Backup feature that automatically creates offline playlists
With mobiles connected to the internet on a near-permanent basis, it is easy to take for granted. This means that whenever a connection is not available, it is very apparent. Now Spotify is taking steps to help reduce the impact of a loss of connection.
While it is already possible to create offline playlists, this is something that needs to be done manually and it’s all too easy to find yourself on a flight with the sudden realization that you forgot to set it up. And this is precisely where the new Offline Backup mode helps, creating offline playlists automatically, based on your recent listening.
New York Times expands podcast subscriptions to Apple Podcasts and Spotify
The New York Times is introducing paid podcast subscriptions on Apple Podcasts and Spotify, giving listeners the ability to subscribe directly through these platforms. This expansion builds on the success of The Times’ audio journalism efforts, which began with the launch of “The Daily” in 2017. The Times’ podcasts now reach millions of listeners, offering in-depth reporting and analysis on a range of topics.
In addition to The Times’ stand-alone Audio app and the Listen tab in The New York Times app, this partnership with Apple Podcasts and Spotify is aimed at making its subscription service more accessible. Users with an existing subscription through The Times app will have their accounts automatically connected when using Apple Podcasts. Those without a subscription can sign up through the New York Times channel on both platforms.
Spotify users in the US hit with yet another price increase
For the second time in a year, Spotify has announced a hike in prices for US customers. The increase in subscription fees are significant in their own right (rising by up to 17 percent), but the fact that the company has already increased prices in the last year makes this latest announcement sting.
The new pricing structure also comes on the back of Spotify's recent announcement of record profits, increased revenue and a jump in subscriber numbers. The higher pricing applies to new subscribers with immediate effect, and will be implemented for existing users in July.
Spotify is discontinuing Car Thing, purposely bricking devices and telling users to throw them away
Spotify's venture into the world of hardware with Car Thing has proved an unmitigated failure. Having ended production of the device just a few short months after launch, the product is set to be completely discontinued before the end of the year.
But the discontinuation of Car Thing means more than just the end of support and updates -- much more. Spotify says that the devices will be rendered non-functional, and the advice to users is to reset and recycle them.
Spotify launches AI Playlist feature
Spotify's new AI Playlist feature adds an AI component to the creation of playlists on the site. All it takes is to feed the AI some text and it does the rest.
Feed it "sing along songs while riding on a pony in Colorado", "songs while waiting for the microwave to go 'ping'", or "songs for boring bus rides in downtown LA", and you should get a list of matching music almost instantly.
At long last, Spotify Miniplayer launches on the desktop
It has been an extraordinarily long time coming, but Spotify has finally launched the miniplayer that users have been requesting for years.
The arrival of Spotify Miniplayer sees the music streaming service catching up with the likes of Apple Music. The new discreet player floats over other running apps, and gives users a choice of UI designs to switch between.
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