Spotify introduces Discover Weekly playlists tailored to individual listeners
Spotify on Monday launched potential Apple Music curation competitor Discover Weekly, a new playlist feature promising more personalized recommendations for its on-demand streaming service.
Unlike most Spotify playlists, which are curated either by users or human editors, Discover Weekly content is generated automatically according to individual listener habits as well as what other people are choosing in related music. As suggested by the name, Spotify will be refreshing Discover Weekly tracks every Monday.
The company noted that the more often someone tunes into Discover Weekly, the more recommendations should improve.
The feature, available on desktops and on mobile, is another means of solving the problem of content discovery on streaming services. While companies like Spotify, Rdio, and Slacker offer tens of millions of songs in their catalogs, it can be difficult to help listeners branch out beyond familiar artists or tracks shared by friends.
Discover Weekly could in part be a reaction to Apple Music, which launched on June 30. One of the core elements of Apple Music is the "For You" section, which offers up albums and playlists based on earlier Likes and plays. Similarly, For You is intended to evolve over time.
The concept is present in other streaming platforms however, such as Songza and Apple Music's predecessor, Beats Music. Spotify itself has been devoting more effort to recommendations in 2015, for instance by adding mood-based playlists.
Unlike most Spotify playlists, which are curated either by users or human editors, Discover Weekly content is generated automatically according to individual listener habits as well as what other people are choosing in related music. As suggested by the name, Spotify will be refreshing Discover Weekly tracks every Monday.
The company noted that the more often someone tunes into Discover Weekly, the more recommendations should improve.
The feature, available on desktops and on mobile, is another means of solving the problem of content discovery on streaming services. While companies like Spotify, Rdio, and Slacker offer tens of millions of songs in their catalogs, it can be difficult to help listeners branch out beyond familiar artists or tracks shared by friends.
Discover Weekly could in part be a reaction to Apple Music, which launched on June 30. One of the core elements of Apple Music is the "For You" section, which offers up albums and playlists based on earlier Likes and plays. Similarly, For You is intended to evolve over time.
The concept is present in other streaming platforms however, such as Songza and Apple Music's predecessor, Beats Music. Spotify itself has been devoting more effort to recommendations in 2015, for instance by adding mood-based playlists.
Comments
I remember when I heard "explosions in the sky" for the first time and went straight to spotify to get more, and then when I went to the discover tab it had all this instrumental bands, some of which are fantastic.
It's not all bad with spotify.
Apple music is so much better. I've signed up for spotify and others but never listened more than a couple of times. I have listened to Beats 1 several times a day and have be introduced to some artist I would not have given a chance but played in the right context next to the right songs even from different genres. Even the for you works well.
Apple music is so much better. I've signed up for spotify and others but never listened more than a couple of times. I have listened to Beats 1 several times a day and have be introduced to some artist I would not have given a chance but played in the right context next to the right songs even from different genres. Even the for you works well.
I have never been a Spotify customer so I cannot write about the good/bad sides of the streaming service. On the Beats 1 side though, one day I was listening in and heard an Action Bronson song followed by a Jimi Hendrix song followed by a Sam Smith song. I sat there listening to the music and was absolutely blown away. I realized I would have probably never brought those three artists together. I was glad there was someone more knowledgeable and capable than I to introduce me to it. I am not going to write that every day I have listened to Beats 1 has been like that particular day. I can write that I have heard a lot of new music and hope to hear even more, which will make my iTunes music bill rise. Yes, I still like to own music.
On a parallel note, earlier today as I listened to Steve Jobs host the WWDC 2010 event, I heard him talk about Apple supporting TWO platforms on the iPhone. The first platform he mentioned was the Web using HTML 5. He drove home that the Web was fully open to anyone who wanted to use it. Apple fully supported it and sat on multiple standards body boards to help guide it. The second platform was the App Store. And, being on the App Store meant playing by Apple's rules. As I listened and watched his presentation, all I could think of was Spotify. I would LOVE, LOVE, LOVE for Apple to show the entire video to the FTC and DOJ and State AGs who choose to bring a case against Apple in support of Spotify. Netflix was there and offered its service for free on the App Store. We all know how successful Netflix has been since 2010 using the free, open Internet that did not have to play by Apple's App Store rules. Larry Page of Google was mentioned with high esteem. Android had 9% market share. Good times changed to acrimonious times. Oh well.
I bet the radios and curated playlists are awesome, but i stream full albums, so even though listening to suggested music would be good for discovery purposes, I'm all set for now.
I'm not hip enough to enjoy what's on Beats1. I find the DJ's irritating too.
However, if they can fix all the library issues on Apple Music I'm all in. But I am very happy with spotify at the moment.
Spotify is doomed.
I still prefer Spotify to Beat 1 (subscribed and tried). Just because Spotify has more playlists. Love there mood playlists.
And I can save it on my device for off-line playback. On Beat 1 I can only listen to what they offer streaming on-line.
Spotify is doomed.
Possibly. But not because it's a bad product. There's a few things I particularly like about Spotify.
One of them is user playlists. There a Spotify top 40 playlist for my country but there's another person who faithfully updates the national charts weekly. I subscribe to his Top 40 playlist and it's very quickly available to me offline in my own Spotify library.
Possibly. But not because it's a bad product. There's a few things I particularly like about Spotify.
One of them is user playlists. There a Spotify top 40 playlist for my country but there's another person who faithfully updates the national charts weekly. I subscribe to his Top 40 playlist and it's very quickly available to me offline in my own Spotify library.
There is much to like with Spotify, but having my Apple music library and all the playlist that Apple has created has been pretty good as well. While there are no top 40 playlist I am sure it is only a matter of time before that happens. I think I read at some point Apple will open the ability to users to share playlist. The top 40 list is just collaboration list on Spotify that someone manages. The other big thing that Apple provides for me is that I can plug my lightening cable into almost any car out there on the road today and it recognizes the iPhone, iPad and iPod as a iPod that plays music. You can scan through yo play list and control it right from the head unit/radio. You cannot do that with Spotify! While Bluetooth is pretty much standard on most cars now days, it isn't on every car and generally doesn't show album art like plugging in an iDevice to your car's radio system will.
Now when it comes to funding, we all know Spotify has continuously required one infusion of cash after another from investors. They have 20 million subscribers and YET are still bleeding money. How many subscribers will it take to break even? The free tear has brought them large numbers of accounts, but other than the low amount that the ads deliver they simply aren't sustainable. Apple wasn't stupid enough to do a free tier because they knew this. I think in 4 to 6 months we'll see how well Apple Music is going to do and how many actually drop Spotify as subscribers or how many of those free tier subscribers that Spotify has that Apple can convert to paying. I tell you one thing those ads on Spotify are THE MOST Annoying. I just can't do it!
Ultimately if Apple drops the ball, this maybe a blessing for Spotify because they may end up with more subscribers. However, I think if Apple pulls this off they really are in trouble. How much longer are investors going to keep pulling money out of the well for a company that has so many subscribers but can't make any money. SiriusXM has about the same amount of subscribers and actually pays higher royalty rates and they are making money. Granted the subscriptions are higher and they do pass along the royalty cost. But the fact is with around 20 million subscribers they are making money. I wonder how many it will take for Apple to start making money. Then the reality is Apple could lose money for years on this service and never have to ask an investor for a penny. $190 billion in cash reserves, Spotify can only dream!
Spotify has been able to tweak for a few years, after a year I'm sure that Apple will add all the things like user playlists and other stuff that only Apple can. I tried spotify last year just to see what it had, I was impressed at the concept but the all black porn site like interface just made it too tiresome to bother with. I expected something similar from Apple, but not the black interface, but I am surprised to find myself considering renewing Apple music. I probably won't but it's patently a more pleasant experience and it will be massive. Apple just has so much talent and funds to throw at whatever they do.
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Just because Spotify has more playlists. Love there mood playlists.
There's a few things I particularly like about Spotify. One of them is user playlists.