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Spotify is testing new card-style user profiles focused on discovery

At Spotify’s Stream On event this month, the company introduced a redesigned app with TikTok-like discovery feeds, an AI DJ and other tools for artists and podcasters. But the app’s changes may not be stopping there. The company confirmed it’s now testing a revamp of its user profiles, which includes a card-style layout that lets users establish more of a social identity on the platform in addition to providing easy access to Spotify’s unique features — like its personalized recommendations, Blend playlists, co-listening experiences and more.
The changes were first spotted by Chris Messina, who shared screenshots of the tests on Twitter. He noted the additional cards on profiles and how the new layout was directing users to tap a button to “discover more features.”
Some Spotify users, however, said they’ve had the updated profiles for some time. But that’s only because the feature has been in live testing in multiple markets. These profiles are not fully rolled out to all users.

This is big! Spotify is previewing a new profile design!
It appears that more profile cards will be coming soon.
It recommends discovering «more features» to «get the most of your listening experience».#NewSpotify pic.twitter.com/Qcctw3PJU7
— Chris Messina (chrismessina@mastodon.xyz) (@chrismessina) March 28, 2023

Spotify did not commit it would make the feature available for everyone at any particular time. Often, the company’s new ideas are tested in public, then modified based on user engagement and feedback before a global rollout. Or, in some cases, they’re scrapped entirely. That said, it’s not as likely that this one would be dropped, given how well it fits with the new Spotify redesign which puts greater emphasis on discovery.
“We routinely conduct a number of tests,” a company spokesperson told TechCrunch when asked about the new profiles. “Some of those tests end up informing our user experience and others serve only as an important learning. We don’t have anything further to share at this time,” they added.
Image Credits: Chris Messina via Twitter (opens in a new window)
Among the notable changes in this version of the user profiles is the new heading at the top of the screen that looks more like something you’d see on a social network. Currently, Spotify user profiles are fairly bare-bones. The person’s name as well as their follower and following counts are displayed above lists of their playlists and recently played artists. The new profiles, by comparison, include other details about the person like which Spotify plan they’re subscribed to, how long they’ve been a Spotify member, their general location (like the U.S.), in addition to their follower and following counts, a button that lets you follow them and another for profile edits.
There’s also a fun feature that apparently lets you set a “vibe” above your name, to give your profile a little pizazz.
Image Credits: Chris Messina via Twitter (opens in a new window)
The new profiles still feature sections for your playlists and artists, but these now appear as cards and there are more interactive features available next to these options. For instance, you can now click a button to create a new playlist right from your profile, or use buttons beside each playlist to share them with others. Next to each artist’s name, there also are buttons that let you follow the artist on Spotify — before, you’d have to click into the artist profile to do so. This could be particularly useful if you had visited someone else’s profile and were discovering new artists through their activity.
Under the “Discover more features” section on the new profiles, users are pointed to other things they can do on Spotify — like find live events, “like” more songs to improve their recommendations, create Blends with friends, check out Spotify’s new audiobooks and more.
The profiles also include a message at the bottom that reads “View more cards,” which indicates there will be future additions coming to this space beyond the playlists and recently played artists. But this feature isn’t fully built out yet — Messina told us that, when clicked, the in-app message reads “there’s nothing to see here yet” and informs users that Spotify is “busy building more content for you — coming soon.”
(May we suggest incorporating podcast recommendations into this experience, please?)
These changes would make sense as part of Spotify’s broader focus on discovery that’s driving its most recent app updates. That is, instead of just showcasing a user’s basic information and activity, these redesigned profiles would allow people to explore more of what Spotify has to offer while also making it easier to find and enjoy new artists and music directly from someone else’s profile with fewer clicks.
Spotify is testing new card-style user profiles focused on discovery by Sarah Perez originally published on TechCrunch
Spotify is testing new card-style user profiles focused on discovery

Comedian Hasan Minhaj returns as The Riddler in new Spotify podcast series

Among the wave of Spotify announcements coming out of today’s Spotify Stream On event, the company shared some exciting news with podcast listeners — in particular, Batman fans. Spotify is launching a new podcast series “The Riddler: Secrets in the Dark,” starring comedian-actor Hasan Minhaj as The Riddler.
As part of Spotify’s exclusive multiyear partnership with DC and Warner Bros, “The Riddler: Secrets in the Dark” will premiere later this year and will see Minhaj reprise his role as the supervillain. Minhaj starred in the 2022 Spotify podcast “Batman Unburied,” which starred Winston Duke as the Dark Knight. Batman/Bruce Wayne will also appear in the new podcast series along with Barbara Gordon and Alfred.
“The Riddler: Secrets in the Dark” is a scripted “Batman” spinoff series that follows an unexpected duo — The Riddler and Batman — as they bring down another villain tormenting the streets of Gotham City.
“Audiences are going to travel back to Gotham City with me in a story that leaves clues, puzzles and shines a spotlight on my personal favorite character, The Riddler,” Minhaj said in the announcement video.

“Batman Unburied” premiered on the audio streaming service in May 2022 and climbed its way up Spotify’s top podcast charts. At one point, it even took the crown from “The Joe Rogan Experience,” which was the No. 1 podcast globally on Spotify in 2022 despite its controversial host.
Plus, Spotify recently launched “Harley Quinn and The Joker: Sound Mind,” which was also a huge hit among fans, reaching the top of the charts in six markets, according to the company.
As Spotify bets on original programming to boost its overall podcast strategy, the DC podcasts are certainly a smart move being that podcasts with recognizable characters, especially from the Batman franchise, will likely perform well in this IP-driven world we live in.

Podcast series ‘Batman Unburied’ set to premiere on Spotify after ‘The Batman’ heads to HBO Max

Speaking of recognizable voices, Spotify also announced today an exclusive video partnership with Markiplier (Mark Fischbach), the popular YouTuber with 34.5 million subscribers and approximately over 19 billion views. The partnership allows for Markiplier to produce exclusive video episodes of “Distractible” and “Go! My Favorite Sports Team.”
“While we love the audio world and still aim to bring you the very best in auditory experiences, by bringing our faces into the mix, we aim to give you an as-yet-unseen dimension to your listening experience. Imagine if you could smell a movie, imagine if you could smell us . . . who knows what the future will bring?” Markiplier said in a hilarious and thought-provoking statement.
Now, instead of just listening to his voice, Spotify users will also get to watch videos of Markiplier alongside his content creator friends Wade Barnes and Bob Muysken.
Another podcast getting the video treatment is “Forbidden Fruits” with actresses Julia Fox and Niki Takesh, which will return for a second season on March 17. The new episodes will be released as an all-video podcast, reflecting the growing trend of video-led podcasting.
According to Spotify, there are over 70,000 video creators on the platform. In April 2022, Spotify expanded the ability for creators to publish video podcasts in the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the U.K.
Separately, the company revealed that “The Comment Section” hosted by TikTok star Drew Afualo, would be moving exclusively to Spotify on April 5.
During today’s event, Spotify announced an array of new podcaster tools, such as a redesigned Podcasters dashboard that includes an Anchor integration and the launch of a new feature “Autoplay for Podcasts.” Plus, the company is teaming up with Patreon to allow users to listen to Patreon content on Spotify.

Spotify is revamping its podcaster tools, including Anchor, and is partnering with Patreon

Comedian Hasan Minhaj returns as The Riddler in new Spotify podcast series by Lauren Forristal originally published on TechCrunch
Comedian Hasan Minhaj returns as The Riddler in new Spotify podcast series

Spotify considers rebranding Anchor to Spotify Creator Studio

According to a survey sent to creators in the Spotify for Podcasters program, the streaming giant might be doing away with the Anchor brand. Anchor, which Spotify acquired for $340 million in a deal that included the studio Gimlet, is a free podcast hosting service. In 2020, Anchor said that its service was used to create 1 million new podcasts, accounting for 80% of new shows uploaded to Spotify that year.
But now that Anchor has been part of Spotify for almost three years, the company appears to be considering a rebrand. In the survey, sent to some podcasters who have claimed their show on Spotify for Podcasters, Spotify’s user research team shared information about the possible rebrand, which is still being tested with potential users.
“Anchor and Spotify for Podcasters are now Spotify Creator Studio, the all-in-one platform for creators of all kinds (and sizes) to express themselves and find success on Spotify,” the sample announcement in the survey reads.
Image Credits: Spotify, screenshot by TechCrunch
Image Credits: Spotify, screenshot by TechCrunch
Currently, podcasters can join Spotify for Podcasters to access analytics about their show, even if they host with another service like Libsyn, Podbean or Buzzsprout. Those who host via Anchor have access to features like subscription monetization and video podcasts, but only listeners using Spotify are able to interact with that content.
If the proposed rebrand from the survey were to go through, Spotify for Podcasters would be rebranded to “Spotify Creator Studio – Unhosted.” Anchor would be rebranded to “Spotify Creator Studio – Hosted.” Both products would remain free.
Spotify’s survey of podcasters about this potential change indicates an interest in the rebrand, but that doesn’t mean it will come to fruition.
“At Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of surveys and tests in an effort to improve our user experience. Some of these end up paving the path for our broader user experience and others serve only as an important learning. We have no news to share on future plans at this time,” a Spotify spokesperson told TechCrunch.
Over the last few years, Spotify has made a number of podcasting acquisitions like Anchor and Gimlet. These include Podz, a podcast discovery platform, and Megaphone, a podcast ads company. For four of its recent acquisitions — Findaway, Podsights, Chartable and Sonantic — the company paid about $295 million.

Spotify buys Gimlet and Anchor in podcast push, earmarks $500M for more deals

Spotify considers rebranding Anchor to Spotify Creator Studio by Amanda Silberling originally published on TechCrunch
Spotify considers rebranding Anchor to Spotify Creator Studio

Spotify releases a new exclusive podcast hosted by Kim Kardashian

Today, Spotify released the first two episodes of the new original podcast “Kim Kardashian’s The System: The Case of Kevin Keith,” narrated by reality TV star Kim K and true-crime producer Lori Rothschild Ansaldi. The series will be available worldwide and is free for all Spotify listeners.
The podcast will have eight episodes in total and explore the story of Kevin Keith, who was convicted of a triple homicide in 1994. For 28 years, Keith has been trying to prove his innocence. Kardashian and Rothschild Ansaldi will work with investigators and experts to demonstrate how the legal system is broken, Spotify wrote in its release.
New episodes of “The System” will be released on Mondays.
Kardashian has been open about her thoughts on the flawed justice system and is currently pursuing a career as a lawyer. She passed the “Baby Bar” exam in California and claims to have plans to open her own law firm in the future.
Kardashian entered a deal with Spotify in 2020 to produce and host an exclusive podcast for the music streaming platform. Her podcast deal joins other celebrities who have inked with Spotify as part of the company’s strategy to expand its exclusive audio offerings. Also, in 2020, Spotify closed a deal with Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.
“The System” podcast launched on the same day that the SEC charged Kardashian for “unlawfully touting a crypto security.” Kardashian settled the case and paid $1.26 million.

Kim Kardashian charged by SEC for pushing crypto, reaches $1.26M settlement

Spotify releases a new exclusive podcast hosted by Kim Kardashian by Lauren Forristal originally published on TechCrunch
Spotify releases a new exclusive podcast hosted by Kim Kardashian

Google will reimburse developers $90 million to settle a lawsuit over Play Store earnings

Google said Thursday it will pay $90 million to settle a lawsuit with U.S. developers that accused Google of abusing its power of app distribution and charging an unfair fee of 30% for app purchases and in-app purchases made through the Play Store.
The company noted that U.S. developers who made less than $2 million each year between 2016 and 2021 through Google Play Store earnings will be eligible for compensation.
“A vast majority of US developers who earned revenue through Google Play will be eligible to receive money from this fund if they choose. If the Court approves the settlement, developers that qualify will be notified and allowed to receive a distribution from the fund,” the search giant noted in a blog post.
Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP, the legal firm that represented the plaintiffs, said that developers were entitled to a minimum compensation of $250 — with some settlements going above $200,000. The firm noted that more than 48,000 U.S. developers are eligible for payment by Google.
The plaintiffs originally filed the case against Google in 2020 in California alleging that the company gained a monopoly in the Android app distribution space “through a series of anticompetitive contracts, strategic abuses of its dominance in other Android software applications, deficits in consumer knowledge and information, and the cultivation and exploitation of device users’ fear of malware.” The case document also harped upon the fact that Google had a default 30% Play Store tax for developers on the sale of apps or in-app purchases.
To handle the criticism on the 30% Play Store tax, in 2021, Google slashed its cut to 15% on the first $1 million earned by a developer each year. Later, it reduced Play Store fees to 15% for subscription-based apps and as low as 10% for media apps in select categories like e-books or music distribution. According to an estimate by damages expert, Dr. Michael Williams, this fee reduction could save developers more than $109 million in service fees until 2025.
The Mountain View-based company said that apart from the $90 million payment fund, it is revising its Developer Distribution Agreement document to make it clear that developers can contact users through out-of-app means like promotional emails — similar to a change Apple made last year — if they have obtained that information in the app. The firm said it’ll introduce a new section in the Play Store named “Indie Apps Corner” to highlight apps made by small startups and independent developers, too. What’s more, the firm will publish annual Google Play transparency reports with details like app removals and account terminations.
Currently, Google and Apple force developers to use their own payment systems for in-app purchases on apps distributed through their own app stores. However, that might change due to many lawsuits and legislation against these companies in different geographies. Last year, Google agreed to let developers in South Korea use third-party payment options — after the country passed a new law over digital payment systems while reducing its service fees by 4%.
Over the last few months, Google has made different agreements with Spotify and Match Group over using alternative payment systems for their apps. When announcing a deal with the former, the search giant said that “we will be exploring user choice billing in other select countries.”

Google will reimburse developers $90 million to settle a lawsuit over Play Store earnings