Preempting a battle with former social kingpin Myspace, after a leaked investor document recently revealed the relaunched site is gearing up to make a play for the streaming music crown – current market leader Spotify has unveiled a host of new social features similar to the Myspace pitch.
Core to Myspace’s strategy is fans interacting with musicians, following their favourite artists or celebrities, who in turn will provide recommendations about new music, and an outlet for a musician to get their latest tune heard.
Now Spotify have risen to the challenge, unveiling a series of remarkably similar features (perhaps paid for by the millions in funding it received from backers like Coke) to be introduced across its desktop, mobile, and new web player platforms over the coming weeks that it hopes will keep the former social giant at bay when it launches in 2013.
“Users tell us they don’t know what to listen to, and artists tell us they want to connect more closely with fans” says Daniel Ek, CEO and founder at Spotify. “So we’re creating a new and personalised way of finding great music.”
To bridge the gap between musician and fan, Spotify are introducing a all-new ‘Follow’ feature that will allow you to get music recommendations from only your most trusted musical influences. You’ll be able to follow friends, artists, influencers, and media to get updated on what they’re listening to in real time.
The Follow tab also highlights your Facebook friends and recommends people you may find interesting, and you’ll be able to see who you follow and who follows your profile.
For example, you’ll be able to listen to a playlist selected by US President Barack Obama as he prepares for a big speech, while at the same time you check out the kind of music David Guetta is listening to this week (more commercial dance fodder no doubt). ”Users tell us they don’t know what to listen to, and artists tell us they want to connect more closely with fans. So we’re creating a new and personalised way of finding great music.” – Daniel Ek, Spotify CEO
A host of musicians and celebrities have already signed up to the new service, including Metallica, Paul McCartney, and The xx; as well as a host of high-profile Australian artists like Bernard Fanning, Grinspoon, Kimbra, Lisa Mitchell, Something For Kate, Matt Corby, and more.
Also making its grand debut will be an all-new Discover tab, with Spotify boasting “your hunt for the right music is over”. Combining the best technology and social tools with content from Pitchfork, Songkick and Tunigo, and many more, Spotify’s Discover feed will deliver the type of music it thinks is most relevant to you for when you’re stuck for what to listen to next.
A system that’s similar to Pandora, the personalised internet radio service that yesterday launched in Australia and New Zealand after more than a decade’s dominance in its native America.
Spotify’s Discover tab will include things such as new single and album releases from the artists you follow, all the music and playlists shared by influencers you follow, and something Spotify are calling “intelligent recommendations” based on your listening history including music, reviews, and concerts.
In addition to the new features, Spotify will also be introducing some additional improvements to make navigating the application and finding the music you want easier.
First up they’re introducing audio previews, allowing to play a short snippet of a song without moving away from the song you’re playing. If you like what you hear you can save it for later or start it right away.
Spotify have also taken a leaf out of rival Rdio’s book by introducing ‘collection’. The new collection feature means that you’ll no longer need to clumsily crate playlists just for easy access to play your favourite albums.“Our music influences are as individual as we are… Spotify now brings all of this together.” – Phil Ek
Now with the new collection feature all you have to do is click the ‘add’ symbol and it will be added to your collection where you can browse all your favourite albums.
Spotify’s mobile apps will also be getting an upgrade, and will include push notifications in the future alerting you when your favourite aritsts have released new tracks or albums on Spotify.
“Our music influences are as individual as we are,” says Ek. “Maybe you discover new songs or artists by reading reviews, listening to the radio, or sharing with friends. Maybe you go to a lot of concerts, love making cool playlists, or want to know what the people you care about are getting in to. Spotify now brings all of this together.”
Spotify’s brand new features will roll out as part of a desktop app update in the coming weeks, with a full cross-platform upgrade arriving next year.
Though the Swedish born digital music platform remains at the top of the streaming music service heap, the announcement of the latest upgrades and tweaks demonstrates their understanding that there’s more than a few fish in the pond looking to muscle in on what is now a booming $1 billion industry.
Never mind the likes of Rdio, Mog, and the recent Australian championed Deezer nipping at their heels, Spotify also has new contenders in Justin Timberlake’s relaunched Myspace, which is looking like a serious contender to the throne with a completely revamped launch impending, including boasting the world’s largest catalogue of licensed songs ripe for streaming.
The other interesting new contender is from none other than Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor, who has revealed that the secret project he’s been working on with Beats By Dre is a new music streaming service called Daisy; which Reznor describes as “like having your own guy when you go into the record store, who knows what you like but can also point you down some paths you wouldn’t necessarily have encountered.”
