Happy Friday! Welcome to another issue of the Spotify Newsletter! It’s another week of news for the streaming music behemoth.

Just when I thought this was going to be a low-key week for news, things started to shimmy and shake with interesting stories about Spotify and Google rolling out user choice billing, and Jordan Peele's Monkeypaw Productions launching a new Spotify series.

I’m always thinking about what to add, or subtract from this weekly email. Then I think don’t do anything — stop tinkering!

Anyway… there might be some new stuff here and there as we move on down the road. Have a great day! 😀

★In the SPOTlight★

🔥 Spotify starts testing its own payments on Android

Google’s User Choice Billing pilot is now rolling out to some Android users, and the third-party billing option has expanded to the US.

🔥 Spotify cites Africa as key to bold growth plans

Currently available in around 183 markets, with close to half a billion users and almost 200 million subscribers, the Swedish audio streaming subscription service hopes to scale up to one billion users by 2030. And Africa forms a major part of its growth plans.

🔥 Spotify's new update breathes life back into its Apple Watch app

The new user interface will offer a sleek design, larger album art, new animations, and a better way to download music to your wearable for offline listening. Perhaps one of the more notable changes is that a new blue indicator will appear whenever a new podcast episode is published, giving users a clearer indication on when a new episode is available.

🔥 How syncs boost listener engagement on Spotify

Syncs spike streams of tracks that appear in movies and TV shows, including a flock of new listeners. But once those fans are on Spotify, they explore an artist’s whole catalog.

🔥 Revealed: Spotify founder Daniel Ek’s secret healthtech startup

A primary care clinic with whole-body diagnostics hardware.

🗣 Podcast Action 🗣

Jordan Peele’s Monkeypaw to Launch First Horror Audio Series on Spotify: ‘I Wanted Us to Make the Scariest Podcast of All Time’

Mind-Bending Chilean Podcast Gets English Adaptation With ‘Case 63,’ starring Julianne Moore and Oscar Isaac

🎧 The Playlist List 🎧

8 great Spotify playlists to help you focus

Spotify’s novel generative playlist is going to be your new daily obsession

Rock Music Is Currently Having a Moment on Spotify’s Viral 50

💡 Tips & Tricks 💡

How to Shuffle a Playlist on Spotify

The Reason Spotify Shuffles Aren’t Really Random (and How to Fix It)

Spotify Won’t Let You Log In? 8 Fixes to Try

How To Find Out If Someone Else Is Using Your Spotify Account

🖌 Design Notes 🖌

Share Your Favorite Projects by the Weeknd With My Top 5

New Gear, Gadgets, or Upgrades You Can Use With Spotify

New-look lockers at Spotify Camp Nou

💰 Spotify Stock 💰

Cathie Wood Has Abandoned Spotify - Should You Follow Her Lead?

Why ingesting 100,000 tracks a day may not prove sustainable for Spotify’s business in the long-term.

🔥 Extra News 🔥

How much does Rise really help promote new music on Spotify?

Spotify Hosts Annual Brunch Ahead Of 56th Annual CMA Awards

5 things every musician should do now to get ready for Spotify Wrapped

5 things I learned during my week without Spotify

Spotify ‘Shuffle’ Isn’t Always Random: Here’s How to Truly Shuffle Your Albums and Playlists

🎵 New Adventures 🎵

Ridin' High The Impressions

Bowling Green Neko Case, Her Boyfriends

Green Edie Brickell

Sick Again - Remaster Led Zeppelin

Dear Doctor The Rolling Stones

Kick It Out Heart

Through the Fire Chaka Khan

Chase the Moon Escondido

📧 Get in touch 📧

If you have a question, idea, request, or simply a desire to chat about Spotify, please email me at jeff.spotifynewsletter@gmail.com.

😀 Have a Nice Weekend! 😀