Spotify is testing an update for Discover Weekly’s genre filters

Spotify’s user-focused playlists have witnessed a few changes over its 11-year-plus span. Last year, the streaming giant released new genre/mood filters for some of these playlists. A year since these filters rolled out to the masses, Spotify is now testing a minor but significant revamp.

As bingbongforever shares on Reddit, Spotify is testing more elaborate phrasing for genre filters. Rather than listing specific genres like Hyperpop, Dance, Indie, Electronica, R&B, and so on, the user is seeing longer phrases like “Make it more dance,” “Go deeper into indie,” and “Lean into hyperpop.”

Using two or more words instead of just one to describe genres takes up more space than it should. Consequently, listeners will find themselves swiping more to reach the end of the filters (up to five). We’re not seeing evidence of this being widely available just yet, including on my devices, so it’s likely a test Spotify is running with select accounts.

There’s definitely an argument that these wordy filters are more action-oriented. However, another group of Spotify listeners will probably not like this change, especially given the space it consumes on a smartphone screen.

While the screenshot shared by the user shows this appearing only in the Discover Weekly playlist, they have since updated the post to say that similarly phrased filters have also appeared in the Release Radar playlist.

Release Radar is picking up new “controls”

In a related development, Spotify has just announced an update to Release Radar with “new controls and a new look.” While some existing genre-based filters — or controls, as Spotify calls them — will remain, the app is adding others named “Discover new artists,” Editors’ picks,” and “Easy listening.”

Like Spotify’s existing filters, the app will display up to five at a time. This allows users to either show only genre-based music or filter down to what’s trending at that time. These controls are currently rolling out across both mobile and desktop versions of the streaming app.