What you need to know
- Spotify is testing a new feature dubbed “Featured Curators” that highlights user-created playlists.
- Features Curators will highlight playlists from influencers and users with established followings.
- The feature will be tested soon in select markets.
Spotify is already one of the best music streaming services on Android for finding new music with features like Discover Weekly playlists, Blend, and more. However, Spotify wants to help connect its subscribers with more user-generated content to help make music discovery more personal, so it’s testing just this with the new Featured Curators feature.
Featured Curators is simply a way to discover new music through playlists created by other users and not by Spotify. However, the highlighted playlists won’t come from just anyone — Spotify is selecting “popular user and influencer playlists” to promote alongside its own playlists.
“The curators we selected are music lovers with established followings and popular playlists on Spotify, or they’re’ users telling unique stories through playlists and creating authentic connections with other users.”
Spotify users may find this to be a much better alternative to music discovery than Spotify’s own curated playlists and algorithmic mixes. The personal touch could mean the difference between listening to the same songs repeatedly or finding new songs that really go with a particular vibe. Sometimes, it can be tough to find a 2000’s playlist that really captures how you experienced the decade, and Featured Curator could be the answer.
Spotify Blend is another feature that can potentially help users discover new tunes by creating a mixed playlist with another person based on both users’ tastes. This feature was recently expanded to feature up to 10 people in a single Blend, which can greatly expand the possibilities of finding new music. However, Spotify Blend still relies on playlists curated by the app and not by users.
Features Curators launches soon as a limited pilot in select countries. Those included in the pilot will notice the playlists appear on their home page.
