Hello! Happy Friday.

In my weekly deep dive into All Things Spotify, I stumble upon plenty of negativity related to the streaming giant. I think it’s good to seek out a variety of opinions, so I have no problem with stories that don’t always paint Spotify in the best light.

Spotify is not beyond reproach, and I certainly don’t agree with every thing they enact.

Stations! Bring back Stations!!

There’s certainly some people who really (really!) do not like Spotify and make their thoughts known loud and clear.

Dee Snider had some less than desirable comments about Spotify boss Daniel Ek recently. I refuse to re-post what he said on a podcast, but no doubt it’s silly, sad and about as bad a way to get your point across as possible.

Even if said flippantly, and assuming most well-adjusted people would realize he’s joking, it’s still in poor taste to say it.

And I like Dee Snider! But this was a bad misstep. He can be royally angry about royalties and streaming and Ek, but in the end… it was not a good look.

So with all this negativity swirling, I decided to dial up an AI machine and ask it: ‘Why is Spotify so awesome?’

First of all, Spotify gives you access to a massive library of music from all over the world. Whether you're into pop, rock, hip-hop, or even some obscure indie bands, you can find it all on Spotify.

Another great thing about Spotify is its personalized recommendations. The more you listen to music on the platform, the better it gets at understanding your preferences. It suggests new songs and artists that you might love based on your listening history. It's like having a musical genie that knows exactly what you want to hear.

And let's not forget about the convenience factor. With Spotify, you can stream music anytime and anywhere. Whether you're at home, in the car, or even on a jog, all your favorite tunes are just a few taps away. Plus, with offline mode, you can download your favorite playlists and listen to them even when there's no internet connection.

Last but not least, Spotify is constantly evolving and adding new features to enhance the user experience. From curated playlists for every mood and occasion to podcasts and live performances by your favorite artists - there's always something exciting happening on the platform.

So there you have it - Spotify is awesome because it gives you access to an incredible variety of music, provides personalized recommendations, offers convenience with its streaming capabilities, and keeps innovating with new features. It's no wonder why millions of people around the world are hooked on this amazing platform!

I’m going with the AI Machine Thing over Dee Snider this time around.

Have a nice weekend!

★ SPOTlight★

⭐️ How Spotify helped Afrobeats go global

Nigerian music industry experts say Spotify has helped Afrobeats reach a global audience and connect African talent with the world.

Spotify’s on-the-ground work in Nigeria, such as hiring local staff, has contributed to the success of Afrobeats. Between 2017 and 2022, there was a 550% growth in Afrobeats streams on Spotify.

⭐️ Is AI killing Spotify's playlist tastemakers?

Curated playlists once dominated, taking radio’s place for music consumption – now it might it’s turn to be replaced.

⭐️ Taylor Swift's 2024 streaming start: $5m of payouts from Spotify alone

The Weeknd may have nailed the first big streaming milestone of 2024 when ‘Blinding Lights’ became the first track to reach 4bn Spotify streams. But Taylor Swift has followed up with her own Big New Number: more than 1bn Spotify streams in the first 12 days of 2024.

⭐️ Apple's Vision Pro won't have access to YouTube and Spotify apps at launch

It's unclear why YouTube and Spotify have chosen not to make their apps available on the headset, but they're not the only ones. Bloomberg previously reported that Netflix won't be releasing a dedicated app for the Vision Pro either.

▶️ Playlists ▶️

• Why Spotify's 'daylist' is all over Instagram stories

🎧 Streams 🎧

• Guns n’ Roses 'Paradise City' Surpasses One Billion Streams on Spotify

• Samurai Champloo Soundtrack Heads to Spotify

🎼 Spotify 4 Artists 🎼

• How to grow listeners to exceed Spotify's new 1000 stream minimum

💡 Tips & Tricks 💡

• How to get the best Spotify Wrapped for 2024

• How to find your Spotify Daylist and what it actually is

• How to Make Your Spotify Playlist in a Bottle

🤖 Spot(ai)fy 🤖

• Love Letters on Cassettes Tapes — Spotify AI DJ Product Feature Review

🖌 Design 🖌

• Q&A with the Maintainers of the Spotify FOSS Fund

💰 Stock 💰

• Spotify Stock Is Surging. Will the Momentum Hold During 2024?

• Spotify has 600M users, but struggles to turn a profit

⚡️ Ek Notes ⚡️

• Daniel Ek says he’s ‘probably the least powerful person in Spotify,’ and 3 other things we learned from his recent Norges Bank interview

🔥 News 🔥

• Spotify’s Best New Artist Grammy Week Party to Return This Year

• Spotify, Other Music Streaming Services to Be Audited by MLC

• Spotify calls Apple's 27% cut of purchases outside the App Store 'outrageous'; urges EU to 'act switftly'

• Tyla, Leon Thomas Among Spotify’s Top 10 R&B Artists To Watch For 2024

🎵 New Adventures 🎵

Strangers When We Meet The Smithereens

Falling and Laughing Orange Juice

Funky Nassau - , Part 1 The Beginning Of The End

Empty Hearted Town Warren Zevon

Baptiste Paul Weller

Play Guitar John Mellencamp

Subterranean Homesick Alien Radiohead

Silence Is Easy Starsailor

Gypsy Road Cinderella

Usually Trashcan Sinatras

📧 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! 😀