Spotify: Difference between revisions

== Technology and Usage ==

July 19, 2023: Spotify launches shared volume control, a technology that enables listeners to adjust the volume of a song when they are sharing a compatible speaker with the host. The new feature is aimed at improving its group session, a premium-feature launched in 2020.  Group session enables multiple users to choose what music is playing in real-time and add songs to the playlist<ref>https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/17/spotify-shared-volume-control-group-listening-feature/</ref>.

On February 22 2023, Spotify launched "DJ", a new AI feature aimed at improving music listening experience for its users. The Open-AI powered feauture provides spoken commentary about the tracks and artists you like. It also generates a curated list of those artists and tracks. It is currently in a beta testing and is only available to Spotify English subscribers in U.S and Canada.<ref>https://techcrunch.com/2023/02/22/spotify-launches-dj-a-new-personalized-music-lineup-that-includes-ai-powered-commentary/</ref>

See also [[Podcasting and Audiobooks Industry]]

June 29, 2023: The number of Spotify video podcasts has grown to 100,000 from 70,000 in March. Most video podcasts are published in U.S., Brazil, Mexico, the U.K., and Germany. Video podcasts is also seeing great adoption in Philippines, where "video podcasts account for over half of podcast consumption." "We’ve charted consistent positive growth in audience retention and episode listenership among shows that have adopted video to date," Spotify said in the statement<ref>https://newsroom.spotify.com/2023-06-29/spotify-tops-100000-video-podcasts/</ref>.

June 5, 2023: Spotify to lay off 2% of its workforce or 200 employees, mainly from the podcast division. Additionally, Gimlet Media and Parcast will merge into Spotify Studios while the Ringer will continue to operate independently. Sahar Elhabashi, vice president and head of podcast business said that podcast listeners on Spotify has grown to 100 million since 2019, representing 10% growth, while consumption has grown 1,400%.  Additionally, Podcast content has grown from 200,000 titles to over 5 million shows on Spotify while podcast ad revenue saw high double-digit growth from 2021 to 2022. Elhabashi added that they are now focusing on a "tailored partnership approach" instead of a uniform one in order to support the creater community better. In light of this, the company is also conducting internal realignment of senior podcast executives<ref>https://newsroom.spotify.com/2023-06-05/an-update-on-changes-to-spotifys-podcast-business-june-2023/</ref>.

March 22,2023. Spotify expands its audiobooks to Canada, making them available in both English and French. It said its audiobooks catalog has now grown to 350,000 titles from the 300,000 initially. The company added that it is “seeing positive engagement,” among audiobooks users<ref>https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/21/spotify-brings-its-new-audiobooks-service-to-canada/</ref>.

May 23, 2023:  Spotify is developing an AI technology that will use the podcast's host voice to create host-read ads, without necessarily having to read and record the ad copy<ref name=":0">https://techcrunch.com/2023/05/23/spotify-may-use-ai-to-make-host-read-podcast-ads-that-sound-like-real-people/</ref>. This is according to The Ringer founder Bill Simmons who said, “There is going to be a way to use my voice for the ads. You have to obviously give the approval for the voice, but it opens up, from an advertising standpoint, all these different great possibilities for you.”<ref name=":0" /> The Ringer was acquired by Spotify in 2016 for $196 million<ref>https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/spotify-acquires-the-ringer-196-million-cash-bill-simmons-1203502471/</ref>. Bill Simmons said these ads will open create opportunities for podcasters because they could be geo-target ads. For instance, with the host's permission, the AI could create ads for a listener's local event or even create ads in different languages<ref name=":0" />.

May 9, 2023: Spotify purges 7% of songs(equivalent to tens of thousands of songs) uploaded by AI start-up Boomy. This comes as the company ramps up policing of its website following complaints of fraud in the music industry. -Boomy said its users have created more than 14 million songs. “Artificial streaming is a longstanding, industry-wide issue that Spotify is working to stamp out across our service,” Spotify said<ref>https://www.ft.com/content/b6802c8f-50e7-4df8-8682-cca794881e30</ref>.

July 24, 2023: Spotify raises prices of its premium plans by $1 in the U.S. The company is also raising prices in a number of other countries including the U.K. Premium Single will now cost $10.99 and duo will cost $14.99. Premium Family will cost $16.99 while Premium Student will cost $5.99<ref>https://newsroom.spotify.com/2023-07-24/adjusting-our-spotify-premium-prices/</ref>.

June 20, 2023: Spotify to introduce a more expensive subscription plan in October, according to people familiar with it. The subscription option duped “Supremium” will likely include high-fidelity(HiFi) audio feature, which was announced by the company in 2021. HiFi was delayed by Spotify after its two competitors, Apple Music and Amazon music started offering it for free in their standard plans. The new premium tier will first be offered in non-US markets. The new plan will also grant users expanded audiobooks access, either in form of a specific number of free titles or number of free hours, with the option to buy more. “Supremium” price has not been mentioned. A Spotify spokesperson declined to comment on it<ref>https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2023-06-20/spotify-plans-new-premium-tier-expected-to-include-hifi-audio</ref>.

July 6, 2023: Spotify has notified premium subscribers who still pay through Apple App Store to find an alternative payment method such as PayPal or credit card. According to Spotify, the action will “help ensure that [it] can continue to provide a consistent best-in-class subscription experience for all our users.”  The company stopped accepting payment subscription fee through Apple App in 2016 in order to avoid paying Apple up to 30% commission fee for in-app purchases.  Premium subscribers who continued using Apple App store to make payment were charged an additional $3 per-month. In 2019, 680,000 Spotify subscribers paid through the Apple App, representing less than 1% of Spotify's 100 million premium subscribers at that time-That's according to Apple regulatory filling<ref>https://www.theverge.com/2023/7/6/23785523/spotify-premium-subscribers-apple-app-store-payments-support</ref>.

[[Why You Should Invest In Spotify ($SPOT)]]