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Tag: music

  • YouTube Music rolls out new AI playlist art generator feature

    YouTube Music rolls out new AI playlist art generator feature

    YouTube Music has made significant strides recently in its efforts to compete with the likes of Spotify and Apple Music to become your de facto music app. In an effort to communicate to its users all the recent changes the app has gone through, Google took to its official YouTube Blog today to share the list.

    Amongst all the features that have been either slowly or quickly rolled out throughout the year, there was one standout feature listed that begins to roll out today: the ability to create customized covert art for your playlists with the assistance of AI. This feature is reminiscent of the AI wallpapers Google recently rolled out on Android 14 works by using a pre-determined data set to generate unique artwork. Currently, when a playlist is created on YouTube Music, a collage of the cover art from the first few songs on the playlist automatically became the cover.

    YouTube Music has made significant strides recently in its efforts to compete with the likes of Spotify and Apple Music to become your de facto music app. In an effort to communicate to its users all the recent changes the app has gone through, Google took to its official YouTube Blog today to share the list.

    Amongst all the features that have been either slowly or quickly rolled out throughout the year, there was one standout feature listed that begins to roll out today: the ability to create customized covert art for your playlists with the assistance of AI. This feature is reminiscent of the AI wallpapers Google recently rolled out on Android 14 works by using a pre-determined data set to generate unique artwork. Currently, when a playlist is created on YouTube Music, a collage of the cover art from the first few songs on the playlist automatically became the cover.

    The feature will began its rollout today as an experimental feature, but only for English-language U.S. users. It will be pretty straightforward to use, as it will provide you with a variety of themes and options to create a one-of-a-kind cover for your playlists. YouTube Music eventually plans to expand the feature to other regions and languages in the future.

    In addition, YouTube Music will also be launching a new feature called “Speed dial,” which will make it easier to listen to your favorite songs and artists. It will appear on the Home tab as a section at the top that will show your most listened-to music. Having this section will allow you to easily and quickly jump back into the songs you have on repeat.

    YouTube Music has also introduced many helpful features throughout the year. YouTube says that two billion people come to the platform every month to listen to their favorite music, so it’s a tall order to implement features that fit everyone’s tastes and needs.

    However, features that improve discovery of new music, personalization, and the sense of community, are always a welcome addition. Here’s hoping the generative AI playlist artwork feature rolls out quickly for everyone so we can all customize our music experience even further.

    The feature will began its roll out today as an experimental feature, but only for English language U.S. users. It will be pretty straightforward to use, as it will provide you with a variety of themes and options to create a one-of-a-kind cover for your playlists. YouTube Music eventually plans to expand the feature to other regions and languages in the future

    In addition, YouTube Music will also be launching a new feature called “Speed dial,” which will make it easier to listen to your favorite songs and artists. It will appear on the Home tab as a section at the top which will show your most listened to music. Having this section will allow you to easily and quickly jump back into the songs you have on repeat.

    YouTube Music has also introduced many helpful features throughout the year. YouTube says that two billion people come to the platform every month to listen to their favorite music, so it’s a tall order to implement features that fit everyone’s tastes and needs.

    However, features that improve discovery of new music, personalization, and the sense of community, are always a welcome addition. Here’s hoping the generative AI playlist artwork feature rolls out quickly for everyone so we can all customize our music experience even further.

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  • YouTube Music rolls out redesigned Now Playing with comments section

    YouTube Music rolls out redesigned Now Playing with comments section

    Long gone are the days when we had to hunt for music through friends, exchange tapes, or enjoy our favorite songs solely at concerts or parties. Now, we can pick from numerous streaming services vying for our attention by bringing in fresh features. While YouTube Music isn’t exactly famous for having the most cutting-edge features compared to rival apps, it has been moving forward nicely by at last including long-promised live lyrics- and now releasing even more updates.

    YouTube Music is introducing the newest redesign of the Now Playing interface on both Android and iOS. This update includes a comments section and new buttons attached to the carousel. These buttons were previously hidden by default and needed users to tap on the artwork to access them.

    The new design makes YouTube Music look even more like the main YouTube app, with the comments section being a copy of what you see on the main YouTube app. The carousel now features buttons to Like, Dislike, view or add Comments, Save, Share, Download the track, or switch to its Radio. Before, only four of these choices appeared when you tapped the album art.

    For some time, YouTube Music might be the sole music streaming app with a live comments section until competitors catch up if they ever choose to. By enhancing the competitiveness of the YouTube Music app against its rivals, Google could be aiming to draw in more users.

    One of the advantages of YouTube Music is that if you already have a YouTube Premium subscription, you get access to Music Premium as well (which means no ads, offline and with your screen off streaming). Or in other words, you can save money by not subscribing to other music streaming services.

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  • Spotify added new ones for Android

    Spotify added new ones for Android

    Alright, let’s hear it. “Widgets suck!”, “they are archaic!” and “nobody uses them!”. Did I get that right? Well, mister-sir, if that was the case, then would one of the biggest streaming platforms — Spotify, which we all got installed on some of the best phones available today — update its widget selection for Android?

    “Ah, but manufacturers and developers are so outdated with people’s needs” you say? Well, then let me raise you this: what is one of the most used features on Spotify? Discover weekly, which allows you to find new artists and jams to rock out to.

    Now, can you guess what these new widgets are adding? That’s right: recommendations based on your listening habits, which is pretty much like an instant-discovery queue. But before I defend the concept of widgets further, let’s explain these new ones from Spotify.

    It took two years for Spotify to update its selection, so I don’t know how archaic the concept is, but I can certainly back up the statement that it is stagnant at times. Anyway, the new widgets total out at two types with both seeming really intuitive.

    First off we’ve got the new generic widget, which shows you what you are listening to, the song’s cover artwork — and now that’s what you call a complete package! — and, of course, media controls such as play, pause, next, etc.

    But then we’ve got the new widget, which incorporates all of the above, but also expands on the concept. It can go from a 3×2 size up to a 5×2, which allows for up to five personalized suggestions to show up beneath what is currently playing.

    And, yes, those can be anything from songs and albums to podcasts and audiobooks (where applicable). This new widget was announced last month in July, but it rolled out with version 8.8.50, which means that you may have a Spotify update pending right now.

    But beyond that, my last argument regarding widgets is this: imagine that you have a household tablet that you use for smart home and media controls. Now, wouldn’t having all necessary controls in a sleek and clean manner directly on your home screen just make sense?

    Hence, widgets can really be cool. Are they cool enough to make the transition from this theoretical tablet to your phone? That, in my opinion, depends on style. But it’s absolutely better that we have them still be a thing in 2023.

  • Spotify announces price hikes in over 50 countries, including the US and UK

    Spotify announces price hikes in over 50 countries, including the US and UK

    It looks like last week’s report regarding Spotify Premium’s price adjustments was accurate. As expected, Spotify announced today it will increase the prices of its Premium plan in over 50 countries, not just in the United States as the report claimed.

    The number one music streaming service in the US confirmed it has more than 200 million Premium subscribers worldwide, so in order to keep innovating it must adjust prices of the Premium plan. If you’re living in the United States, the new prices of the Premium plans are as follows:

    • Premium Single: $10.99
    • Premium Duo: $14.99
    • Premium Family: $16.99
    • Premium Student: $5.99

    These price adjustments are taking effect today, so if you’re an existing customer you’ll receive an email explaining what it means for your account. In addition to the price changes in the United States, Spotify announced that it’s changing Premium prices across a number of markets around the world.

    If you live in one of these countries, expect your Spotify Premium price to increase very soon: Andorra, Albania, Argentina, Austria, Australia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Belgium, Bulgaria, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cyprus, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Spain, Finland, France, United Kingdom, Greece, Guatemala, Hong Kong, Croatia, Indonesia, Ireland, Israel, Iceland, Italy, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Latvia, Monaco, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Malta, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Peru, Portugal, Serbia, Sweden, Singapore, Slovenia, Slovakia, San Marino, Thailand, Türkiye, and Kosovo.

    The price changes in the countries listed above might be different than the price hikes in the US. But just for the sake of comparison, the Premium Single, Family and Student plans are going up by $1, while the Premium Duo plan price has been increased by $2. In any case, if you’re already subscribed, then Spotify should send you an email about the price increase, so you’ll know what to expect starting next month.

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  • Spotify to raise prices of its Premium plan in the US

    Spotify to raise prices of its Premium plan in the US

    Spotify will no longer remain one of the few music streaming services in the US not to increase its subscription prices. Just about every other player in the market raised prices in the last year or so, while Spotify benefited from influx of customers that decided to switch services. Unfortunately, that didn’t last long, as Spotify is about to raise prices too.

    Spotify plans to raise the monthly subscription prices in the US by $1. That means that the price of the ad-free $9.99 plan will become $10.99 per month in the United States. Spotify is reportedly expected to announce as early as next week, but only for the US market.

    The bad news is price hikes will be announced for many other markets too in the following weeks, although it’s unclear where and when these changes will be introduced. Spotify has been keeping the price of its premium plan stuck on the $9.99 psychological threshold for quite some time, but that’s about to change for customers in the US.

    Currently, Spotify offers a free, ad-supported plan that provides access to over 80 million songs, podcasts and audiobooks, downloadable podcasts, the ability to take the music with your when traveling abroad (for 14 days only), and the option to pick and play any track on mobile (select playlists only).

    The Premium plan still costs $9.99 and doesn’t have the limitations that the free plan has. On top of that, it allows subscribers to download music and podcasts, play songs in any order, and listen to the highest music quality. Of course, there will be no ads running while listening to Spotify if you’re subscribed to the Premium plan.

    Students get 50% off Premium for up to 4 years, while Premium Duo offers two people living together the option to get their own Premium account for 1 discount price. Also, the Premium Family covers up to 6 people living together each getting their own Premium account for 1 discount price. The Family plan comes with Spotify Kids and explicit filter.

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  • Spotify and Calm collaborate to bring transformative content to users worldwide

    Spotify and Calm collaborate to bring transformative content to users worldwide

    Calm, the meditation and sleep app with over 4 million users worldwide, has joined forces with Spotify in an unprecedented collaboration. This partnership aims to provide a range of transformative content from Calm to support individuals on their mental health journey. The content is now accessible on Spotify’s platform.

    The collaboration between Calm and Spotify is made possible through Spotify Open Access (SOA), an initiative introduced in 2021. SOA enables companies to offer paid content on Spotify, catering to different subscriber tiers. This means that users can access and enjoy paid content from other platforms, such as books or articles they have purchased, directly on Spotify.

    It is important to note that a Premium subscription to Calm is required to gain access to all its content on Spotify. Otherwise, only a limited set of stories and music is available for streaming on Spotify.

    Recognizing the challenge of finding time for mindfulness amidst daily life’s busy demands, Calm has partnered with Spotify, making some of its finest content readily available in the Spotify podcast catalog.

    With eleven Calm shows now on Spotify, individuals can benefit from a range of mental well-being support. The content includes some of the most popular sleep stories, meditations, mindfulness exercises, and more, all designed to facilitate better sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, and cultivate mindful habits.

    The strategic collaboration between Calm and Spotify brings significant advantages for both parties. Calm’s esteemed content gains access to Spotify’s vast user base of approximately 515 million monthly active users, amplifying its reach and impact.

    The partnership between Calm and Spotify provides an exciting opportunity for users to conveniently enhance their mental well-being. By leveraging the power of Spotify Open Access, Calm’s transformative content is now just a click away for individuals seeking relaxation, stress reduction, and better sleep.

  • Spotify reportedly plans to add music videos to its app

    Spotify reportedly plans to add music videos to its app

    Spotify is working on a new feature that will allow users of its music streaming services to watch and listen to full-length music videos in its app. While the company hasn’t confirmed the information, it’s common for Spotify to thoroughly test new features before making them official.

    According to a new report by Bloomberg, Spotify is considering adding music videos to its app, but that doesn’t mean that the feature is already being tested. The move is meant to put Spotify in a better position against competitors like YouTube and TikTok.

    Currently, Spotify is looking for partners that will help it bring music videos to its streaming service, at least according to people familiar with the company’s plans. If the rumor ends up being accurate, it will confirm what seems to be a trend for Spotify: complete focus on video content.

    Spotify is trying to keep up with other players in the market by adding features that proved to be very popular among users of competing services. In that regard, Spotify launches “clips” at the beginning of the year, a new feature that would allow artists using its music streaming service to publish videos shorter than 30 seconds as a means to keep in touch with their fans.

    After heavily focusing on podcasts until a few months ago, it looks like Spotify has turned its attention to video content in an attempt to appeal to different audiences. Either it will succeed or not, it depends on its approach and how well its partners will react to Spotify’s business proposal.

    Although it might not be something that will bring to many customers to the platform, it could convince those that are already subscribed to not consider switching to other music streaming services due to lack of new features.

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  • Spotify owes a $5.4 million fine to the EU

    Spotify owes a $5.4 million fine to the EU

    Spotify is one of the top-choice apps when it comes to music streaming. The company has had a ton of experience and it has just begun to expand its feature-set. Podcasts and ebook support are just two of the new reasons the platform gives you to install it on some of the best phones out there.

    But then it mishandled user data, so the EU had to fine it for $5.4 million.

    The European Union spent a long time arranging the specifics of how companies of all shapes and sizes are to handle user data. We won’t bore you with the specifics, but the requirements are hefty and ranging from where the data should be handled to how it should be stored.

    This, of course, is regarding the type of data that can be associated with an individual in order to recognise them as a person. When not handled correctly, this GDPR data may be used for nasty things like mass marketing or scams, so it is actually an important topic.

    The fine in question comes from the Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection and is based on a complaint from way back in 2019. Talk about a blast from the past! It turns out that at one point, Spotify failed to provide customer data upon request, which is part of a user’s rights as per EU regulations.

    But then it gets even better worse: Spotify failed to explain how they were using the data in question, which raised tons of concerns. And for context: this isn’t anything weird for the EU. When a company fails to give a good reason why it needs a certain type of data, a lot of EU citizens will be eager to pursue their rights.

    In addition to the fine, Spotify is expected to present the complete set of requested data to the individual who submitted the complaint — even though at this point years have passed — along with the written process for data handling.

    The Swedish PDA’s investigation concluded on the bright side, as it found that Spotify is doing things properly. That, however, won’t save the company from the aforementioned fine, so Spotify responded with intent to appeal this decision in the future.

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  • Electric guitar maker Fender to open its first Japan store

    Electric guitar maker Fender to open its first Japan store

    U.S. guitar maker Fendi will open its first-ever store in Japan at the end of this month, opting for the nation’s capital, Tokyo, to make its global retail debut.

    Located in The Ice Cubes building, in the trendy Harajuku-Omotesando district, the 1,068-square-metre, four-storey Fender Tokyo flagship store will open its doors on June 30.

    Commissioned by Klein Dytham Architecture, the store will feature the full range of Fender products, including Fender Custom Shop , Made in the U.S. and Made in Japan models, acoustic guitars, ukuleles, amplifiers, pedals and more.

    In conjunction with the store opening, Fender will also launch a brand new Made-in-Japan fashion brand, F Is For Fender, available for purchase in the Fender Tokyo flagship store.

    On the basement floor, the flagship store will house an original coffee shop, Fender Cafe powered by Verve Coffee Roasters, and an event space hosting various events such as broadcast shows, panel discussions, performances and workshops.

    The first floor will feature newly released and featured products including electric and acoustic guitars, basses, artist signature models, and accessories. Visitors will discover all-new, original merchandise exclusive to Fender Flagship Tokyo, which includes clothing, hats, home and office items, stationary, and other lifestyle goods, including the F Is For Fener line, an apparel collection for all men and women inspired by the history of guitar in music culture with an urban, modern spin. All products are sourced and made in Japan and will come in small lot productions.

    The second floor of the store will showcase high-quality guitars and basses, made in the USA and Japan, and amplifiers. This floor will also have a soundproof room where visitors can try out instruments on a wide range of amps, while Fender’s third floor will showcase the renowned Fender Custom Shop, also known as the Dream Factory.

    “We are excited to share more details on what consumers can experience at our first flagship endeavor opening June 30,” said Edward Cole, president Fender APAC.

    “We’ve left no stone unturned in planning and designing every aspect of the musical journey to deliver a complete 360-degree experience for all visitors. Our deep gratitude goes out to our partners, whose unwavering support has helped turn this vision into a reality.”

    The global electric guitars market grew from USD 2.84 billion in 2022 to USD 3.04 billion in 2023 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 7.1 percent, with Asia-Pacific the largest region in the electric guitar market last year, according to Report linker.

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  • YouTube Music is testing a new style of Artist pages

    YouTube Music is testing a new style of Artist pages

    YouTube Music is one of the major competitors to Spotify. As a music streaming service, it has a wide range of features and even wider selection of artists. But what about the app’s design? Well, huge chunks of it have remained the same for a long time.

    But this is Google we’re talking about. We can see the company’s strive for innovation through products like its Android phones, such as the Pixel 7a and Pixel Fold. So how does that translate into refreshing YouTube Music? Well, with a test.

    Said test impacts the Artist pages in the app, which up until now was pretty straightforward and conventional. With this change, though, users who navigate to an artist’s page will be able to see a new section labeled “Discography” which includes new filters too.

    While users will be able to browse the given discography at leisure, they can also utilize the new filtering options to single out Albums or Singles specifically. As someone who appreciates a full album playlist more than some random selection of songs, I personally welcome this change with open arms!

    That being said, there was a short appearance of another visual mode too: Top Releases. This, of course, features the given artist’s most successful hits, but for some reason the feature was rolled back a few days after release. That being said: some users are still seeing it, which is… interesting?

    That might be because the page launched too early and wasn’t exactly finished, but it also may be due to some other, more dubious reason. Regardless, we’re sure that it will make an appearance again if — and when — the Big G thinks that it is ready.

    This change does limit the content offering on the first page of the artist pane, but in return it is also much easier to navigate. We still don’t know how wide the roll out of this revamp is, so you might want to check for any pending app updates today.

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  • TIDAL launches new hub dedicated to artists

    TIDAL launches new hub dedicated to artists

    TIDAL, one of the major music streaming services in the US, has just announced a new feature dedicated to artists. Artist Home is a new hub for TIDAL that’s meant to help make it easier for artists to focus on their content. Artists can manage how fans see their TIDAL profile and get early access to the latest products and resources specifically designed for them.

    If you’re an artist and plan to use TIDAL, now you’ll have direct control over the content your fans see on your profile. Additional features available for artists in the hub include the ability to update social media links and the option to request content updates to media like albums, Eps, and Singles directly to TIDAL’s Content Operations.

    Here are the main functionalities of the new Artist Home hub that artists on TIDAL will be getting beginning today:

    • Manage the content that fans see on their TIDAL profile
    • Get early access to the latest products and resources built for artists
    • Self-serve edit access to their profile content
    • Update social media links to help their TIDAL listeners become followers
    • Request content updates to media like albums, EPs, and Singles directly to TIDAL’s Content Operations team
    • Extend access to their TIDAL Artist Home account to their team (managers, labels, bandmates, or publicists)

    TIDAL’s core of new features aims to better accommodate artists who have a massive following or want to build one using the music streaming service and the well-known social networks. It’s an interesting approach that will eventually attract many artists fans as well, which is also what TIDAL probably wants.

  • YouTube Music introduces feature to share your listening habits with your friends

    YouTube Music introduces feature to share your listening habits with your friends

    YouTube Music is set to add a new feature where profile statistics can be now made public. Enabling this will allow users to view their own and other users’ music listening habits and preferences on the platform.

    With this new feature, users will be able to view their own public profile, which will include information such as their top artists, top tracks, and recently played songs. Additionally, they can view other users’ public profiles, which will display their listening habits and preferences, as well as any playlists they have created and shared for up to two years.

    The public profile statistics will also include information about the user’s activity on the platform, such as the number of playlists they have created, the songs and artists most listened to, the music videos most viewed and the playlists most listened to on repeat. This information will be displayed on a public profile page, accessible to anyone who searches for the user on the platform.

    While this new feature may seem like a simple addition, it has the potential to transform the way users engage with each other on the platform. By allowing users to view each other’s music preferences and habits, it will create a sense of community among users and may even lead to the discovery of new music and artists.

    It is important to note that this feature will only be available to users who have opted in to making their profile public. Users who prefer to keep their listening habits private can choose to keep their profile hidden from public view.
    The feature is not yet live for everyone and the link to the help article is not yet live. However, the feature seems to be rolling out to a limited amount of users at this time. If you wish to access your own public stats, open your YouTube Music app and navigate to “Settings”, then navigate to “Privacy and Location”, then “Channel Settings”. If the setting is available to you, you should then see the “Enable public stats” toggle.
    The addition of public profile statistics to YouTube Music is a significant development for the platform as it has been steadily and adding new features to compete with the likes of Spotify and Apple Music. It has the potential to create a more interactive and engaging user experience, while also

     

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  • Spotify launches new Niche Mixes feature for even more personalized recommendations

    Spotify launches new Niche Mixes feature for even more personalized recommendations

    Spotify already has a Mixes feature that provides users with personalized recommendations, but if you’re not content with what playlists you’re offered, the music streaming service has a brand-new product for you: <a href=”https://newsroom.spotify.com/2023-03-28/introducing-niche-mixes-personalized-playlists-for-almost-anything-you-can-think-of/” target=”_blank” rel=”nofollow noopener”>Niche Mixes</a>.

    The new addition to the Mixes family provides users with multiple personalized playlists that bring together everything that Spotify’s Mixes offer in a more user-friendly manner. With Niche Mixes, Spotify gives users access to tens of thousands of Mixes unique to them based on just about anything you can think of.

    The new Niche Mixes feature can be accessed from the Made For You hub within the Search tab. Spotify users looking for something very specific can now search for an activity, vibe, or even an aesthetic that describes the moment they’re in, and then add the word “mix” at the end.

    Typically, you’ll be getting 5-10 Mixes that the service thinks you’ll like, but if none are suitable for you, then you can specifically search for another set of personalized playlists. Each Mix is updated daily, so even if you get similar results, you might actually get different vibes every day.

    Now, the good news is Niche Mixes is available globally to Free users and those who chose to pay for a Spotify subscription. Remember that this is an English-only feature regardless of where you live.

    This feels more like an improvement to Spotify’s search engine rather than an update to the service’s algorithm. Regardless of what stands behind the new Niche Mixes, Spotify’s new feature will certainly add even more functionality useful to those who want to go even more in-depth into what music they’re listening at any given time.

    Anyway, give the new feature a try and let us know in the comments if it’s working for you.

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  • YouTube Music can now download 500 of your favorite songs to your iPhone automatically

    YouTube Music can now download 500 of your favorite songs to your iPhone automatically

    Doesn’t it drive you crazy when you’re out of data or roaming the wilderness with a poor connection and your iPhone suddenly begins to skip your favorite music? With its most recent feature drop, YouTube Music introduces one cool feature that will keep your favorite music playing wherever you go.

    The company announced a bunch of new features in a blog post, and Smart Downloads is one of them.

    “If you opt-in for smart downloads, the YouTube Music app will automatically download up to 500 songs that you’ll be able to listen to anywhere — whether or not you’ve got a data connection. ”

    The feature was already available on Android, but this is the first time it has been made available on iOS. To enable “Smart Downloads,” just go to Settings > Downloads > toggle ‘Smart Downloads. Of course, you need to be a YouTube Music Premium subscriber in order to use the new feature.

    There are other minor polishing touches here and there, announced in the same post. Music Video Mixes, for example, will now show you more diverse results, and there are also new Live, Cover & Remix labels under Other Performances in the Related Tab.

    Another change concerns the radio page: “If you use an iOS device to listen to music, you’ll see a redesigned radio page which changes key social & engagement action buttons. You’ll notice how the download, add to queue, play, share and three dot menu buttons can now be found under the radio cover art, making it easy for you to carry out actions.”

    All the above changes were introduced for the first time back in January, but they’re now starting to roll out to the general public.

  • Spotify upgrades one important feature in the latest update

    Spotify upgrades one important feature in the latest update

    One of the biggest music streaming services, Spotify, has just announced a small yet meaningful update to its app. Typically, we don’t report on updates that involve minor changes like turning a Heart icon into a Plus, but Spotify’s update does more than add visual changes.

    Earlier today, Spotify officialized a brand-new change that benefits all its users. The app’s iconic Heart button will be replaced with a Plus button that does more than just marking the songs you want to save.

    Basically, Spotify is unifying the Heart and “Add to playlist” icons into a single symbol: the Plus (+) button. This means that when you use the Plus (+) button, you will be able to save and choose the destination of any song, playlist, or podcast with a single tap.

    Going forward, in order to save a song or podcast episode, Spotify users must tap the Plus (+) button positioned to the right of the song or episode title in the Now Playing view. After the song or podcast has been added to Liked Songs or Your Episodes, the Plus (+) button will become a green check. Moreover, you can even change the destination of your saved content by simply tapping the green check.

    Another option at your disposal makes it possible to add an entire album to Your Library. Simply click the Plus (+) button to add your favorite album, playlist, or audiobook to Your Library. Once you see the green check, it means that it’s been successfully added.

    Obviously, the reason behind the new change is a simple, more unified user experience. Having a more streamlined way to save favorite music and podcasts means a lot these days when any extra action makes us lose focus.

    Unsurprisingly, this is exactly what Spotify found in its user research. On top of that, the same research found that saving songs and podcasts makes us more likely to listen to them again, which is pretty interesting.

    According to Spotify, the new changes to the Heart icon will begin to roll out to all users globally on iOS and Android starting today and will become available to all users in the coming weeks.

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