Apple users are getting this first on mobile, but Android will follow suit. It's an array of new features, some more useful than others, and this is a breakdown of all the extras the company is bringing for everyone that uses the popular app. Bonus info: "The most popular artist on Spotify in the world is Eminem, with Ed Sheeran in second place with over 2 billion streams," communications director Alison Bonny reveals. "Ed Sheeran was the most streamed artist on Spotify globally and in the UK in 2014."
Video
Watch out, YouTube and Netflix, because Spotify is walking all over your turf.
Video clips and audio shows are being added right now to the app, in a rollout that has already started for iPhone users in the UK, Germany and Sweden, and will spread to other countries (and Android) shortly. A new recommendation system will suggest videos and audio shows to the users, learning with time, and the company has partnered with a number of brands to feature special content. Among these partners are BBC, ABC, Comedy Central, Condé Nast Entertainment, Maker Studios, NBCUniversal and Vice News, to name a few. There will be weather and traffic info, too.
Originals
This is completely new. Following the footsteps of the likes of Amazon and Netflix, Spotify will produce and promote original content.
For instance, Music written for the platform and a certain purpose: six original tracks designed for running are already available on the platform. They're also launching content by Amy Poehler's Smart Girls brand (Dance Move of the Day) and artist-curated radio shows, with Tyler the Creator and Icona Pop already onboard.
Running
It's meant for the runners, as running outdoors has become a thing of late.
Spotify Running offers a selection of music that will help runners "go the extra mile." There's science behind it, actually. When the user starts running, the app will detect the tempo and the recommend music based on the user's taste, songs made by DJ's especially for running (as in Running Originals) and others scooped from multi-genre playlists, all with the mission of making you run faster.
In a few weeks, Spotify will also team up with Nike and later this year the Nike+ app will be integrated into the service.
Now
It's a new start page, designed to suggest the most appropriate tunes according to the time of the day, from a "wake up and smell the coffee" morning playlist to a "don't fall asleep" kind of selection for after lunch. The algorithm learns the user's habits and likes through time and curates playlists based on that.
"We're bringing you a deeper, richer, more immersive Spotify experience," CEO Daniel Ek explains. "We want Spotify to help soundtrack your life," he offered, stating the company is "just getting started."
