The newest update to Spotify has a few more features added to the subscription tier for users that pay. Users of Spotify Premium will find a few features modified from past versions of the service, as well, and some features will come to some platforms before others. UPDATE: Initial updates to Spotify Premium will begin to roll out to Premium subscribers on both iOS and Android at the same time - welcome to 2018!
If you're one of the Spotify faithful and you own a Wear OS smartwatch, then today you're getting another option when it comes to controlling your music. Spotify has announced a standalone app for Wear OS, which means that you no longer need to rely on your phone when it comes to listening to your Spotify library. For those that use a smartwatch regularly, this will likely be a welcome launch.
Streaming is pretty much the de facto delivery and consumption method for digital content these days. So much so that getting access to offline content is ironically now a paid subscription feature rather than the default. But there will always be times when an Internet connection isn't available or isn't good enough for quality audio, let alone video streaming. And there are also times when you'd rather not bring your phone with you to increase its chances of survival. For both those cases, the Mighty Vibe, a.k.a. the Spotify iPod Shuffle, might be your cup of tea.
With Spotify's success in the music streaming space pretty well on lockdown at the moment, the company has decided to turn its attention to podcasts. Spotify has revealed a new beta test that will allow essentially anyone to submit and subsequently list their podcast on the platform. The floodgates, in other words, have been opened.
The Garmin Fenix 5 Plus smartwatches now support Spotify, enabling users to play offline playlists directly from the wearable. The new feature removes the smartphone burden, a benefit for athletes who want to listen to tunes without their handset weighing them down. There is a catch to the new feature, though -- you'll need to be a Premium subscriber to enjoy the support.
![Spotify family plan crackdown threatens account sharing [Updated]](https://c.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/spotify-1-1-980x620.jpg)
Spotify may crack down on friends sharing subscriptions to its more cost-effective family plan, demanding GPS location data from some of its users. The streaming music provider has offered a family plan since 2014, making it more competitive in mid-2016 by allowing up to six people to share a premium subscription for $14.99 per month.
3,333 songs might be a large number but for hardcore audiophiles, that can be rather suffocating. Especially if you’re limited to that number per three devices, bringing the total to 9,999. Finally giving into paying subscriber demands, Spotify is expanding its support for offline music, promising more tunes you might be able to consume before the next time you connect to the Internet.
As it stands, Spotify's student plan is a pretty good deal. Last year, Spotify and Hulu teamed up to offer subscriptions to both services to students for $4.99 per month. Today, Spotify decided to sweeten the deal further by announcing an upgrade to that plan that tosses Showtime in the mix.
In a battle of giants, it’s the little guys that get stomped on. There seems to be a revolution brewing in the mobile market, with key players no longer satisfied with the status quo that once made them rich. They’re seemingly flipping the finger at “The Man” and rallying in support of the common folk.
It isn’t a David vs. Goliath battle, though. More like Goliath 1 vs Goliath 2. And while many might not be so fond of the current in-app purchase trends and exploitation, users are likely to be on the losing end, no matter which side wins.
Spotify and Apple Music are easily the number one and two players in the streaming music market, respectively, and while Amazon offers plenty of quick and easy access to music, the company is looking to be taken as a more serious rival to the streaming giants. A new report details Amazon's plans for making its Music Unlimited service more recognized among consumers, including its first national TV campaign in the US, and using its lead in the smart speaker market.
In its current form, Spotify offers free ad-supported access to its music library. These advertisements are short but cannot be skipped, forcing users to sit through a brief clip before their music returns. The company is testing a major change to the way that system work, allowing users in Australia to skip as many advertisements as they want without any limitations.
Samsung and Spotify are partnering up, pushing the streaming music service across phones like the new Note 9, smart speakers like Galaxy Home, and other devices like TVs. Announced at Samsung's Unpacked 2018 event in New York City alongside the new Note 9, the deal will see Spotify integrated into Samsung devices out of the box.