For years, Free users at Spotify have had to deal with limitations that left the experience closer to internet radio than on-demand streaming. It was not possible to play a given song without subscribing to Spotify Premium. That is changing now, as Spotify has officially updated its free tier to provide users control over what they listen to.
Spotify free gets more control
In a blog post shared this week, Spotify announced that free users can now select and play specific songs. They can also access the search feature to listen to find and stream individual tracks instead of being restricted to playlists or shuffled listening.
Previously, the free version of Spotify was more similar to Pandora. Users could search for an artist, but instead of playing a selected song, the app would make a playlist of that artist and similar music. The new update makes the free experience closer to the Premium tier, allowing users to explore their personal tastes more directly.
Premium still has exclusive perks
While this is a major win for free users, many of the most popular features offered by Spotify are limited to Premium subscribers. Features like lossless audio, Smart Filters, and other advanced features are still exclusive to the paid subscribers.
Even free users are still allowed to listen to Spotify curated playlists, to the personalized daylist, and to create and edit their own playlists. Spotify has also made personalization enjoyable through the ability to personalize covers of their playlists by free users with unique designs.
What it means for free listeners
Spotify has made a major update to its free tier that includes the possibility to search and play individual songs. While Premium remains the best option for those wanting access to advanced features and ad-free listening, the free version is now much more appealing to casual listeners who want greater control without paying a monthly fee.
