Spotify has launched a new Disney section in its catalog, enabling users to search for and stream Disney content spanning from the classics through modern day hits. All of the content is collected under the service's new Disney Hub, which can be accessed in a large number of countries where the service is available.
There was a point in time when the Android world had a fascination with "lite" apps, especially during the early weeks of Android Go. The hype over Google's configuration for less powerful phones eventually died down but it seems Spotify is coming late to the party nonetheless. It just launched Spotify Lite that follows that theme and it's positioning it as the app for data and budget-conscious users.
Spotify has formed a partnership with Higher Ground, the production company owned by President Barack and Michelle Obama. Under this deal, Higher Ground will produce exclusive podcasts for Spotify, making them available to the service's millions of users. Among other things, Spotify says the Obamas will 'lend their voices' for certain podcasts.
Here's something that might ease the ongoing tensions between Apple and Spotify: when it arrives, iOS 13 will apparently open up SiriKit, allowing Apple's AI assistant to work with third-party music and podcast apps. In other words, the days of Siri shooting down requests to play music through Spotify might soon be over. That's assuming, of course, that this functionality makes it into the final version iOS 13 that ships to customers later this year.
Spotify is attempting to tackle the podcast discovery problem with a new test that'll start this summer. The service, which only recently added podcasts to its vast library, will present five podcast playlists to a small percentage of users in the United States, Canada, UK, and a number of other countries. Each playlist will be themed to help users choose which contains content most appropriate for their current needs and interests, including things like 'geek culture' and comedy.
Way back in January 2018, Spotify rolled out an interesting little app called Stations. What is essentially Spotify's answer to Pandora, Stations attempts to get you listening to music right away by creating a number of different radio stations based around your music tastes. No creating and managing playlists, no searching your library for a specific album needed.
With a bunch of different services now competing for the largest slice of the music streaming pie, Spotify is looking at ways it can hold onto its crown. Though the company is still on top for the moment, it's facing some heat from companies like Apple and Google, so it's only natural we'd see it roll out new features to give it a competitive edge. A prototype of one such feature was discovered today, and it aims to make music streaming a bit more social.
Ever since its inception all those years ago, Spotify has focused solely on software. Soon, however, its attention will shift to hardware for the first time. Today Spotify revealed a new device it's simply calling "Car Thing," and it hopes to use it to learn about subscribers' listening habits while they're on the road.
Spotify is the latest company to get on the Stories bandwagon, though its own take on the feature doesn't come with the same name. Using the 'Storyline' feature, which is now being tested, artists are able to provide the stories and other info behind the music they offer on the streaming platform, such as the details behind a particular song or what inspired certain lyrics.
Spotify is testing voice-enabled advertisements with Unilever brand Axe, the company has announced. The advertisements will require users to say a voice command in order to take action related to the advertisement -- in this case, launching a branded playlist. The technology will also be tested with Spotify Studios and a new podcast.
Spotify shared its first round of quarterly financial results for its 2019 fiscal year today, and it announced that total subscribers have passed a major milestone. Spotify now has 100 million paying members, which is a significant jump from the same quarter a year ago, when Premium subscribers topped out at 75 million. So, over the course of a year, Spotify has added 25 million subscribers, which isn't bad when you consider that Apple Music and YouTube Music have been trying really hard to pull Spotify's members away.
For years now, Spotify has been the global leader in the streaming music industry, with Apple Music quickly rising to second place in the years since its debut. However, within the US, Apple has now claimed the top spot, earning more paid subscribers than Spotify.