Spotify is rolling out a significant update to its music credits feature, expanding beyond topline performance and songwriting to include contributions from producers, engineers, background vocalists, and more. These changes, announced Wednesday, aim to provide greater transparency and recognition for all those involved in creating music. The platform is also introducing “SongDNA,” an interactive tool showcasing a song’s origins and collaborations, and “About the Song,” offering deeper context and stories behind the music.
The initial phase of the update, expanded song credits, began rollout Wednesday on mobile devices, with a desktop version slated for release in the coming months. This represents a much broader recognition of the many individuals who contribute to a musical work, moving past the traditionally highlighted artists and songwriters.
Deeper Dive into Music Creation with Spotify’s New Features
The centerpiece of Spotify’s new offering is SongDNA. This feature leverages data from the music database WhoSampled, which Spotify recently acquired, to show users which songs have been sampled in a track, along with information on covers and the other projects collaborators have worked on. According to Spotify, SongDNA will allow listeners to discover connections between songs and artists they may not have known existed.
Exploring Musical Connections
This feature directly addresses a growing desire amongst music fans to understand the lineage and influences behind their favorite tracks. Previously, discovering these connections was largely reliant on dedicated online music communities or individual research. SongDNA integrates this exploration directly into the Spotify experience.
Additionally, Spotify plans to launch “About the song,” a feature providing contextual information about a track. This will consist of swipeable cards within the “Now Playing” view, detailing inspiration, cultural impact, and behind-the-scenes stories. These stories will be sourced from a variety of third-party resources, including Wikipedia and various news sites, giving users a more comprehensive understanding of the music they’re listening to.
Premium Access and a Focus on Accuracy
While expanded song credits will be available to all Spotify users, access to SongDNA and “About the Song” will be limited to Premium subscribers. This tiered access aligns with Spotify’s subscription model and offers enhanced features to its paying customers. The company previously experimented with similar features through a partnership with Genius, but that implementation was constrained by Genius’s existing database.
Spotify is taking a phased approach to the rollout of SongDNA and “About the Song,” initially releasing them as a “Spotify for Artists Preview” in early 2024. This preview period allows artists and their teams to review and verify the accuracy of the displayed credits and information before they become publicly available. Ensuring data accuracy is a key priority for Spotify, as incorrect information could misrepresent an artist’s work or undervalue contributions.
The move to highlight a wider range of musical contributors comes as other streaming services, such as TIDAL, have also begun offering more detailed and interactive music credits. This suggests a broader industry trend towards greater transparency and artist recognition. The increased visibility for producers and engineers could also impact the music industry by raising their profiles and potentially increasing their earning opportunities.
The acquisition of WhoSampled is a strategic move for Spotify, providing a robust database for identifying sampled music and building out the SongDNA feature. This integration demonstrates Spotify’s commitment to enhancing its music discovery capabilities and providing a more engaging experience for its users.
Looking ahead, the success of these features will depend on the accuracy of the data and the user experience. Spotify will likely monitor engagement metrics closely to assess the value of SongDNA and “About the Song” and make adjustments accordingly. The full public launch of these features is expected in early 2024, following the preview period, and the company will be watching for feedback from both artists and listeners to refine the experience.
