Streaming apps like Spotify have put millions of songs at our fingertips but they are of no use without an internet connection. Yes, Spotify lets you download songs and playlists for offline listening. But what if your flight is airborne and you realize you haven"t made any song or playlist offline?
Spotify is testing a new offline mix playlist, where the app can automatically download some songs based on your listening activity. That"s according to Spotify"s CEO Daniel Ek who shared a screenshot of the underdevelopment feature on Twitter. "We’ve been testing out a new feature called "Your Offline Mix" - a playlist designed for those times when you might not be online," he said.
We’ve been testing out a new feature called "Your Offline Mix" - a playlist designed for those times when you might not be online ✈️
— Daniel Ek (@eldsjal) June 8, 2023
What do you think? pic.twitter.com/9so0FZMRPX
Previous reports have suggested that Spotify has been working on the feature at least since 2020. But there is no timeline on when the offline mix playlist will arrive on the music streaming app. As per the screenshot, the offline mix playlist might be able to store several hours of music on the device and offer shuffle functionality.
For comparison, Spotify"s rival YouTube Music added an offline mixtape to its app several years ago. The feature was later replaced by Smart Downloads which automatically downloads up to 500 songs on the device.
Spotify revealed in its latest earnings call that it crossed 500 million monthly active users, beating its own expectations. However, the company cut its Podcasts business workforce by 200 people earlier this week. Spotify has previously announced that it would shrink its workforce by 6% to compensate for operational expenses that exceeded its revenue growth.
However, the music streaming app introduced some new features this year such as new widgets for iPhone, an AI-powered DJ to create playlists, a new watch face for Google"s Wear OS, and integration with the running app Strava. What still remains unticked on users" wish lists is the HiFi music trier that the company announced in 2021.