Spotify users have woken up to their go-to music app looking a little bit different this morning – and they are not all pleased about it.
The redesigned home page features a vertical scroll feed, similar to that of TikTok, which shows video previews of recommended songs, podcasts and audiobooks.
These automatically play out loud as the user scrolls through, which Spotify says will make ‘discovering new audio easier than ever before’.
However, social media users have branded the new design ‘horrific’, and say they’re not enjoying being ‘forced’ to watch videos when they’ve opened the app for music.
One Twitter user said: ‘literally nobody on this planet has ever opened spotify and gone “man i wish this home page was more like tiktok and instagram”.’
The redesigned Spotify home page features a vertical scroll feed, similar to that of TikTok, which shows video previews of recommended songs, podcasts and audiobooks
Social media users have branded the new design ‘horrific’, and say they’re not enjoying being ‘forced’ to watch videos when they’ve opened the app for music
Another tweeted: ‘the new spotify design is awful. my home page is full of HUGE poorly looped videos acting as thumbnails for the playlists im trying to get to’.
Spotify said: ‘Our data shows that more listeners become committed fans after previewing what they’re about to listen to, making this feature simply the latest update in our larger mission to create even deeper connections between artists and fans.’
The music streaming giant announced a host of new changes and features at its ‘Stream On’ promotional event in Los Angeles yesterday evening.
Similar to the home page, users will now be shown preview video clips from songs as they scroll through search results and certain playlists, like Discover Weekly and New Music Friday.
As well as the video-centric interface, there is a new ‘Smart Shuffle’ option, which shuffles a playlist but adds in other tracks that the app’s algorithms feel ‘match the vibe’.
Some users will have access to the beta-version of ‘DJ’ – an artificial intelligence (AI) tool which selects tracks it thinks they will enjoy based on their app usage data.
Podcast episodes will now automatically play one after the other, and when it comes to the end of a list, it will pick an episode from another recommended show.
However, the main focus is clearly on giving users more access to recommendations chosen by Spotify.
One Twitter user said: ‘literally nobody on this planet has ever opened spotify and gone ‘man i wish this home page was more like tiktok and instagram”
The music streaming giant announced a host of new changes and features at its ‘Stream On’ promotional event in Los Angeles yesterday evening
‘Spotify recommendations drive close to half of all users’ streams,’ said Gustav Söderström, Spotify Co-President and Chief Product & Technology Officer.
‘And when listeners decide to follow a creator, they listen to, on average, five times more of their music.
‘That’s why discoveries on Spotify – unlike many other platforms – give creators so much more than just a fleeting moment of viral fame.
‘Those meaningful, long-term connections are a key part of what makes Spotify a platform for professional and aspiring artists.’
The company has said that recently played content and user-determined shortcuts will still appear at the top of the Home feed, but these will also have video or audio previews.
But one Twitter user pleads: ‘Can we not even just listen to our little songs without short form videos being forced on us?’
