Spotify gets a new design – and puts off many music fans

Sources: Pixabay, Spotify

What would the streaming princes Böhmermann and Schulz say? Last Wednesday, music streaming giant Spotify announced a new user interface for its mobile app.

What does the new design look like? The core element of the overhauled user interface are vertically structured feeds. Users scroll through these feeds from top to bottom – and discover music, audio books, podcasts or vodcasts. The new interface should make it easier for users to discover new content. At the same time, the interface accommodates significantly more auto-playing content than ever before in Spotify’s history.

Everything like TokTok? News services such as derstandard.de or theverge.com draw parallels with TikTok’s user interface. Because: Just like TikTok, the new Spotify design relies primarily on video clips and a scrollable feed.

Those: Spotify

For tech journalist Rory Mellon, Spotify’s announcement caused a heated temper. The journalist even headlined: Spotify’s new design is so bad that I’m considering switching to Apple Music.

It doesn’t matter whether Mellon’s statement is to be seen as an overreaction or justified criticism – the journalist is certainly not alone in his assessment.

In the comment column of theverge.com, users engage in an emotionally charged exchange of blows about what to think of the new, TikTok-like user interface. For example, the user _Devil puts it this way:

There are also many critical voices on other sites such as the Reddit forum. It will be interesting to see whether Spotify will react to this and if so, how.

Why a new user interface?

My opinion: Despite all the doomsayers and general pessimists, the design decision for a provider like Spotify probably makes sense – especially if you want to remain relevant as a streaming player for future generations with changed listening and viewing habits.

The fact that you are simultaneously alienating your regular listeners from an older generation with these changes puts Spotify on a tightrope act – and the key question: How do I adapt to changing consumer behavior without scaring away my loyal user base?

Spotify is also skinning beyond the surface – and jumping on the AI ​​train. GameStar Tech recently reported on Spotify’s semi-artificial disc jockey.

Fear of change: As a counterpoint to thousands of naysayers, a user like Ajohn7 the overflowing skepticism to boiling:

On the one hand, dear Ajohn7. On the one hand. On the other hand, the design decision also suits Spotify’s expansive orientation. In recent years, the green giant – in addition to its music offering – has increasingly pushed video formats. With the now new design decision, moving image content moves visually into the focus of the user.

When will it be released? There is no concrete release date for the new user interface so far; however, it should be implemented in the coming weeks and months. If you want to take a quick look at the new user interface, you can do so on Spotify’s YouTube channel.

What do you think of the new take on popular music streaming app Spotify? Will you wait and see if you like the new interface for now – or do you jump into anticipatory alarmism because you think a new interface is a crime against humanity? Feel free to use the nose ring to guide your opinion through our comments!