Spotify is rolling out major upgrades for its free users following the recent launch of lossless streaming for Premium subscribers. The streaming giant announced on Monday that free users worldwide will now be able to search and play any song they want, or instantly listen to tracks shared by friends and artists on social media.
The new features, called “Pick & Play,” “Search & Play,” and “Share & Play,” allow free users to choose songs directly within the app, search for specific tracks, or play music shared through platforms like Instagram Stories and Notes. This marks a significant change from the previous shuffle-only experience with limited skips.
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While free listeners gain more flexibility, Spotify confirmed that some restrictions will remain exclusive to Premium subscribers, such as lossless streaming, AI Playlists, and Mix. However, features like Messages and personalized playlist Daylist will continue to be available for both free and paid users.
The update comes as Spotify works to strengthen its advertising business. Despite CEO Daniel Ek’s push to have ads contribute 20% of total revenue, ad sales accounted for just 11% as of June. With free users making up the majority of its audience, 433 million out of 696 million monthly active users last quarter, the company hopes the new tools will boost engagement and ad exposure.
Premium subscribers currently stand at 276 million globally, highlighting the importance of the ad-supported tier in Spotify’s growth strategy.
