Spotify has redesigned its app for the 90 million Android and iOS users around the globe that use the free service. Better music discovery and customization will be offered in an ad-supported environment, which is a fair compromise for those not wanting to pay a monthly fee. On-demand playlists can now replace the often frustrating shuffling experience for free, but there are still a few limitations.
“This is not only about giving users a more customized free experience from the day they sign up, but giving them more control over their listening experience so they can easily find and stream their favorites anytime, from anywhere,” said Babar Zafar, VP of Product Development.
Users will now have on-demand access to 15 select playlists, allowing any song to be played within those playlists without shuffling. Shuffling will occur after those 15 playlists, however, and Spotify chooses the 15 playlists based on listening habits. Users won't have total freedom, but most playlists are updated daily and and include a total of 750 songs. Discover Weekly, Release Radar, and Daily Mix will be included with the company's own curated playlists, so there should be enough to satisfy even demanding listeners. Creating your own playlists within this framework is easy and Spotify will continue to recommend songs based on your choices.
Free users will also be asked to choose their favorite artists right at startup, so personalized playlists will be generated immediately. By telling Spotify which songs and artists you like/dislike, recommendations will continue to improve and evolve.
Data Saver is another new feature that will optimize the experience by conserving mobile data where it's limited. A simple toggle switch will activate the feature.
All markets will receive the new experience in the coming weeks.
Source: Spotify
