Digital Guru: Spotify
ALL THE MUSIC YOU COULD WANT AT THE TAP OF A BUTTON.
THE MUSIC INDUSTRY has seen significant change over the years, beginning with physical records, cassettes, and CDs before transitioning to the digital era thanks in part to portable music players like the iPod. While online platforms such as the iTunes Store may have dominated the 2000s, music streaming has slowly grown to become a serious contender in the audio stakes. Rather than purchase songs and albums individually, streaming platforms offer unlimited listening to an extensive catalogue of music in exchange for a monthly fee. Spotify first hit the Swedish market in 2008 before eventually reaching Australian earbuds in 2012. While streaming mightn’t be for everyone, we think Spotify is perfect for those looking to expand their musical tastes at a rapid rate. So join us as we hit play on Spotify and run you through the various features of this stream-based platform.
THE BASICS
FREE VS. PREMIUM. One important thing to highlight is the difference between the free and premium version of Spotify. On the desktop app free users can listen to any song, album or playlist, with occasional advertisements played in between. This differs to the mobile app where free users can only listen to entire albums and playlists on shuffle, meaning you’re unable choose and play individual tracks. The app also limits you to six song skips per hour. Paying for a premium subscription ($11.99/month) removes all these restrictions and advertisements, plus offers additional features like offline playback and higher streaming quality. Note that many of the things we talk about in this guide require a premium subscription, so we’d definitely recommend signing up for a 30-day premium trial.
GETTING STARTED. To begin your journey towards aural pleasure, download the Spotify app for iPhone or Android (plus desktop) and register using either an email address or Facebook account. During signup you’ll be asked to select a minimum of three artists that you enjoy – this will help Spotify personalise song recommendations from the get go. The app is divided into three sections. Home lists your most & recently played songs along with a series of playlists tailored to different genres, occasions and artists. The Search tab lets you browse Spotify’s massive catalogue of music using either the search bar or by selecting from a list of categories. Lastly, Your Library houses songs and albums saved to your account plus the playlists you create or follow.
SEARCH. The easiest way to start playing music is through the search tool. From the Search tab you can quickly find songs, playlists, artists and podcasts available for streaming. To filter, select one of the options displayed at the bottom of the results page. If you’re still struggling, try adding a year, genre or label – for example, including year: 1995 will restrict results to music released in that year. You can also use OR, AND or NOT to find songs or albums that include or exclude certain words.
PLAYLISTS. As you become familiar with Spotify’s catalogue, you may want to think about creating some playlists to help keep your music organised. On the Home tab you’ll find
a range of already curated playlists designed by music experts, but you can also create your own. To start a new playlist, from Your Library select Playlists and then choose Create a Playlist before giving it a name. To add some music, tap the three-dot icon next to any song or album and select Add to Playlist. You can also tap the same three-dot icon on a playlist to edit or change its privacy. Public playlists can be found using the search tool – tap the follow button to add a bookmark in your library.
STEP IT UP A LEVEL
RADIO. Having so many songs to choose from can be both a blessing and a curse. Spotify Radio gives you personalised radio stations based on the music you enjoy. To begin, tap the three-dot icon next to any song, artist or playlist and select Go To Radio – like magic,
Spotify will generate a custom playlist influenced by the music you selected. Use the thumbs up and thumbs down buttons while listening to further refine your station.
ARTIST PROFILES. Every artist on Spotify has a profile page which you can follow to stay up to date on new albums and releases. On the page you’ll find singles, EPs and albums, along with a list of popular songs. You can also view photos and a bio, along with any merchandise available for purchase. Artists can even create and share their own playlists with listeners.
OFFLINE LISTENING. If you’re on a limited data plan, you’ll appreciate the ability to download songs for offline playback. To begin, simply flick the download switch at the top of any album or playlist. Spotify lets you download
up to 10,000 songs on each of a maximum of five devices. To avoid using mobile data while away from Wi-Fi you can also turn on offline mode in the playback section of settings.
QUEUE. There’s one person at every party who likes to think of themselves as the resident DJ. While never formally asked, this person will demand certain songs be played throughout the night. Rather than suddenly interrupt the (perfectly fine) playlist currently playing, you can add tracks to a queue to be played automatically once the current song ends. To do this, tap the three-dot icon on a song or album and select Add to queue.
FILTERS. In addition to searching Spotify’s music catalogue for songs, you can also do the same with playlists. Pull down on any playlist to reveal a search bar that can be used to locate individual tracks. Tap the button next to the search bar to sort songs by title or artist.
SHARING. For some, music discovery is a very social activity. If you come across something your friends need to hear, click the three-dot button to see an option for sharing. You can send music via Whatsapp, Facebook or by copying its web URL.
GOING PRO
DATA SAVING. In addition to downloading music for offline listening, you can also switch on data saver mode. Once enabled, Spotify will reduce image downloads and streaming quality in order to limit data usage. You’ll find this option in settings.
LOCAL FILES. Not only can Spotify stream music from its own catalogue, you can also play songs stored on your computer. From the desktop app visit settings (click the the down arrow in the top-right corner) and scroll to the section labelled Local Files. You’ll then need to select where your music is located on the computer. To play tracks
in the mobile app, from your desktop add the songs to a playlist before using your smartphone to download that same playlist for offline playback – all while both devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
PERSONALISED PLAYLISTS. If you’re after some musical inspiration, try one of Spotify’s personalised playlists. Updated regularly, these playlists are tailored to your unique listening habits. Discover Weekly is curated based on what you and people with similar music tastes are listening to. Release Radar meanwhile uses your audio habits to come up with a list of new releases you’ll love. There’s also a series of Daily Mixes, each focussed on a different genre. Personalised playlists can be accessed from the Made For You section of Your Library.
PODCASTS. As if music wasn’t enough, Spotify also has thousands of podcasts available for streaming. To begin, from Your Library tap Podcasts and then choose Browse Podcasts. You’ll find a list of featured episodes, along with a series of categories ready to choose from. Like other podcast apps, you can skip forward and back, adjust playback speed and download episodes for offline listening.
LYRICS. Get to know your favourite songs with Spotify’s behind the lyrics feature. Through a partnership with music knowledge platform Genius, you can see key lyrics and interesting facts about songs without leaving the Spotify app. Available on selected tracks, simply swipe up on the now playing screen to view.
SOUND QUALITY. Spotify makes it easy to adjust the sound quality of your music listening experience. Accessed from the Music Quality section of settings, you can switch between low, normal, high and very high quality or let Spotify adjust automatically. You can also alter the quality of tracks downloaded to your device for offline playback.