Spotify Debuts New Interface For Freemium Users

Having recently gone public, Spotify remains busy making alterations to their service, most recently unveiling an updated interface for those users just now joining at the freemium level, which allows greater access and control over playlists._______________________________Guest post by Bobby Owsinski from Music 3.0Spotify’s direct listing earlier this month on the New York Stock Exchange doesn’t mean that the company is taking it easy, as it has just rolled out a new user interface with a number of new features on its freemium tier. The catch, for the moment at least, is that only new users will see it.

Spotify is now providing freemium users access to 15 playlists that include the popular Discover Weekly and daily mixes, as well as its top-rated RapCaviar. What’s more, these playlists can now be played in any order with no skips, unlike previously where they were limited to shuffle mode. Maybe most importantly though, is that these lists will now include the latest releases as well.Playlists are a big deal for Spotify and a brand new tool called “assisted playlisting” allows users to type in an event or mood like “birthday party” and receive “contextual recommendations relevant to your music tastes.” These lists are also updated as other users add songs to the playlist.The new emphasis on playlists is actually a direct assault on both radio and mix tapes, as the streaming giant tries to bridge the gap to make them less meaningful. According to Spotify, “Our ad-supported service functions like the biggest radio station in the world. 10 billion times a month, listeners across both Spotify and Spotify premium stream a new artist they’ve never heard before.”The company has also updated and simplified the interface on its user’s home pages as the user sees all relevant playlists and recommendations sooner. Also undergoing extensive updating were its Android and iOS apps that include a new “Data Saver” mode that will reduce its data usage by up to 75 percent when used over 3G.According to Spotify, it now has 90+ million freemium users and 157 million total users worldwide. 71% of them are under the age of 34. It currently offers 35 million tracks in its extensive catalog. In other words, there are no signs that it’s slowing down.