With over 200 million subscribers, Spotify is an acclaimed and much-loved app recognized by most of its users as a music streaming service. However, there are still many who wonder, “Is Spotify social media?”
When I think about social media, I visualize a platform used to facilitate the sharing and creation of information, interests, and ideas. Now, if you look closely, all these attributes apply perfectly to Spotify, with the exception of the fact that the experience is centred around music.
So, is Spotify social media? Let’s find out!
Spotify Features
Like all other social media channels, users are required to create a personal account on Spotify, be it paid or ad-supported. Additionally, we can add a profile picture and follow our favourite artists, friends, and family on the app.
Aren’t these all the usual elements you’d find in a social media platform?
If you still have doubts about Spotify social media, let’s compare it to Instagram. Instagram enables users to see the accounts that their friends are following.
Moreover, you can also see the type of content that your Instagram friends are viewing through their Instagram stories and posts.
In the same way, Spotify users can also see the music their friends are listening to, the music that their favourite artists have shared, and the playlists they’ve created on the channel.
Is Spotify Social Media?
The prime social aspect of Spotify is the platform’s ability to enable users to connect and follow other users, bands, and artists. Even for artists, Spotify leverages a dedicated social platform where they can forge a relationship with their audience.
Not only can users see and listen to the discography of their desired artists, but they also receive regular updates on their new releases while accessing exclusive behind-the-scenes content.
As for listeners who are wondering if is Spotify social media, the platform provides an opportunity for them to connect through their shared love of music.
Spotify’s collaborative playlists feature allows users to enjoy a shared music experience where they can create playlists together from their respective accounts.
Taking this factor one step ahead, Spotify introduced Blend, which is an algorithm-driven facet that can combine the music tastes of two people and create a shared playlist that reflects their combined musical preferences.
The main idea behind the feature is to make collaboration on the app more engaging, offering daily updates based on the streaming habits of both parties to reflect their selections accurately.
Spotify’s Associate Designer, Rosie Maharajan, commented about the strength of this feature, saying, “Blend is a simple way to show someone you’re thinking about them. It’s small but so thoughtful and offers an avenue to get to know new friends or catch up with old ones.”
To provide further clarification on this debate of is Spotify social media, let’s compare it to Instagram once again.
In the same way that users can stay informed about the daily lives of their followers, Blend connects users by automatically updating their shared playlists, allowing users to keep up-to-date with what their friends are listening to.
Element of Personalization
As we near the end of our discussion of is Spotify social media, it’s time to shed light on the element of content personalization. This feature is synonymous with almost all social media platforms. But where does Spotify stand in this ladder of personalization?
Personalization comes at the core of Spotify’s marketing strategy. Its “Discover Weekly” feature organizes personalized playlists for users according to their listening habits. This also helps users discover new genres and artists that match their style of music.
According to Startup Bonsai, 70% of consumers base their brand loyalty on how well a company can understand their individual needs.
Where Spotify is concerned, one of the most prominent displays of personalization from the channel is its Spotify Wrapped feature, which shows users their most-streamed songs throughout the year as well as a customized playlist of their top 100 songs.
This personalization is a product of the platform’s data-driven insights compiled from user behaviour.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Spotify is a video, digital music, and podcast service that enables users to access a multitude of songs and other forms of content belonging to creators across the globe.
A large part of Spotify’s audience comprises young adults falling under the age brackets of 18 to 24 years old. These individuals, both male and female, form 85% of Spotify users.
Not usually. Streaming platforms like Netflix or Spotify mainly focus on delivering content like movies, shows, or music, whereas social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram are designed for social interaction and user-generated content sharing.
Social media platforms enable users to create, share, and interact with content and other users. Streaming platforms focus on delivering pre-made content (videos, music) without much user interaction beyond watching or listening.
No, podcasts are not considered social media. They are a form of digital media that distribute audio content. However, they can be shared on social media platforms for broader engagement.
Bottom Line
So, is Spotify social media? The answer is Yes! Spotify falls under the category of social media apps but with a core focus on music sharing. Of course, there are several other platforms offering music as a feature, but it doesn’t form the crux of their USP (Unique Selling Point).
If you any other doubts or uncertainties you may have regarding the social world, drop them down below, and I’ll make sure to answer them in my next post. Until next time!