Skip to main content

Spotify Premium cribs from Pandora with new Endless Artist Radio feature

What’s New With Spotify Premium

Spotify is an enormously popular service, but it certainly has its competitors. Apple Music is currently beating the service in the United States when it comes to paid subscriber numbers, and, despite not being as popular, Pandora continues to catch up in terms of features and might get a tailwind from its recent deal that would see the company acquired by SiriusXM. To make sure it stays competitive and keeps its customers happy, Spotify is rolling out an update for Premium subscribers.

In September, Pandora rolled out a new feature called The Drop, which took a cue from Spotify’s Discover Weekly playlist. Now, one of the biggest features of the Spotify Premium update returns the favor.

Endless Artist Radio is an upgrade of Artist Radio, which already existed for Premium subscribers. Not only are these playlists personalized based on your listening history, and updated frequently, they’re downloadable so you can listen to them even when no internet connection is handy.

Spotify has also streamlined its layout for easier navigation, making finding what you’re looking for a simpler task. The home screen is where you’ll find your personalized recommendations, while your favorite songs, artists, playlists, and podcasts are all found in the library. If you’re looking for something new, you’ll want to check out the Search section.

The Search page has been redesigned, making it what Spotify calls “the new one-stop destination for artists, albums, podcasts, and more.” This applies whether you know exactly what you’re looking for or you’re looking for something new but don’t quite know what that might be. The top of the page now shows your favorite genres, which can change over time depending on what you’ve been listening to recently. For some people this may not ever change, but if you’re a genre hopper, this can help you stay in the groove.

In the blog post announcing the new features, Spotify describes them as “initial updates” to Spotify Premium, so there may be other features in the works as well. These updates have begun rolling out today, October 18, for users of the iOS and Android apps across the world, so if you haven’t gotten them yet, keep an eye out.

Editors' Recommendations

Kris Wouk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kris Wouk is a tech writer, gadget reviewer, blogger, and whatever it's called when someone makes videos for the web. In his…
As expected, Spotify Premium is now more expensive
Spotify Premium on an iPhone.

Spotify confirmed today what it teased in The Wall Street Journal in a Friday afternoon news dump — its Premium plans are getting more expensive. And not just for a single account; the increase is good across the board.

It's the first price increase for the leading streaming music service and will take effect a month after account holders receive an email noting the change. The price increase brings Spotify in line with its competitors, several of whom also have increased rates in recent months. Here's how things shake out:

Read more
Spotify set to finally announce a price increase, WSJ reports
Spotify Premium on an iPhone.

In what only can be described as a Friday afternoon news dump meant to soften the ground before an earnings call the following week, The Wall Street Journal reports that Spotify is about to increase its monthly subscription fee for the first time.

Spotify Premium is set to increase by $1 a month to $11, according the unsourced report. Spotify itself has yet to announce any changes. Spotify has long resisted any price increases, but the move would bring it in line with all of its major competitors, some of which have seen recent increases to that $11 mark.

Read more
Astell&Kern gives its new entry-level digital audio player some premium features
Astell&Kern SR35 digital audio player with earbuds.

Starting in the $700-range, Astell&Kern's (A&K) most affordable portable digital audio players have never been easy on the wallet, but they have always been packed with top-quality components and features. With its latest entry-level model, the $799 A&norma SR35, that tradition continues with impressive upgrades, some of which have been lifted directly from the company's ultra-premium models. You'll be able to buy it at A&K dealers in May.

On the outside, not much has changed from the $749 SR25 II (which is still available while supplies last). A&K has kept the same chunky case, oversized volume knob, distinctive bevel edges, and quirky angled display. The player retains its internal 64GB of storage (expandable up to 1TB via microSD cards) as well as the ability to act as both a Bluetooth receiver and transmitter with LDAC and aptX HD codec support. And you can still use the AK File Drop function to load the player with your favorite songs wirelessly -- no USB cable required. That wireless connectivity has been improved, however, with support for both 2.4 and 5GHz Wi-Fi bands.

Read more