Spotify introduces new TikTok-like feature for musical discovery
Music and podcast streaming giant Spotify are moving forward with a redesign of its home screen to try and help users find it easier to find new music and shows to listen to. The new proposed design will feature more images and scrolling, bringing it in line with the way Instagram and TikTok users find their content.
Spotify’s new look is suggestive of the kind of company that they want to be in the future, having already invested quite significantly in audiobooks and podcasts. Not only that, but Spotify are trying to turn their app into a place that is more than just a listening service. In 2021, CEO Daniel Ek said that he wanted to have more “audio creators” on the platform.
This would mean that the new Spotify look would be influencing people to listen and watch the kinds of content that are different from the ones they normally pursue, but this kind of motive would likely cause a backlash from fans who merely want to use Spotify to listen to their favourite tunes and podcasts.
From now on, the Spotify home screen will greet users with several albums and playlists at the top. However, beneath that, they will find a video podcast autoplay, which can be accessed with just one tap. If one taps on the ‘Music’ or ‘Podcasts & Shows’ tabs, they will be taken to a vertical scrolling page much like Instagram or TikTok.
It’s there that the most significant changes will come into effect. On the scrolling pages, users will be able to watch each of the videos for a short amount of time before potentially deciding that they would like to watch it in full. However, it remains to be seen whether the new changes will be taken on by Spotify users or if they will scare them away when the service becomes too much like the irritants of social media.
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