Spotify has opened up a new front in its war with Apple Music: Release Radar, an algorithmically personalised playlist of new releases
In the ongoing battle for ears and credit card numbers between upstart Apple Music and established streaming giant Spotify, a new front has opened – algorithmically-personalised playlists of new releases.
Spotify is hoping to keep Apple at bay with its new Release Radar, which will appear at the top of users’ playlist collections.
Release Radar is a two-hour algorithmically-personalised playlist that features newly-released songs from artists that the user already listens to.
The new tool rolls out today (5 August).
‘With Release Radar, we wanted to create the simplest way for you to find all the newly-released music that matters the most to you, in one playlist’
– MATT OGLE, SPOTIFY
The idea is to give users a weekly selection of the newest releases that matter most to them in one convenient playlist.
21st-century melody maker
Updated every Friday, Release Radar will complement New Music Friday on mobile and desktop.
“With the huge amount of new music released every week, it can be difficult to keep up with the latest tracks,” said Matt Ogle, senior product owner at Spotify.
“With Release Radar, we wanted to create the simplest way for you to find all the newly-released music that matters the most to you, in one playlist.”
Ogle said that as users’ music taste evolves, so will Release Radar and, because it’s a playlist, users can access and listen to it across all of platforms and devices, share it with friends, or make it available offline.
But will it give Spotify an edge over Apple Music? Time will tell, but Spotify does not have too much time. Spotify has 100m users, out of which 30m are paying subscribers. Meanwhile, after just a year in business, Apple Music has hit 15m paid subscribers.
If Spotify can enchant and entertain its existing paying users with Release Radar, it may have gotten itself the edge it needs.
Spotify image via Shutterstock
