Spotify Tests Snapchat-Style Stories Feature Called 'Storyline' Offering Additional Artist Content

We didn’t want Behind The Lyrics, we didn’t want Canvas, we didn’t want the new UI, we definitely don’t want this.

Spotify is the best service, but they need to remove the bloat and focus on what they do best: playlists and discovery.

Nobody wants stories everywhere. What do these tech giants not get. In Spotify we don’t even want behind the lyrics. All we are asking for are just plain lyrics, which should be easier to implement anyway.

Spotify is testing its own version of Snapchat/Instagram-style Stories, reports TechCrunch ('https://techcrunch.com/2019/05/13/spotify-is-testing-its-own-version-of-stories-called-storyline/'). The short-form sharing format now ubiquitous across social media platforms is to be called "Storyline" on the music streaming service, and enables artists to share their inspirations, insights, and provide further details about their work and creative process.



The format is being compared to Spotify's "Behind the Lyrics" feature which uses pop-up cards that load concurrently with the music, except users tap through different Storyline screens at their own pace and see segmented lines at the top of the screen to indicate how many slices of the story remain ahead of them.

A Spotify spokesperson told TechCrunch that Storyline is still in testing in the U.S. and in other markets on both iOS and Android, but there's no sign of it on desktop and no other details on a possible global rollout are available at this time.

Users participating in the test will see an indicator at the bottom of Spotify's player interface that alerts them to the additional content, which can include lyrics, text and images, and users can swipe up on the screen to reveal the story and start tapping through it.

The Storyline feature was first picked up on Reddit ('https://www.reddit.com/r/popheads/comments/bn3pf2/has_anyone_else_noticed_the_new_storyline_feature/') and covered by Android Police ('https://www.androidpolice.com/2019/05/13/spotify-storyline-lets-artists-tell-the-story-behind-their-songs-instagram-style/').

Article Link: Spotify Tests Snapchat-Style Stories Feature Called 'Storyline' Offering Additional Artist Content ('https://www.macrumors.com/2019/05/14/spotify-testing-instagram-style-stories/')

We didn’t want Behind The Lyrics, we didn’t want Canvas, we didn’t want the new UI, we definitely don’t want this.

Spotify is the best service, but they need to remove the bloat and focus on what they do best: playlists and discovery.

I couldn't of said it any better myself. I have behind the lyrics disabled, canvas disabled, I hope that if this new "feature" gets pushed out to all users, we can disable this as well.

Spotify definitely has a leg up on AM in terms of playlists and discovering music, but the bloat in the app really makes me question what in the world they're doing over there.

I know as a developer, you try to stay in front of what users want, “hoping” it ends up working & being successful. We have enough stories all over the place.

A switch for only lyric mode, switch for only facts about the artist, switch for facts about the song-only modes would be better.

Promoting for new music discovery could always be better.

There just isn’t much more I want from a music playing app.