Tag: Spotify Canada

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Mobile Syrup

Spotify committed to adding AirPlay 2 support in the future

Audio streaming service Spotify has been teasing the possibility of AirPlay 2 support since 2021 and now has made another promise to update the app to support it. Although offering Apple’s original AirPlay connection, Spotify has not made the jump to support AirPlay 2.

Launched in 2018, AirPlay 2 includes improved audio buffering and the ability to stream music to multiple devices simultaneously.

Spotify said it “remain(s) committed to AirPlay 2 at some point in the future.” However, the company told Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman that they had not provided a specific timeline or release date for support.

This announcement comes after complaints from users regarding Spotify’s lack of support for Apple’s HomePod products.

Spotify claimed in 2019 that Apple was enforcing anticompetitive behaviour, including stating the tech giant was preventing support by Spotify for their HomePod products. Despite three years passing and support now being fully available to Spotify, no action has been taken to introduce HomePod compatibility.

While AirPlay 2 support is still in the works, there are currently no plans for Spotify to provide an update to include HomePod support.

Source: Bloomberg Via: MacRumors

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Mobile Syrup

Spotify is rolling out a TikTok-like vertical video feed

During the ‘Spotify On 2023’ event yesterday, Sweden-based Spotify announced some significant new design changes to the app, including TikTok-like vertical video feeds.

The new interface will allow users to discover and interact with music and artists in a new way and will show music video clips and other visual aspects to users, instead of a standard list of albums.

According to Spotify’s CEO and founder, Daniel Ek, the new home feed has been “completely redesigned from the ground up,” adding that users will see Spotify “come alive” with more interactive content. The changes are aimed at providing deeper discovery and more meaningful connections between artists and fans. The new interface features album covers at the top of the app’s feed, with an auto-playing podcast or music video directly underneath.

Users would then be able to select a posted video or podcast, which will take them to a page solely structured around that content.

“As we look to the future, we are excited to expand that ambition to even more creators across new formats. We’re enabling more creativity, discovery, and personalization than ever before by providing the best resources, support, and interactivity,” said Ek. “We are focused on building the best home for them—a place where they can establish a career, thrive, and grow, and where the world can be inspired by their creativity. And that’s what we’ve been doing for almost 17 years: building, improving, and reimagining this home to better meet creator needs and help them chart new pathways to success.”

The new interface will be rolled out to more than 500 million active users starting immediately. Users can expect to see music, podcast, and audiobook previews, and updated discovery feeds allowing them to easily click into the song, playlist, or artist. In addition to the new interface, the company’s recently-announced ‘AI DJ‘ will also nowbe available to all.

Image credit: Spotify

Source: Spotify Via: Gizmodo

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Mobile Syrup

Spotify taps into OpenAI’s tech for more personalized music suggestions

Music streaming giant Spotify has just announced a new “AI DJ” feature for its mobile apps that takes music personalization “to a whole new level.”

According to the Stockholm, Sweden-based company, the new AI DJ feature will get to know you and your music tastes so well that it automatically chooses what to play for you.

“This feature, first rolling out in beta, will deliver a curated lineup of music alongside commentary around the tracks and artists we think you’ll like in a stunningly realistic voice,” wrote Spotify.

The feature will reportedly sort through new music and look back at some of your old favourites, finally deciphering what you might or might not enjoy listening to. It will “review what you might enjoy and deliver a stream of songs picked just for you. And what’s more, it constantly refreshes the lineup based on your feedback,” wrote Spotify. In case the music being played is not what you enjoy, you can easily switch to a different genre, artist or mood by hitting the DJ button at the bottom right of the screen.

Ultimately, the more you use the feature and deliver feedback, including which songs you liked and which ones you didn’t, the better recommendations the feature will be able to churn out in the future.

The AI DJ feature uses a combination of Spotify’s personalization technology, OpenAI’s generative AI technology and a dynamic AI voice platform from Sonantic to create a seamless and highly personalized listening experience. Spotify acquired Somantic in June 2022.

The feature is rolling out in Canada and the United States today for the Spotify iOS and Android app. To use the feature, follow the instructions below:

  1. Head to your Music Feed on Home in the Spotify mobile app on your iOS or Android device.
  2. Tap Play on the DJ card.
  3. Let Spotify do the rest! The DJ will serve a lineup of music alongside short commentary on the songs and artists, picked just for you.
  4. Not feeling the vibe? Just hit the DJ button at the bottom right of the screen to be taken to a different genre, artist, or mood.

Image credit: Spotify

Source: Spotify

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Mobile Syrup

First two episodes of Dolly Patron and James Patterson’s ‘Run, Rose, Run’ bookcast now available on Spotify

Spotify has released the first two episodes of what it’s calling a ‘bookcast,’ with Dolly Parton and James Patterson’s novel Run, Rose, Run at the center of it.

The concept combines storytelling from the novel the two co-wrote and infuses it with sound elements and original music from Parton to provide the listener with an immersive and unique audio experience.

The first two episodes of Run, Rose, Run Bookcast were released earlier today, Wednesday, February 23rd on Spotify, with the rest of the episodes following suit on March 7th, the day the novel comes out.

Image credit: Spotify

“We are honoured to partner with Dolly Parton and James Patterson on Run, Rose, Run, a trailblazing audio experience from two of the world’s most prolific creators that combines Spotify’s core elements — music and spoken audio,” said Dawn Ostroff, Spotify’s chief content and advertising business officer, in a recent statement. “This unique audio experience exemplifies the limitless potential of audio and Spotify’s commitment to partnering with exceptional creative talent on new innovative formats.”

The fictional novel follows the story of an aspiring female musician who moves to Nashville to pursue her dreams, but she carries a “brutal secret” that threatens the “future she’s trying to build.”

This comes soon after the Joe Rogan debacle that saw multiple artists, including Neil Young, Joni Mitchell, India Arie, Graham Nash, Nils Lofgren, requesting the removal of their music from Spotify, stating that the service doesn’t curb the COVID-19 misinformation originating from the UFC commentator’s podcast.

We’re not sure if that will, in turn, result in muted growth for the new ‘bookcast’ concept of infusing storytelling and music or not. Regardless, I think bringing the likes of Patterson and Parton to the platform with a new product is sure to bring back some lost listeners.

You can listen to the first two episodes of the Run, Rose, Run bookcast below or on Spotify.

Source: Spotify