Spotify now lets free users pick and play any song
What's the story
Spotify has announced a major update for its free users, allowing them to search and play any song of their choice. The new feature, called "Pick & Play," comes after the company's recent introduction of lossless streaming for paid subscribers. Along with "Pick and Play," Spotify is also introducing "Search and Play" and "Share and Play" facilities.
User engagement
Addressing ad business struggles
The new features are expected to boost user engagement, especially among free users. Spotify's CEO Daniel Ek had previously admitted that the company's ad business has been struggling and they have been "moving too slowly" on this front. By introducing these new features, Spotify hopes to increase user interaction with its platform and subsequently generate more ad revenue.
User base
Majority of users on free plan
Despite the struggles with its ad business, Spotify continues to have a large user base. In the last quarter, out of 696 million monthly active users, 433 million were free, ad-supported customers. This means that a significant portion of Spotify's user base is still using the free version of its service.
Premium exclusivity
Premium features remain exclusive
Despite the new features for free users, Spotify has clarified that some capabilities will remain exclusive to Premium subscribers. These include support for lossless audio, AI Playlists, and Mix. However, other facilities like Messages as well as the personalized playlists will be available to both free and paid users globally.