If you are looking for a music service, one option that’s definitely worth considering is Spotify. You’ll have access to a wide variety of artists and tracks, and you can also connect your music library to other devices. However, there are a few things you’ll want to keep in mind when choosing between the various features that the service has to offer.
1. Curated playlists
If you have ever shopped for new music on Spotify, you have undoubtedly noticed a number of playlists. These are designed to match the tastes of particular users, whether it’s a specific genre or activity. While some of these are algorithmic, others are manually created. However, which ones do you want to listen to?
There are three main types of playlists on Spotify: user-generated, collaborative, and algorithmic. All three of these are available to free and premium users.
To create a Spotify playlist, you must first sign in with your existing account. Next, you can import local music or “like” songs. Then you can either choose to make the playlist private or share it with other users. Lastly, you can change the artwork for the playlist.
The algorithms that power Spotify playlists are not necessarily the best way to discover new music. The company is constantly adding new features and expanding its music library. Some of these include the new Blend feature. This allows two users to merge their tastes. Likewise, the Enhance function will weave personalized recommendations into your playlists.
It’s also worth noting that many of these are the best of the best. Spotify has 82 million tracks, but not all of them are featured in its curated playlists. That’s why a lot of users have started to curate their own.
If you’re an independent musician looking to boost your brand and get discovered on Spotify, you can start by reaching out to a number of relevant curators. For example, you can submit your music to Billboard. Another good resource is the PlaylistRadar website. This service will show you which artists have their own curated playlists.
2. Hi-Res audio quality
Despite Spotify’s announcement of Hi-Res audio earlier this year, it is not clear yet whether the service will actually offer higher-quality sound. Although Spotify has not made any technical specifications, the Hi-Fi tier is expected to offer CD quality lossless streams.
High-resolution audio is a much larger file than the MP3 format, which is typically just a few MB. This allows for a wider dynamic range and more details to be recorded. Depending on your headphones, you may not be able to hear the difference between the two.
Tidal is one of the biggest players in the high-res streaming audio market. The company’s HiFi files have a 16-bit depth and a 44,100 Hz sample rate, which is similar to the sound on a CD. You can also try out a free trial of the service’s high-res tracks.
Qobuz is another service that provides a similar experience. Its lossless audio tier starts at CD quality and increases to a 24-bit, 48 kHz sample rate. You can pay $15 a month for this tier, which is slightly less than Amazon Music Unlimited.
In addition to the services mentioned above, Spotify has a “High” tier that streams at 160 kbps. This option is available on desktop as well as mobile. However, the company advertises 320 kbps as a ‘high-quality sound’ for subscribers.
While Spotify does not provide any technical details, the company has stated that it will share tens of millions of songs with rivals. The company is currently in licensing negotiations with music labels. It has not yet confirmed the launch date of its high-res tier.
While you may be tempted to sign up for a Premium account, be wary. The 320 kbps bitrate is not good enough for true high-res audio. You’ll probably be better off just signing up for the a la carte high-res option, which costs $5-10.
3. Save songs to devices when they’re offline
If you want to stream music on the go or you just don’t have access to the internet, you can save songs to your devices when they’re offline on Spotify. If you have a Premium account, you can also play offline on your computer. The best part is, you can sync up to three devices at a time.
First, you’ll want to turn on the Spotify Offline Mode. You can find this in the Settings menu. Next, you’ll want to select the Playlists filter. This will display all your offline playlists. If you don’t have any, you can create a new one.
For a more robust offline experience, you can download songs to your device. This is particularly useful if you have a limited data plan or are traveling.
You can do this using the desktop app. You’ll need to sign in with your Premium account. Once you’ve done that, you’ll see an icon for downloading a track. You’ll then be able to download songs from the playlists you’ve already subscribed to. You’ll need to make sure to select a good quality option.
In addition to allowing you to listen to your favorites offline, you can use the Offline Mode to optimize your downloads. You’ll be able to reduce the size of your downloads and ensure only the songs you actually want to hear are downloaded. You’ll be able to save up to 3333 tracks to your device.
To do the same for a full album, you’ll need to connect your device to the internet and sync up. When you’re back online, you can start playing your downloaded songs. If you’re a Premium user, you can download up to 10000 songs.
4. Connect to your Echo Dot
If you’ve got a Amazon Echo or Amazon Echo Dot, you can connect your Spotify account to play your music. You need a premium account, however, because the free version only allows you to play a few playlists.
The first step to connecting your Spotify account is to go to the settings page of your account. From there, you can select the Linked Devices tab. You will then need to add your Echo Dot. Once you’ve done this, you can set it as your default music service.
Next, you’ll need to log into your account. You’ll need to enter your username and password. Alternatively, you can use a Facebook or Apple login. Once you have logged in, you can click the ‘Confirm’ button.
You’ll then need to select Echo from the Linked Devices tab. This will then bring you to a Media Services screen. From there, you’ll need to select Spotify as your music service. You’ll then be able to choose from your playlists, artists, and podcasts.
Once you’ve selected Spotify as your music service, you’ll need to log into your Alexa app. From there, you’ll be able to play your music through your Echo Dot. If you want, you can even use voice commands to play your favorite tracks.
To remove the connection, you’ll need to click the Unlink Spotify from Alexa button. This will then take you back to the Media Services screen.
You can also change the audio quality by using the EQ feature. When you’re done, you’ll need to close the Pair Device window.
Once you’ve connected your Spotify account to your Echo Dot, you can listen to your favorite songs, artists, and playlists. You can even ask Alexa to play songs from your favorite movies or radio stations.
6. Find friends
Spotify users can find friends in many ways. Depending on your preference, you may want to connect with Facebook, add friends through your own account, or simply search for them.
Spotify acts as a social platform for people to share their music and playlists with other users. It has millions of songs to choose from. It even allows users to create collaborative playlists. However, finding friends without Facebook can be a challenge.
One way to find friends is through the friend activity sidebar. You can follow your friends to get updates on their playlists. You can also ask them to send you links to their playlists. Alternatively, you can search for your friends’ profiles in the contact section.
Using the Find Friends feature, you can view your friends’ playlists and their public profile. You can also follow all your friends at once.
To search for your Facebook friends on Spotify, you first need to log in to your Facebook account. Then, you can search for their username. The resulting list of results will include their Spotify username, profile picture, and profile bio. This is a useful option, but it does require you to grant the correct permissions.
When you’ve found a list of your Facebook friends, you can either click on each friend’s name to find out more about them, or you can check their Spotify profiles for more details. You can also find out which artists they are listening to. If they are not, you can unfollow them.
There are also other simple methods to follow friends on Spotify. You can do a quick search for them, and you can add them to your contact list.
