Spotify has implemented new changes to its free tier, aiming to encourage users to opt for paid subscriptions. One notable change is the placement of lyrics behind a paywall, which has sparked frustration among many users on social media platforms. Despite the backlash, Spotify has not issued an official statement regarding this alteration in affected markets.This move is not entirely unexpected, considering that last year, Spotify began restricting access to lyrics for non-paying users. Previously, free users could view lyrics but were met with a message stating, “Enjoy lyrics on Spotify Premium.”Spotify is now adding monthly limit on lyrics for free accounts pic.twitter.com/mrVufudltK— Dexerto (@Dexerto) May 1, 2024While the company has stopped referring to this as a test, it remains unclear why they havent clarified that lyric access is now a premium feature. This information could have been included in the upgrade plans page or help documentation. Speculation suggests that Spotify may be experimenting with imposing a monthly limit on lyrics for free users, as some users have reported receiving messages indicating that accessing lyrics now counts towards a new limit.In other developments, Spotify has recently introduced a range of new AI-powered features for its users. One notable feature is AI playlists, which allow users to generate playlists based on written prompts using artificial intelligence. This functionality aims to diversify playlists and streamline music discovery. Users can create prompts related to various topics, including places, animals, activities, movie characters, colours, or emojis. Combining genres, moods, artists, and decades in prompts generates the most effective playlists, according to Spotify.Utilising its understanding of users musical tastes, Spotify generates personalised playlists through this feature. Users can further refine these playlists with voice commands like less upbeat or more pop. Additionally, they can remove songs by swiping left on them, offering a tailored music experience.
