Spotify gets serious about music discovery in latest update
New “Follow” tab lets you see what your friends and a load of celebrities and musicians are listening to
Spotify has announced a truckload of new features for its desktop and mobile editions.
The new update is focussed on music discovery – the act of finding new tunes to listen to – and to that end Spotify has added a “Follow” tab. This lets you select “influencers” (celebs, musicians, publications etc.) and friends to keep track of; you’ll be able to see what they’re listening to in real time. People will also be able to follow you – it’s all very Twitter/Instagram.
Among the people and bands you can follow are Metallica (whose entire back catalogue has today been added to Spotify – interesting given the band’s past run-ins with Napster), Damon Albarn, Paul McCartney, Zane Lowe, Katy Perry and Barack Obama. Yes, you’ll be able to keep tabs on what the most powerful man in the world has pumping through the Oval Office’s speaker system at any time.
There’s also a new “Discover” tab, which combines tech and recommendations from the likes of Pitchfork and Songkick to clue you in on music that Spotify believes you will like. We look forward to testing out its efficacy.
Also announced today are Audio Preview, which lets you listen to a song without stopping the one that’s currently playing, saving it for later listening in full if you wish; Collection, which lets you save music for later listening (you no longer have to make a playlist); and mobile push notifications for new album releases from the artists you follow.
The new features are rolling out from today, so keep an eye on your Spotify apps for updates.
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Dan Grabham
Editor-in-Chief 
