Spotify Is Having One of Its Biggest Weeks EVER—Here's What You Need to Know
We can always count on Spotify to be the biggest innovators in the music and podcasting spaces, but this week, they're taking it all to the next level.
It felt like we couldn't go five minutes without more huge Spotify news blowing up our phones, and some huge shifts are on the horizon that will be changing the game for both creators and the fans who love the art they make. Need a breakdown? Here's what you should know.
Stream On 2023
Today, March 8, is the day of Spotify's epic all-day creator event, Stream On 2023, with a focus on Spotify's creators, big and small. Held in Los Angeles, the event features programming to give Spotify musicians, podcasters and more all of the tools they need to get out in front of their audiences, build up their communities and connect with fans across the globe. Some huge announcements have already been made at the event (more info below!) and it's all leading up to tonight's epic Party On: Evening Event + Artist Performances at The Roxy in L.A. We cannot wait.
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Spotify Unleashes a Brand New Vertical Feed
If you've ever wished discovering great new music on Spotify could be more like scrolling through your FYP on TikTok, we think you're going to love Spotify's new approach to their mobile feed.
Unveiled during Stream On, the app's new homepage is vertical, video-based and swipeable, automatically playing previews of tunes, podcasts and audiobooks it thinks you'll love. While the top of the page will still feature links to recommended content, the old static carousels and song recs have gone away, replaced by a more interactive feed to make it easier than ever to discover new favorites that you might never stumble upon otherwise—and making that process even more fun and addicting.
This feed also features video (utilizing the brand's Canvas feature, allowing artists to show looping video to accompany their songs), reminding us that Spotify is about more than just audio. We can't wait to see how this change benefits both listeners and the hidden gem artists who are about to be discovered.
Discovery Mode Gets Even Bigger
Spotify's Discovery Mode is a program that allows artists to get more exposure through Spotify Radio and autoplay in exchange for a lower royalty rate, and during Steam On, the brand announced that it's expanding its access. Many more artists can now opt in through the Spotify for Artists tool, so long as their distributors are participating. While this process might initially make artists less money, it does give them some great opportunities to get their music in front of many more listeners, which could have a huge payoff in the long run.
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Pre-Saves and Countdown Pages Arrive
Ever got excited about a musician's upcoming release, only to completely miss its debut? Until now, artists teasing their upcoming music had to count on fans remembering to return to their pages on Spotify to listen on release day, but those days are over thanks to pre-saves. Today at Stream On, the new feature was revealed to bridge the gap between announcements and streaming days, with exciting Countdown Pages promoting upcoming releases and the option for fans to pre-save music directly on Spotify.
Artists can also use their Countdown Pages to share exclusive content and make merch available while showing off track lists, complete with a timer counting down to the big release, as well as incorporate video clips fans won't be able to see anywhere else. Pre-saves won't just be beneficial for listeners, either, since pre-save data can show the potential of and demand for new artists before they've even released their new music. Users can even turn on push notifications so that they don't miss any of the music they pre-save.
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