Spotify has established itself as the ultimate music streaming, but the company has recently shifted its focus to podcasts and videos, like YouTube. Now, it's putting even more emphasis on video, integrating it into the home screen — a move that might seem like overkill.
See also: Spotify is testing a new way to discover music
As announced yesterday, the new update brings video podcast recommendations near the top of the home screen, just below the user’s shortcuts. It’s worth noting that this isn’t just a widget with the latest episode of your favorite podcast, but a content feed of new video podcasts, “curated for you.” Spotify says that “early feedback shows that more users are engaging, saving, and liking, which suggests they’re discovering new shows that interest them.”
However, several users on Reddit have expressed their displeasure with the change. Complaints range from the view that “Spotify is trying to be an app for everything” to the difficulties of managing screen time for teens due to the transition to a YouTube-like pattern. There’s also the real risk that the algorithm could accidentally recommend inappropriate content, as the company has repeatedly failed to detect adult material being re-uploaded on the platform.
See also: Spotify Premium users are listening to ads – what the company says
Spotify’s video-centric strategy has also led to an expansion of its comments system, with the introduction of threads. The idea is to make it easier for creators to interact with their audience, but the end result is disturbingly reminiscent of YouTube’s user interface. Below the comments, there’s an additional section that displays links to other content mentioned in the episode, such as other podcasts, music, audiobooks, and more.
Spotify has also added a new “Following” tabtothe podcasts section of the home screen. It shows the latest episodes from podcasts you follow, in chronological order. The new feature replaces the “Episodes” list, but it seems to be missing some key features. For example, users are reporting that it’s no longer possible to hide episodes or mark them as complete, which was available in the previous list.
See also: Abuse of Spotify to promote pirated software, game cheats
Despite these criticisms, Spotify continues to grow at an impressive pace, resembling YouTube. In its first-quarter earnings call earlier this month, the company announced the addition of five million new Premium subscribers — the largest increase since 2020 — bringing its total subscriber count to 268 million.
Source: androidauthority
