Spotify CEO Daniel EK at an event in 2018.
Photo: Getty Images, Drew Angerer. All rights reserved.
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Since 2021 there has been speculation as to whether Spotify would decide to redesign the app’s home screen. The question was always whether this possible redesign would be based on the way TikTok and Instagram work. Vertically organized endless scrolling, short format video clips, AI-based listing of potentially interesting content and autoplay. All of this is now becoming a reality.
Last Wednesday (March 8), Daniel Ek, CEO of the streaming giant, announced the “biggest change to Spotify since we came to smartphones ten years ago”. During the “Stream On” presentation, he and his colleagues focused their attention on making the innovation palatable to artists.
Did you miss #SpotifyStreamOn? Don’t worry, we’ve got you covered. Check out all of our latest announcements all coming soon to your Spotify app ? pic.twitter.com/BNOj7IsiWG
— Spotify News (@SpotifyNews) March 9, 2023
In terms of content, there will appear to be mainly GIFs, snippets from music videos, audio previews and video podcasts. In addition, the “DJ” function, which is currently being tested in a beta version in the USA and Canada, is to play a greater role. A personalized algorithm including a computer-generated voice that automatically updates playlists while explaining why songs appear in them.
Last Monday (March 6), SoundCloud decided to take a similar step. The new feeds move the primary functions of both apps more towards “Discovery”. Screen time actively devoted to consuming content is expected to increase, while time spent searching for that content is expected to decrease.
From the point of view of the music provider, it is probably also about increasing the popularity of the app among members of the “Gen Z” cohort. According to official figures, only a third of the active users of the app currently come from this demographic. The new feed is scheduled to be implemented “over the next few weeks and months.”
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