Spotify’s annual Stream On event will return for the second time on March 8, 2023. There, it revealed an impending upgrade that will transform the appearance and experience of the app. While many fans anticipated to hear more from them about their ‘high-res’ audio functionality, it appears that the makeover is now higher on the priority list.
The redesign is one of the most important UI changes to Spotify in the previous decade, and it will shift to a more image/video-heavy layout similar to Tiktok and Instagram. This means that instead of the square album and playlist covers you’re used to seeing on the app, you’ll see more boxes playing videos, inviting you to click on them.
This approach is in line with the company’s goal of being “a home for artists.”
Overall, the planned changes are likely to make it more difficult than ever to listen to music on the app, as your attention will be diverted to other material forms that the app desires to emphasize.
Spotify’s latest UI upgrade will include all new features.
The streaming service will adopt a video-focused, vertical scrolling paradigm popularized by Tiktok, a popular short-form content platform. Since then, nearly every social media network, including Instagram and YouTube, has been accepted. In addition, the app will have a new ‘Smart Shuffle’ function for enhanced playlist recommendations, as well as a new podcast autoplay option.
How will the new Spotify interface appear?
One of the company’s main selling points was its ability to help users find new music and, as a result, other audio-based content forms such as podcasts and audiobooks.
There have been concerns about the app’s UI being overly busy as it began to highlight multiple content types. As a result, the business separated music and podcasts into distinct channels. This component will be refined more in the forthcoming upgrade.
The new homepage layout will still display your recent activity as well as ‘Made For You’ playlists and mixes based on your listening habits. Following that, you will notice the AI DJ function, which is presently only accessible in the United States and Canada.
Beyond this, Spotify’s Tiktok domination begins. You will be offered clips of music videos as well as audio to preview a song, single, album, or playlist. Slides, similar to Instagram stories, will provide previews of up to five tracks in the latter two forms.
What’s wonderful is that you may keep listening to music while browsing through this feed, and the default settings, unlike Tiktok or Instagram, will not disturb your music. Alternatively, add the songs that interest you to a playlist or switch to it by touching the video card.
A similar improvement will be made to the podcast stream. Unless it’s a video podcast, you’ll get 60-second previews and text transcriptions instead of video excerpts (which you can expect to see more of on the platform in the future).
The audiobooks and search feeds will also be updated, but the business says that these recommendations will be based on your preferences and app search patterns. It will not typically provide you popular (apparently randomized) material.
How will Spotify’s new Smart Shuffle function work?
If you’re acquainted with Spotify’s Enhance function, which adds music to playlists you create, you might opt to add to the playlist. Smart Shuffle is a small improvement over that.
Instead of immediately adding these songs to your list, when this Premium-only feature is enabled, it will play music that could match the playlist, which you can add to the compilation by touching a ‘+.’ If it doesn’t fit, tap the minus sign to dismiss it.
Spotify is also getting podcast autoplay.
For a long time, the streaming service has offered the autoplay capability for music. A similar strategy is on its way to the podcast stream. After you finish an episode, you will be immediately transferred to an episode from another show.
As others have remarked, this improvement should make it easier to find more material you enjoy on the site. You will have the ultimate say on whether or not to use this function, and you may disable it in the options menu if it is not your cup of tea.
The anticipated release date is
The event did not provide a specific schedule for these improvements. They did, however, indicate that these upgrades will be sent out to some locations before others as they correct and tune particular aspects depending on feedback. The new functions will first be confined to smartphones, but will gradually be expanded to other devices.
You should anticipate the music app to remain unchanged on your phone for the next few months before you notice any changes. Furthermore, it was said that you would not be thrown into the interface and that the transition would be very smooth.
These adjustments are intended to enhance the sense of discovery that distinguishes the streaming service. The public, on the other hand, is growing increasingly anxious about the TikTokification of everything on the internet. It’ll be fascinating to observe how the audio-based platform handles these enhancements.
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