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

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

by

Spotify is testing its own version of Snapchat/Instagram-style Stories, reports TechCrunch. 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.

spotify storyline
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 and covered by Android Police.

Tag: Spotify

Top Rated Comments

95 months ago
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.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ruslan64 Avatar
95 months ago
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/')
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nburwell Avatar
95 months ago
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.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
95 months ago
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.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

General Spotify Feature

Spotify Adds Running Mode to iOS App With Tempo-Matched Music

Thursday July 30, 2026 8:49 am PDT by
Spotify today announced a new Running Mode that turns playlists into structured running sessions built around workout type, tempo, and listening habits. It's launching on iOS first. Located in the app's Fitness Hub, the feature lets runners choose from 25 presets that can be tweaked to fit workout type (interval, steady, or pyramid, for example), with options for duration, beats per minute,...
Apple Logo Gradient 16x9 1

Apple Just Made an Extremely Rare Product Announcement

Thursday August 27, 2026 7:58 am PDT by
The new Mac mini and Mac Studio models unveiled by Apple this week are the company's first new Macs announced in August since 2020. It is extremely rare for Apple to announce new products of any kind in August, excluding smaller things like new color options and accessories. As mentioned, Apple's last notable August product announcement was in 2020, when it updated the 27-inch iMac and a...
Surprise and Shine Feature

Apple Event Announced for September 9: 'Surprise and Shine'

Wednesday August 26, 2026 9:02 am PDT by
Apple plans to hold its annual iPhone-centric event on Wednesday, September 9 at the Apple Park campus in Cupertino, California. The event will begin at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time, with select members of the media invited to attend. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. The September 2026 iPhone event will see Apple announce the iPhone 18 Pro, the iPhone 18 Pro Max, and the ...