Spotify
[Photo by: Unsplash/fimpli]

Spotify tests adding personalized picks to curated playlists

Spotify is testing a new playlist feature that’s sure to please listeners. When clicking through to their mid-tier playlists such as Beast Mode and Chill Hits, select users will see tracks better tailored to their listening preferences, according to Billboard.

Last week, the streaming site began testing the addition of personalized tracks to playlists that were previously uniform for everyone as they were curated by Spotify’s team of editors.

Read more: Spotify is being sued for gender discrimination


“We are always testing new ways to create better listening experiences for more users, while also finding ways for users to discover more music,” a Spotify spokesperson says in a statement to Billboard.

The change is the result of algorithmic song selections that works in a similar way as Spotify’s Discover Weekly or Release Radar playlists. It essentially adapts the editor-curated playlist to better fit a user’s listening preferences.

In addition to Beat Mode and Chill Hits, Dance Party and Metal Ballads are also being adapted as part of Spotify’s test. Other genre-related playlists may also be tested, but the streaming service is avoiding editing their top-tier playlists such as  Today’s Top Hits and Rap Caviar.

Read more: Spotify starts letting indie artists upload music directly


This isn’t the first big change Spotify has introduced in the past week. They announced Thursday that certain indie artists will now be able to upload music directly to to the service, bypassing the need for third-party distributors, as reported by Billboard. It’ called Spotify For Artists.

It will be available to a “select group” of independent artists beginning this week. The special streaming account is beta launching after being tested with acts such as Hot Shade, Noname, VIAA and Michael Brun.

It’s a mold-breaking move for Spotify, and one that completely exes the indie-music middle man. Previously, indie artists had to use outside distributors such as DistroKid or TuneCore to get their music onto the service.

“We’ve focused on making the tool easy, flexible and transparent,” says Spotify’s Kene Anoliefo. “There will be no limit or constraint on how often they can upload. We think that can open up a really interesting creative space for artists.”

But how does it work? Apparently, unsigned artists who don’t have an active distribution agreement can simply log onto an Artists account and upload their music along with the applicable info, and voilà, direct-to-streaming tunes:

“For those artists who control their copyrights and do not have label or distribution agreements in place, they can log into their Spotify For Artists account, upload their music, fill in relevant metadata information, preview how the upload will look on their page and set the song to go live.”

Indeed, an artist would need to own the copyright for the all of songs they are uploading to the app. As for accounting, Spotify will reportedly do monthly artist royalty processing and reports via payment processor Swipe.

Spotify tried out some direct-to-artist deals before, a maneuver that seemingly turned some industry heads. Is the music streaming service paving the way for the future of artist-created music content on streaming sites?

What do you think about the streaming company’s new personalized picks and Spotify For Artists features? Sound off in the comments section!

See more: See these Riot Fest performers in a different light

[envira-gallery id=”185694″]

Categories: