From its new AI DJ upgrades to its new approach to its App Store listing, Spotify is going through a period of change, and while I'm not talking about Spotify HiFi, these new changes could prove to be quite handy in the long run.
If you haven't been up to date with what's going on with one of the best music streaming services, I don't blame you - there's been a lot going on. Thankfully, we've had our ear to the ground with all the new Spotify updates over the past couple of days, so we're up to date with all the music streamer's latest additions. Here are four features you may have missed.
1. AI DJ gets first major upgrade
Since it was introduced to Spotify's interface in 2023, the resident AI DJ has earned notoriety for being one of the most divisive features in Spotify. Two years after its introduction, Spotify's resident AI maestro has just had its first major upgrade.
AI DJ is now more interactive than ever, allowing you to speak to it directly and ask for specific music requests, giving you more control over your listening experience. For example, you can ask your AI DJ 'Surprise me with some indie tracks I’ve never heard before' to discover new indie artists, or even 'Play me some electronic beats for a midday run'.
Spotify isn't abandoning AI DJ's original ethos with this new upgrade, and has said that it will continue to introduce you to new artists while bringing you closer to old favorites.
In the past, I've been vocal about my relationship with AI DJ, but this new upgrade might just sway me back in its direction.
2. Smart Shuffle disable button
Another divisive feature to come from Spotify is its Smart Shuffle feature, which, when enabled, adds new songs to the queue of your playlist in an attempt to improve new music discovery. Now, a new ‘Enable all play modes’ toggle is available in Spotify's settings which you can disable and say goodbye to Smart Shuffle for good.
The ability to turn Smart Shuffle off has always been available (you just tap the shuffle button on one of your playlists), but more often than not, this feature has magically enabled itself multiple times during my listening sessions, and it got to a point where I couldn't stand to see it.
Smart Shuffle works for some Spotify users, and when it was released, I was quite fond of it, but its new song suggestions are repetitive and aren't refreshed as often as they should be. It's a no from me.
3. Snooze unwanted songs
Much like Smart Shuffle's inability to offer a variety of new music recommendations, there are other areas in Spotify that can fall victim to the same issue, such as its Discover Weekly playlist. Spotify is now combating this by allowing you to 'snooze' unwanted songs.
Its new '30-Day Snooze' button allows you to temporarily freeze songs from your library as opposed to removing them from your UI altogether, however Spotify is only "starting to test this for Premium users" but says it's "planning to bring it to more listeners soon".
4. New 'Top Up' hours for audiobooks
Don't worry, audiobook fans, Spotify hasn't forgotten about you.
In the wake of the Epic Games vs Apple legal battle, which resulted in Apple having to ease its control over the App Store, Spotify is improving its audiobook listening experience by enabling users in the US to purchase audiobooks (via links), and even 'Top Up' hours from within the Spotify app.
Spotify has submitted an update to its App Store listing, which would make it easier to add links and pricing information for audiobooks to the Spotify app, without Apple taking a huge percentage of the purchase revenue. If that happens, Spotify could pass along the savings to you, dear listener.
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