Spotify beefs up free tier to attract more paying customers

A “Data Saver” setting could “save up to 75% of data usage” via predictive song caching and other new technologies, according to Spotify VP of Product Development Babar Zafar. Free users have their pick of on-demand songs from Spotify’s 15 top playlists, including the personalized Discover Weekly mix.

But many users of Spotify for free around the world aren’t able to enjoy music whenever they want, because of the volume of mobile data streaming typically uses. It is often a gateway, with Soderstrom saying that 60 percent of Spotify’s new subscribers past year migrated from the free tier. “We have accelerated our ability to understand what people want to hear”. Album art is being made more prominent and the amount of on-screen text is being cut down. The updated app now suggests songs that are similar to those they’ve already added right below the search bar, in the hope of making the playlisting process more streamlined.

A new version of Spotify Free will enable users to listen to tracks on demand but things are not quite that simple, of course.

With rumours of companies such as Samsung also interested in a slice of the AI-controlled speaker market, Spotify could be looking to announce its first piece of hardware at the announcement later this month. “Engagement is the most important indicator of growth”. Get roped in with the promise of music for nothing, and you’ll eventually pony up the $10 a month for the convenience of premium. “Artists can’t afford to ignore that audience”. He spoke of the country artist Garret T. Capps, an independent musician whose music began popping up on Spotify playlists after a buzzy South by Southwest appearance.

Spotify unveiled the revamp hours after the industry announced that global revenue from recorded music soared 8.1 percent in 2017 – the fastest rate on record. “We believe it’s going to be bigger than it ever was before”.

Spotify’s Vice President of Growth Babar Zafar demos Spotify’s new new ad supported mobile version at a news conference in NY.

The new version of the app is being rolled out to iOS and Android users globally in the coming weeks.