Released at the start of September, Spotify’s newest feature leverages personalization technology to curate shareable playlists based on users’ listening habits.
In the digital age, we have so many listening platforms from Apple Music to SoundCloud. What is particularly interesting is how the patrons of those platforms stick to and defend them; it feels like finding the music streaming service for you is equivalent to finding an insurance company because of the patron’s dedication. In an effort to stand out amongst the various platforms, Spotify not only has a vast library of songs, but innovative marketing strategies and features that draw in new consumers. Acting as one of the industry’s pioneers, the company is constantly introducing new collaborations between artists and ways for the user to get involved within the app.
Starting in 2016, Spotify began curating personalized experiences for its users. Even in 2023, features like “daily mixes” and “Spotify Wrapped” are shared amongst socials and listened to daily. These features not only offer new ways to listen and discover music but also provide a sense of identity and connection among the user base. Earlier this month, Spotify rolled out its newest feature, the “daylist.” But before I get into that, let’s backtrack a little.
At the beginning of this year, the “DJ” feature was released. Spotify’s AI guide through music genres got the attention of numerous users. Using their personalization technology, the DJ was able to pick up on different sounds an individual liked and find new songs that fit those genres. The feature even went back to pick out a user’s top hits from a specific year. However, the limitation was that these sets of songs could not be shared with others, limiting a part of the social aspect of music discovery.
Similar to the “DJ” feature, “daylist” looks back on your listening statistics and curates a sharable playlist just for you. What makes the playlist special though is Spotify’s personalization technology going a step further and tracking what you listened to at each time of day for each day of the week; considering not just what you like, but when you like it.
There was a significant increase in the past year in finding music that fits “the vibe,” or whatever the mood was at that designated moment. Now, Spotify is taking the concept of curating playlists to a whole new level. Tapping into each user’s evolving and varying music consumption to best fit their routines and vibes throughout the day. There is less of a need for making more playlists when Spotify already has the “perfect” one for you.
With every Spotify user having a different music taste, the “daylist” offers the perfect opportunity to share what you’re listening to. Not only is this great to increase the connection between current users, but also to draw in new ones. From what I’ve seen so far, listeners have been showing off their daylists on several apps including TikTok and Instagram.
This is the kind of marketing that consumers want. As explained by Augie Ray in his blog post “Burn It Down, Start From Scratch And Build a Social Media Strategy That Works,” consumers expect brands to engage on consumers’ terms. Spotify is taking that idea and making a large part of their identity thus generating a lot of WOM, or word-of-mouth. The music platform does a great job of knowing their target audience and listening to them. Producing a user-friendly site that offers numerous features that are curated for each listener shows consumers that the brand is for them rather than for profit.
Spotify has made a place for itself in the music streaming industry through its innovation in user experience. The level of personalization encourages sharing and fostering word-of-mouth marketing that resonates with consumers. In today’s digital world, the streaming service is setting the standard for meeting consumers’ need and preferences with various unique features.
Interested in learning more?
Spotify Announces New Daylist Playlist That Adapts To User’s Moods Throughout The Day
Spotify’s “daylist” Is Your New Best Friend
Burn It Down, Start From Scratch And Build a Social Media Strategy That Works