By: Nick Gambino
When it comes to music streaming platforms, few can hold a candle to the behemoth that is Spotify. Now the company is looking to make their platform even more enticing.
They’ve just revealed an upgrade to the app for their 90 million free customers that puts more control into users’ hands. Similar to Pandora, free Spotify users have had to settle with random song selection with no control over what plays. Only by upgrading to a paid plan have they had the option of getting their music on demand.
The new design will now allow them to select whatever song they want to listen to from 15 different playlists. While this may seem limited, realize they’re paying nothing and usually that means you take whatever shuffled playback gives you. Pandora built their platform on this idea and plenty bought into it.
The 15 on-demand playlists are created based on your listening habits making them even more appealing. If I, for instance, listen to a lot of Biggie and Wu-Tang, I won’t be looking at a playlist filled with Reba McEntire and Toby Keith.
The personal playlists are updated regularly (some are even updated daily). They include playlists paying members will be familiar with – Release Radar, Discover Weekly and multiple Daily Mix playlists. Altogether users will have access to 750 songs.
As part of the updated app, users will plug in their favorite artists right from the get-go in order to assist Spotify in creating playlists more accurately attuned to the user’s tastes.
This all plays a big part in keeping freemium members happy. 90 million free customers is nothing to shake a stick at and is an enviable number for even a paid service. By pleasing them with the first major change to their service since 2014, they ensure a steady stream of upsells to paid plans.
I’m sure this move will only help Spotify grow beyond their 71 million paying users. It’s a mere $9.99 a month for all of the music you can ever want right at your fingertips. Who can’t afford that? Just skip Starbucks twice a month and there you go!
