Spotify is, undoubtedly, one of the biggest music streaming platforms out there. However, gone are the days when it could just sit around and enjoy market share.
The arrival and proliferation of rivals like YouTube Music, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and more has forced platforms to innovate and address complaints, and that’s a major win for users.
Two of the major complaints users have long had with Spotify are the lack of music videos and an overall unreliable shuffle feature — two major complaints that Spotify is addressing now!
Following a beta launch in the UK, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Brazil, Colombia, Philippines, Indonesia, and Kenya in 2024, the music streaming giant is finally bringing music videos to the US and Canada (via Variety).
Music videos are expected to roll out in the “coming weeks,” allowing users to switch between audio and video, similar to YouTube Music’s implementation. Overseas, the feature is limited to Premium users. The same is likely to be the case in the US and Canada.
This comes soon after Spotify and the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA) announced a license agreement, which was expected to give Spotify “new rights to build video features that better connect artists and fans.”
Shuffle is getting smarter
Better late than never, I guess?
Alongside Spotify’s push for more visual content, the music streaming giant is finally making significant changes to how its shuffle feature works. Although most would already know, for those unaware, shuffle essentially forces the app to play songs in a random order, be it from an album or a playlist.
The feature, up until now, has been very inconsistent. Platforms like Reddit are full of user complaints about Shuffle, with most suggesting that the feature often repeats a select few songs, even when the playlist in question has hundreds of tracks.
Finally realizing that this is a pain point for users, the music streaming giant is finally updating shuffle to ensure “Fewer Repeats.”
This version takes your recent listening into account, so songs you heard recently are less likely to repeat soon, helping your playlists stay fresh and surprising.
‘Fewer Repeats’ is the new default mode. Spotify Premium users who’d like to revert to the OG shuffle behavior can do so by switching to Standard Shuffle by heading to Settings > Playback > Standard.
