After announcing a refresh of its mobile experience earlier this week, Spotify is now giving its desktop app a new look as well.
I often open Spotify on my computer only to feel extremely overwhelmed by the home page, which is a mix of stuff I’ve heard a million times, recommendations for stuff I don’t even know if I’ll like, and those curated playlists that I often just ignore entirely (except for Discover Weekly, which has been quite good lately). The company announced Thursday its new desktop and web design is based on “months of tests and research” and will offer a cleaner look, more controls, and similar features to the ones it’s introduced on the mobile app.
First, the service is updating controls for playlists by allowing you to upload images and write descriptions, and there’s also a new search bar to find music and podcast episodes. A new drop-down menu, meanwhile, will give listeners the ability to sort through content. And best of all, for those of us who often find ourselves Googling lyrics to a song we heard but can’t remember the title of, the app is adding a recently played list and the ability to edit your queue.
A new search bar has been shifted to the left-hand side of the navigation page, and users can now additionally head straight to radio for an artist or song by selecting the “…” button. Subscribers on the premium tier can additionally download their playlists for offline listening with a prominent redesigned download button.
The new design will start to roll out to both free and premium users beginning today and will become widely available “in the coming weeks.”