Changes, new features queued up for Spotify

The streaming service loses the default shuffle button for albums and introduces a new car device.

By Alexandra HartNovember 23, 2021 12:12 pm,

Changes are underway at Spotify. You may have heard this week that the streaming service removed the default “Shuffle Play” button from album pages, reportedly at the request of one popular artist.

Tech expert Omar Gallaga tells Texas Standard that’s just one of several changes for the platform. Listen to the interview in the audio player above or read the highlights below.

Highlights from this interview:

– Adele publicly asked Spotify to stop the use of the default “Shuffle Play” button for albums, arguing artists like her put a lot of work into telling stories through song order.

– Spotify has also become a major player in podcasting, now surpassing Apple’s podcast app’s traffic.

– Next up for the streaming service: audio hardware, starting with its new “Car Thing” (yes, its really called that). You can now join the waitlist for the gadget along with 2 million other streaming users.

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