Hello, happy Friday and thanks for checking out the Spotify Newsletter. Big news of the week looks to be that Spotify is testing a less restrictive ad-supported tier costing $0.99 a month.

The plan still features ads like Spotify’s free tier, but it doesn’t impose any limits on the number of tracks you can skip per hour. Users are also free to pick which specific songs they want to listen to, rather than mostly being limited to shuffling within albums and playlists.

★In the SPOTlight★

⭐️ Spotify is testing whether free users will pay a dollar to skip tracks

The cheaper monthly tier also lets you choose songs on albums and playlists for playback.

⭐️ Spotify, Podcasts, and The War for Your Ears

The streaming giant is building a podcast empire. It’s all part of a high-stakes battle to dominate the once home-spun world of podcasting. Is power being concentrated in too few hands?

⭐️ Spotify’s New Noteable Releases Playlist Highlights the Names Behind Some of Your Favorite Hits

Behind any creator is a team of passionate, dedicated individuals pushing and aiding the artist as they pursue their craft.

⭐️ 10 best websites to analyze your Spotify data

Every so often a website that analyses Spotify data blows up on Twitter and it is all we see for the next 24 hours. Then it's just as quickly forgotten. But these websites are still valuable if you want to analyze your listening habits.

🗣Podcast Action🗣

Spotify's CEO doesn't believe the platform has editorial responsibility over podcasts

🎧The Playlist List🎧

Aaliyah's full discography is coming to Spotify following recent estate battle

Listen To Anthony Bourdain’s Favorite Songs With This New Spotify Playlist

🔥Even More Hot News Links🔥

Spotify Fan Study: What it tells us about ‘Reach’

Clubhouse, Spotify, and the invention of talking

Spotify’s mysterious Car Thing reviewed

Crypto.com Hires Former Spotify Exec as Head of Growth

The future of music: Polish pop starlet hailed by Spotify & Rolling Stone

5 Ways to Market Your Music on Spotify

Daniel Ek given hope in Arsenal takeover from Stan Kroenke

🎵New Adventures in Spotify🎵

A bit all over the place this week - which is awesome because there is so much amazing music to experience.

It's A Very Deep SeaThe Style Council

Set Me Free (Rosa Lee)Los Lobos

The Right StuffBryan Ferry

Behind the ArmoryNeko Case, k.d. lang, Laura Veirs

Love Woke Me Up This MorningMarvin Gaye, Tammi Terrell

Tokyo BayNick Lowe

HAVE A NICE WEEKEND!!! 😀