Chasing YouTube, Spotify adds comments to podcasts

by with No Comment Tech

Image Credits: Spotify

Spotify is expanding the way podcast listeners can engage with hosts with Tuesday’s launch of a new interactive feature: podcast comments. The addition will allow listeners to leave comments on any episode page that supports it, with the hopes of making them feel more like members of a community. Plus, creators will be able to like and respond to listeners’ comments, while still having control over which comments appear on their page.

The feature puts Spotify in more direct competition with YouTube as a place where creators can interact with their listeners. It also follows the company’s move into video podcasts, which began with tests in 2021 and a broader launch in 2022. This year, Spotify again widened its reach to include video support for non-hosted podcasters.

There are now more than 250,000 video podcasts available on the platform, the company says. Just this year, 9 million Spotify listeners have also engaged with one of the interactive features designed for podcasts, like polls or Q&As, which rolled out in 2021. That figure represents an 80% year-over-year increase.

With support for podcast comments, Spotify aims to give its creators more ways to build communities, which in turn could lead to better retention of its listener base and increased consumption of podcasts.

Image Credits: Spotify

According to the company’s internal data, listeners who engage with interactivity features on Spotify are around four times more likely to return to a show within 30 days. They also listen to two times more podcasts, on average, than those who don’t engage with these features.

Comments will add a new type of interactive feature for these active listeners to engage with, as more than 70% of podcast listeners said they wanted more ways to engage with their favorite hosts.

However, the feature itself will be optional for podcast hosts.

“We’re taking a very deliberately slow and cautious approach with this one,” says VP of Podcast Product Maya Prohovnik, who joined the company with its acquisition of Anchor. “I think it’s a really important balance between sort of creative expression and keeping people safe and making sure that there are high-quality conversations happening.”

Image Credits: Spotify

The feature will roll out slowly, starting this week on the consumer side (on podcasts that have opted into showing comments on their pages). Over the next month, the option to comment will expand to all Spotify users.

Meanwhile, creators who choose to allow comments will be in control of the experience; they’ll be able to enable or disable the feature on a per-episode basis and will be able to approve which comments go through.

Creators will also be able to like and reply to comments, get alerts when new comments are added or milestones are achieved, and access other insights and analytics about their audience through the Spotify for Podcasters app, which is now available to both hosted and non-hosted creators.

“We want to work with creators and iterate based on their feedback, but [Spotify is] really trying to over-index on creative control, and making sure the creators can choose what shows up alongside their content,” Prohovnik notes.

Image Credits: Spotify

Of course, approving comments one by one can be time-consuming, which is why Spotify is beginning to test other options that would allow comments to flow more freely, but with guardrails in place. The company says that Spotify is already testing systems that would allow comments to scale with creators, without the hassles of manual moderation.

Currently, creators can block commenters, and Spotify will check for comments that violate its policies automatically.

The commenting feature has been in beta testing ahead of this launch, and Spotify says the feedback was positive, which is why it’s now going public with the option. Creators who previously added support for polls and Q&As will be among the first to have the option to enable comments.

Image Credits: Spotify

The launch comes as Spotify’s podcasting strategy has shifted, moving from heavy investment in exclusives to one where Spotify serves as a platform for all podcasters, including those who stream their shows on video. As a result, Spotify is now becoming profitable on podcasts, Prohovnik says.

The new feature doesn’t immediately have a monetization element, though Prohovnik says that Spotify is working toward ways to identify a show’s super fans in the comments. The company didn’t commit to any specific plans to offer paid-for fan badges, as YouTube offers with Super Chat and Super Stickers, but that seems a reasonable next step for the streamer to take.

In the meantime, comments could engage Spotify users by way of push notifications, drawing listeners back into the app to participate in the social networking elements, even if not actively streaming.

“Just like with video podcasts, it’s clear to us there’s a need. People want that deeper engagement on Spotify, and that’s really our goal,” Prohovnik says.

Updated, 9:05 a.m. ET to clarify comments will be opt-out for creators, though they are optional.

Spotify adds a Spanish-speaking AI DJ, 'Livi'

by with No Comment Tech

Spotify Spanish DJ Still Image

Image Credits: Spotify

Spotify’s AI DJ feature, an AI guide that introduces personalized song selections, is now available in its first language outside of English. On Tuesday, Spotify announced the launch of an AI DJ that speaks Spanish, confirming TechCrunch’s earlier reports of the feature under development. Like the original AI DJ “X,” whose voice was based on an existing Spotify employee (Xavier “X” Jernigan), the Spanish-language voice is also based on a real person — in this case, Olivia “Livi” Quiroz Roa, a senior music editor at Spotify who resides in Mexico City.

Spotify’s AI DJ, which was first launched last year, is meant to serve as a smart audio guide that introduces music using a convincingly realistic voice. For Spotify, the feature isn’t just a way for it to dabble around with new AI technology, it’s also a way to increase the consumption of music on its app. According to its internal data, DJ users listen to a lot of music, and the use of the feature has continued to grow with an increase of more than 200% over the last year.

The AI DJ itself is built using technologies from both OpenAI and Sonantic, an AI voice platform Spotify acquired in 2022. DJ X was initially picked to model his voice for the AI, which uses the same slang terms and expressions as Jernigan does, in addition to duping the sound of his voice.

Meanwhile, Roa was chosen to be the newest voice for the AI DJ feature after an extensive casting call, Spotify said, during which the company found that her voice resonated the most with listeners. Listeners said the voice sounded relatable and as if they were listening to music recommendations from a friend, the company noted. X will not be going away with “Livi’s” launch, but rather customers will be able to pick which AI DJ they prefer, according to Spotify.

Image Credits: Spotify DJ "Livi"

“We have millions of Spanish-speaking listeners on Spotify, many of whom have been taking to social media to ask about DJ,” according to Spotify’s announcement. “In fact, over the last few months, we’ve seen an over 215% increase in social conversation around DJ in Spanish,” the company said.

In May, TechCrunch reported on the Spanish-speaking AI DJ feature, when new text referencing DJ “Livi” was added to the app’s code, alongside indications that the feature would become available in Mexico. However, Spotify’s announcement indicates “Livi” will become available to Premium listeners in markets where DJ X is already offered and other markets across Latin America: Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay and Venezuela.

“Livi” is considered a “beta” test, for the time being.

To use “Livi,” Spotify Premium subscribers can access the feature from the Search tab on the app. From there, they must search for the term “DJ” and press play to begin using the DJ. To switch languages from an existing DJ, users must tap the three-dot menu within the DJ card, then pick between English and Spanish.

Chasing YouTube, Spotify adds comments to podcasts

by with No Comment Tech

Image Credits: Spotify

Spotify is expanding the way podcast listeners can engage with hosts with Tuesday’s launch of a new interactive feature: podcast comments. The addition will allow listeners to leave comments on any episode page that supports it, with the hopes of making them feel more like members of a community. Plus, creators will be able to like and respond to listeners’ comments, while still having control over which comments appear on their page.

The feature puts Spotify in more direct competition with YouTube as a place where creators can interact with their listeners. It also follows the company’s move into video podcasts, which began with tests in 2021 and a broader launch in 2022. This year, Spotify again widened its reach to include video support for non-hosted podcasters.

There are now more than 250,000 video podcasts available on the platform, the company says. Just this year, 9 million Spotify listeners have also engaged with one of the interactive features designed for podcasts, like polls or Q&As, which rolled out in 2021. That figure represents an 80% year-over-year increase.

With support for podcast comments, Spotify aims to give its creators more ways to build communities, which in turn could lead to better retention of its listener base and increased consumption of podcasts.

Image Credits: Spotify

According to the company’s internal data, listeners who engage with interactivity features on Spotify are around four times more likely to return to a show within 30 days. They also listen to two times more podcasts, on average, than those who don’t engage with these features.

Comments will add a new type of interactive feature for these active listeners to engage with, as more than 70% of podcast listeners said they wanted more ways to engage with their favorite hosts.

However, the feature itself will be optional for podcast hosts.

“We’re taking a very deliberately slow and cautious approach with this one,” says VP of Podcast Product Maya Prohovnik, who joined the company with its acquisition of Anchor. “I think it’s a really important balance between sort of creative expression and keeping people safe and making sure that there are high-quality conversations happening.”

Image Credits: Spotify

The feature will roll out slowly, starting this week on the consumer side (on podcasts that have opted into showing comments on their pages). Over the next month, the option to comment will expand to all Spotify users.

Meanwhile, creators who choose to allow comments will be in control of the experience; they’ll be able to enable or disable the feature on a per-episode basis and will be able to approve which comments go through.

Creators will also be able to like and reply to comments, get alerts when new comments are added or milestones are achieved, and access other insights and analytics about their audience through the Spotify for Podcasters app, which is now available to both hosted and non-hosted creators.

“We want to work with creators and iterate based on their feedback, but [Spotify is] really trying to over-index on creative control, and making sure the creators can choose what shows up alongside their content,” Prohovnik notes.

Image Credits: Spotify

Of course, approving comments one by one can be time-consuming, which is why Spotify is beginning to test other options that would allow comments to flow more freely, but with guardrails in place. The company says that Spotify is already testing systems that would allow comments to scale with creators, without the hassles of manual moderation.

Currently, creators can block commenters, and Spotify will check for comments that violate its policies automatically.

The commenting feature has been in beta testing ahead of this launch, and Spotify says the feedback was positive, which is why it’s now going public with the option. Creators who previously added support for polls and Q&As will be among the first to have the option to enable comments.

Image Credits: Spotify

The launch comes as Spotify’s podcasting strategy has shifted, moving from heavy investment in exclusives to one where Spotify serves as a platform for all podcasters, including those who stream their shows on video. As a result, Spotify is now becoming profitable on podcasts, Prohovnik says.

The new feature doesn’t immediately have a monetization element, though Prohovnik says that Spotify is working toward ways to identify a show’s super fans in the comments. The company didn’t commit to any specific plans to offer paid-for fan badges, as YouTube offers with Super Chat and Super Stickers, but that seems a reasonable next step for the streamer to take.

In the meantime, comments could engage Spotify users by way of push notifications, drawing listeners back into the app to participate in the social networking elements, even if not actively streaming.

“Just like with video podcasts, it’s clear to us there’s a need. People want that deeper engagement on Spotify, and that’s really our goal,” Prohovnik says.

Updated, 9:05 a.m. ET to clarify comments will be opt-out for creators, though they are optional.

Spotify, Apple Music on smart phone screen.

Spotify tests emergency alerts in Sweden

by with No Comment Tech

Spotify, Apple Music on smart phone screen.

Image Credits: hocus-focus / Getty Images

Music, podcasts, audiobooks…emergency alerts? Spotify’s latest test has the streaming app venturing into new territory with a test of an emergency alerts system in its home market of Sweden. According to code references found within the Spotify app, the company is considering a system that would help distribute public announcements related to things like “accidents, serious events or disruptions of important services.”

The company confirmed to TechCrunch it’s testing such a system, but didn’t explain why it would be interested in providing this kind of service to its users. There’s no Swedish law requiring the app to do so and Spotify says that, for now, it’s only exploring whether or not the app could support something like an emergency alerts system.

The feature was first uncovered by technologist and reverse engineer Chris Messina, who theorized that an emergency alerts service could push Spotify users to enable their app notifications. Often, users disable alerts from non-essential apps, like those in the social networking or entertainment space, which makes it more difficult for the app to catch users’ attention and market its new features.

But more broadly, supporting emergency alerts could also solidify Spotify’s position as a more essential app to have on hand. It also steps into Meta’s territory, as the social network has for nearly a decade offered ways for users to get updates during major disasters with its Safety Check feature. Google also leveraged its app’s popularity to alert users of disasters, as with its earthquake alerts on Android. In the U.S., lawmakers have previously weighed the idea of requiring online video and streaming apps to support emergency alerts in addition to TV and radio broadcasters and cable TV systems.

Code references in Spotify’s app mention the feature across the following phrases:

“Emergency alerts in Sweden”“Receive public emergency alerts”“Important public announcement, IPA, is the system used to alert the public in Sweden in the case of accidents, serious events, or disruptions of important services”“Visit the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency site for more information”

Reached for comment, a company rep for Spotify confirmed the test in a statement, adding it was only being tested in Sweden for the time being.

“At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of tests in an effort to improve our user experience,” they said. “Some of those tests end up paving the way for our broader user experience while most serve only as an important learning.”

Spotify icon displayed on a phone screen

Spotify calls Apple's DMA compliance plan 'extortion' and a 'complete and total farce'

by with No Comment Tech

Spotify icon displayed on a phone screen

Image Credits: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto (opens in a new window) / Getty Images

Count Spotify among those not thrilled with how Apple has chosen to comply with the EU’s Digital Markets Act (DMA), which sets the stage for sideloading apps, alternative app stores, browser choice, and more. On Friday, the streaming music company issued its response to Apple’s new DMA rules, calling the new fees imposed on developers “extortion” and Apple’s compliance plan “a complete and total farce,” that demonstrated the tech giant believes that the rules don’t apply to them.

Apple earlier this week announced a host of changes that comply with the letter of the EU law, if not the spirit. The company said that app developers in the EU will receive reduced commissions, but it also introduced a new “core technology fee” that requires developers to pay €0.50 for each first annual install per year over a 1 million threshold, regardless of their distribution channel. It will also charge a 3% payment processing fee when developers use Apple’s in-app payments instead of their own.

Epic Games’ CEO Tim Sweeney, whose company sued Apple over antitrust concerns, already condemned Apple’s plan, saying it was a case of “malicious compliance” and full of “junk fees,” and now Spotify is essentially saying the same.

The streamer, along with Epic, Match, and others, has been a longtime critic of the tech giant and one that has pushed for increased regulation, including through the DMA.

In a company blog post and a series of posts on X (formerly Twitter), Spotify CEO Daniel Ek shared his thoughts on Apple’s DMA announcement, after a review by Spotify’s lawyers. He begins by calling the announcement “at best vague and misleading” and a “new low for the company.”

Ek says Apple’s solution is a “masterclass in distortion” as it presents app developers with a choice of sticking to the current terms or having to switch to a “convoluted new model” that initially may look attractive, but actually may come with higher fees. He points out that any app with tens or hundreds of millions of EU users would now face a new tax on every new download and update annually — something that would impact a number of larger apps like WhatsApp, Duolingo, X, and Pinterest, as well as Spotify’s own.

The system is clearly designed to keep apps from opting for alternative means of distribution like sideloading or alternative app stores. However, without the big apps available through these alternative channels, they’ll lose their appeal to consumers. Apple’s App Store will maintain its power, Ek believes.

Plus, because of the increased fees, Spotify doesn’t even have a choice, Ek explains — it’s forced to stick with the current system.

“Spotify itself faces an untenable situation,” he writes. “With our EU Apple install base in the 100 million range, this new tax on downloads and updates could skyrocket our customer acquisition costs, potentially increasing them tenfold. This as we have to pay on every install or update to our free or paid app, even for those who no longer use the service. So where does that leave us? Under the new terms, we cannot afford these fees if we want to be a profitable company, so our only option is to stick with the status quo. The very thing we’ve been fighting against for five years,” Ek says.

He signs off with a challenge to lawmakers, saying he hopes they recognize what Apple is doing and stands firm, and “doesn’t let their work over the years all be for nothing. The world is watching,” Ek writes.

Ek’s missive follows condemnation from both Epic Games and Coalition for App Fairness (CAF), a lobbying group whose members include Epic, Spotify, Tile, Basecamp, Match, Deezer, and dozens of smaller developers. The organization on Thursday declared that Apple’s new fees on direct downloads and payments they do nothing to process violate the law, and does not actually increase either competition or fairness in the digital market.

“Apple’s proposal forces developers to choose between two anticompetitive and illegal options,” Rick VanMeter, Executive Director of CAF said, in a statement. “Either stick with the terrible status quo or opt into a new convoluted set of terms that are bad for developers and consumers alike. This is yet another attempt to circumvent regulation, the likes of which we’ve seen in the United States, the Netherlands, and South Korea. Apple’s ‘plan’ is a shameless insult to the European Commission and the millions of European consumers they represent – it must not stand and should be rejected by the Commission.”

Mozilla has also come out against Apple’s new browser rules, calling them “as painful as possible.”

Apple shared the following statement after Spotify’s posting:

“We’re happy to support the success of all developers — including Spotify, which has the most successful music streaming app in the world. The changes we’re sharing for apps in the European Union give developers choice — with new options to distribute iOS apps and process payments. Every developer can choose to stay on the same terms in place today. And under the new terms, more than 99% of developers would pay the same or less to Apple.”

Apple’s answer to EU’s gatekeeper rules is new ‘core tech’ fee for apps

Epic Games CEO calls out Apple’s DMA rules as ‘malicious compliance’ and full of ‘junk fees’

A closer look at Apple’s browser-related changes to iOS in EU

updated, 2/28/24, 2 PM ET with Apple’s statement

Spotify icon displayed on a phone screen

Spotify crosses the 600M monthly active users mark

by with No Comment Tech

Spotify icon displayed on a phone screen

Image Credits: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto (opens in a new window) / Getty Images

Streaming service Spotify announced today that the service now has more than 600 million monthly active users. The company said in its Q4 2023 earnings report that it added 28 million users in the quarter, which marks the second biggest quarterly gain in the company’s history.

The Sweden-based company noted that apart from having 602 million users now, the service has over 236 million paid users — a year-on-year growth of 15%. Last year, Spotify raised the prices of its premium subscription tier in the U.S. for the first time from $9.99 per month to $10.99 per month.

The company said that the subscriber growth was led by the Rest of the World and Latin America, which represents 35% of total paid users.

Additionally, Spotify said that its year-end Spotify Wrapped campaign, which gives insights to users about what they consumed on the platform, drew more than 225 million users.

In November, the company announced that premium users in the U.S. will have 15 hours of listening time per month across 200,000 titles. It also partnered with TikTok to let users save a song in a clip directly to the Spotify app.

The company earned €3.7 billion ($3.97 billion) in revenues with a year-on-year growth of 16%. It registered an operating loss of €75 million, which is better than the loss of €231 million last year for the same period. However, Spotify made €32 million in profits in Q3 2023. The company’s ad revenues have jumped to an all-time high of €501 million with 12% year-on-year growth.

In December, the company cut 17% of its workforce, or about 1,500 people, to become more “productive and efficient.”

Last month, Spotify teased mockups of how EU-based users could be able to purchase subscriptions and add-ons like audiobooks on iPhones once the Digital Markets Act (DMA) goes into effect. Days later, Apple released its guidelines about App Store changes to comply with the new rules, including a new “core-tech fee” for over a million annual downloads. In response, Spotify called Apple’s changes “extortion” and a “complete and total farce.”

spotify app icon iphone

Apple reveals new details about Spotify's business as possible EU fine nears

by with No Comment Tech

spotify app icon iphone

Image Credits: TechCrunch

With the European Commission set to rule on Spotify’s complaint focused on competition in the streaming music market, there are hints that the ruling will not be in Apple’s favor. This week, the Financial Times reported the EC will issue its first-ever fine against the tech giant for allegedly breaking EU law over competition in the streaming music market. The fine is expected to be around €500 million (about $539 million USD), the report noted.

Instead of chalking up the fine as the cost of doing business, as a company that made history as the first to be valued at $3 trillion surely could, the tech giant is taking the fight to the public.

In a statement shared with media today, Apple argued against the idea that Spotify has been harmed by any anticompetitive practices on its part. (The statement was not issued by a single spokesperson, but rather comes from Apple itself). It reads:

We’re happy to support the success of all developers — including Spotify, which is the largest music streaming app in the world. Spotify pays Apple nothing for the services that have helped them build, update, and share their app with Apple users in 160 countries spanning the globe. Fundamentally, their complaint is about trying to get limitless access to all of Apple’s tools without paying anything for the value Apple provides.

Apple pointed out also that Spotify has a 56% share of the market, compared with 20% for Amazon Music and Apple Music’s 11%, per MIDiA’s 2022 report on the subscription music market.

In addition, Apple shared a number of non-public details about Spotify’s business, as it pertains to Apple’s platforms, including, for example, that Spotify uses thousands of Apple’s APIs across 60 frameworks; that Spotify uses Apple’s beta testing platform TestFlight; that Spotify has submitted over 420 versions of its app to App Review, which were approved; and even that Apple engineers have helped Spotify solve various challenges, like those impacting hardware-accelerated media playback and battery optimization.

And, for those number watchers out there, Apple also said that Spotify’s app had been downloaded, re-downloaded or updated more than 119 billion times across Apple devices — a stat we had not heard before, we should note.

The fact that Apple is front-running the EC’s decision with its own commentary is remarkable, in and of itself.

It speaks to a company that so solidly believes that it’s doing the best thing for its own customers and developer partners that any sort of ruling that deems otherwise is so absurd that it demands comment and pushback. Apple believes its system of in-app purchases for things like music subscriptions saves consumers not only the headache and inconvenience of having to visit external websites on the iPhone’s small screen — they can just click the side button instead — but also protects against fraud, excess data collection, consumer confusion over cancellations and errant purchases by children. (Of course, Apple is familiar with the latter itself.)

Apple believes that Spotify only wants to increase its profits, by leveraging regulations to its advantage. In the case of the EU complaint, the concern is that Apple’s App Store distorts competition in the music streaming market. It is not solely a complaint that Spotify has been harmed, in other words, but that the nature of the App Store may have thwarted other rivals.

“Spotify is a big player in the music streaming market but we don’t know what would have been the conditions without this,” EVP and competition chief Margrethe Vestager said about the EC’s investigation back in 2021. “There are other rivals to Apple Music — there are Deezer, there are Soundcloud. Smaller competitors and here we have real concerns about their developments. This is not a Spotify case — this is a music streaming case,” she noted.

Spotify, however, has been the loudest of the Apple Music rivals and has fought against the company on other matters, for instance by calling Apple’s new DMA rules “extortion” and a “complete and total farce.”

To protect its interests (and, Apple argues, consumers), Apple’s response to the EU’s DMA (Digital Markets Act) regulation is the introduction of a new system that requires developers to pay for its services beyond just App Store payment processing. Rather, it now separates payment processing from other services by levying a “Core Technology Fee” for those developers who want to do business under the new DMA rules. In other words, it wants developers to pay Apple for the work it does to create and maintain its iOS platform, where apps can run, rather than acknowledging that access to consumers’ favorite apps helps sell its iPhones.

For the record, Apple disputes Spotify’s claims that it’s been harmed by any anticompetitive practices. It speaks to the success Spotify has seen over the years, having grown its streaming app over eight years from 25 million to 160 million subscribers — a 27% average growth rate. It points out that Spotify users regularly subscribe to the service outside its app, and that Spotify qualifies for the “Reader app” exception to Apple’s rules, which allows it to link directly to its website for account creation and payment, similar to Netflix.

However, Apple seems to ignore the fact that Spotify turning a quarterly profit still makes headlines, that it just laid off 17% of its workforce, and that, you know, Spotify does face competition on iOS globally from Apple Music, which is preinstalled on iPhones, iPads and other Apple devices. In addition to being offered as a standalone service, Apple’s music streaming app is upsold to customers as part of the Apple One bundles, which combine multiple Apple services, like iCloud+, News+, Apple TV+ and others, under one roof.

Apple also stresses how closely Spotify has worked with the Commission on its complaint, having met with the regulators more than 65 times since the investigation began. The investigation, however, has been ongoing for years.

A rep for the EC declined to comment on news related to Spotify’s complaint or any pending fines. The FT had reported the fine is expected to be announced early next month.

Spotify responded to Apple’s statement with one of its own, saying:

Spotify’s success has happened despite Apple’s best efforts to gain an artificial advantage by favoring their own music service at every turn while placing roadblocks and imposing unfair restrictions on ours. Under their current rules Apple controls Spotify’s access to its own customers and gives Spotify one of two untenable options: We either have to deliver a poor user experience where we can’t directly communicate how to buy or subscribe to Spotify on iPhones or we have to accept a 30% cost disadvantage against our biggest competitor. This is not a level playing field. We support the European Commission and trust that they will take action soon to create a fair ecosystem for everyone involved.

Additional reporting: Natasha Lomas; Updated 2/22/24 5:54 PM with Spotify statement.

Europe charges Apple with antitrust breach, citing Spotify App Store complaint

Spotify icon displayed on a phone screen

Exclusive: Spotify quietly moves lyrics behind a paywall

by with No Comment Tech

Spotify icon displayed on a phone screen

Image Credits: Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto (opens in a new window) / Getty Images

Spotify has apparently found a new way to push its free users to a paid subscription: It’s putting lyrics behind a paywall. Following various reports citing frustrated posts from users on Reddit, the company is quietly confirming the change — but without a direct statement. Instead, the company told TechCrunch simply that Spotify’s features can vary over time, between markets and across devices. The response indicates the change to lyrics may be more than just a test but that Spotify isn’t yet prepared to make an official announcement about affected markets.

There were some indications that Spotify was heading in this direction, however. Last fall, the company was spotted locking down lyrics for nonpaying users. Free users who tried to access the feature would see a message that read, “Enjoy lyrics on Spotify Premium.”

However, at that time, a Spotify spokesperson clarified that the changes were “only a test” that was taking place with a limited number of users in a “pair of markets.” Spotify is no longer referring to the changes as a test, though it’s unclear why it wouldn’t document access to lyrics as being a premium feature somewhere on its website — like on the page where users can upgrade plans or within its help documentation. That could be because the company is still testing the monthly limit on lyrics for free accounts; free users report seeing messages that tell them that every time they tap “Show lyrics,” it counts toward the new limit.

Spotify didn’t offer any more detail about why it’s now paywalling lyrics, but clearly it’s a bid to push more people to its paid tier. In its most recent quarter, the company reached more than 600 million monthly active users, ahead of estimates, and paid subscribers were up to 236 million+, representing 15% year-over-year growth. However, quarterly revenue had missed analyst expectations of 3.72 billion euros, coming in at 3.67 billion ($3.94 billion) instead.

Whether blocking lyrics will push more people to subscribe remains to be seen. Lyrics are easily available and free via the web and in other apps that work alongside Spotify, like Genius, Apple’s Shazam or Musixmatch, for example.

Spotify crosses the 600M monthly active users mark

SoundCloud takes on Spotify's Discover Weekly feature with new 'Buzzing Playlists'

by with No Comment Tech

Image Credits: Soundcloud

SoundCloud has launched a new set of playlists under the “Buzzing Playlists” moniker to highlight up-and-coming tracks from artists.

There are playlists for pop, hip-hop, R&B, and electronic music, and they feature tracks from artists who are part of SoundCloud’s Next Pro paid subscription program. SoundCloud said it looks at signals like repeat plays, playlist adds, likes, comments, and reposts to add tracks to Buzzing Playlists, which are updated every week.

Last year, the company launched a First Fans program that suggests new tracks to people in autoplay mode to help artists reach their first 100 listeners with a new release. The company said it used machine learning to match people’s music tastes to a song’s profile, and the top tracks from this experiment are suggested to 1,000 users.

The company said it has analyzed over 3.5 million tracks since it released First Fans in June 2023. It noted that Next Pro artists have seen a 400% rise in the number of listeners due to this feature.

The company noted that tracks featured in Buzzing Playlist have a chance of being highlighted further in SoundCloud charts or editorial playlists based on their performance.

Buzzing Playlists feels like SoundCloud’s take on Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlists, though the latter suggests music that you may not have heard before based on your listening history.