Spotify wants to be more like YouTube, and users aren't happy
Edgar Cervantes / Android Authority
TL;DR Spotify has added video podcast recommendations to the Home screen, below shortcuts.
Videos now have comment threads and links to more content, similar to YouTube.
Some users complain that these new features move too far from the core music experience.
Spotify made its name as the be-all and end-all music streaming app, but recently, the company has shifted its strategies toward podcasts and video. Now, the company is pushing video even harder by adding it to the Home screen, and it might be a step too far.
Announced yesterday, the update puts video podcast recommendations near the top of the Home screen, right below your shortcuts. Note that this isn't a simple widget with the latest episode of your favorite podcast, but rather a discovery feed to find new video podcasts 'Picked for you.' Spotify claims that 'early feedback shows that more users are engaging, saving, and liking, telling us that they're discovering new podcasts they enjoy.'
However, several Reddit users have bemoaned the update. Complaints range from the fact that 'Spotify is trying to be an everything app now' to difficulties managing screen time for teens with the shift to video. There's also a very real risk that the algorithm mistakenly recommends explicit material, as the company has repeatedly failed to catch adult content reuploaded to the platform.
Spotify's video-first strategy annoys some users, but it continues to add subscribers.
The video-first strategy has also prompted Spotify to expand its commenting system with threads. The idea is that creators can interact with their listeners more easily, but the result is a UI that looks eerily similar to YouTube. Beneath the comments is another section that displays links to other content mentioned in the episode, including other podcasts, music, audiobooks, and more.
Spotify has also added a new Following tab to the podcasts section on the Home screen. This displays the latest episodes of podcasts you're following in chronological order. It replaces the old New Episodes playlist, but it appears to have removed a few key features. For example, users report that you can no longer hide episodes or mark them finished, which was previously possible in the New Episodes playlist.
Despite these complaints, Spotify has continued to grow at a record pace. At the Q1 earnings call earlier this month, the company announced it added five million premium subscribers. That's the biggest jump since 2020, bringing the total subscriber count to 268 million.
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