- Spotify’s SongDNA tool rolls out to more beta users
- Currently, it appears to only be available in Spotify for artists, but some listeners have reported having early access
- Spotify hasn’t said when it will be rolled out, but it’s already a hit
Spotify has put its upcoming SongDNA feature on the back burner for a few months, but now that more users are finding it in beta, it’s never felt closer — and it’s shaping up to be a serious rival to Tidal’s similar tool.
References to SongDNA, a mind-mapping feature that shows you what other songs your favorite artists have contributed to, were first spotted back in October, but at the time they were simply rumors without hard evidence. We can now put all the speculation to one side, because Spotify has officially confirmed that SongDNA is on its way, and a handful of beta users are already offering their verdicts – and they’re all positive.
A post in the ir/truespotify community on Reddit (see below) shows that SongDNA is available through Spotify for Artists Preview, an app that gives artists and their teams early access to upcoming features before they’re rolled out to listeners. If you’re an admin or editor in Spotify for Artists, have at least 10 monthly active listeners, and use version 9.1.28 (or later) of the Spotify mobile app, you qualify for early access.
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SongDNA is a cool feature from r/truespotify
It appears that SongDNA is not widely available in AB testing for standard listeners yet, although some have reported seeing it on their Spotify accounts. We’ve reached out to Spotify for more information and will update this story when we know more — but what we do know is that those with access are happy with what they’re seeing.
In addition to its immersive visuals and insight into song production, users find this feature one of the best ways to learn about the connections between their favorite songs, as well as discover new artists. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg; SongDNA goes the extra mile to show tracks that have been sampled for a song and cover versions – and I think it might be the most valuable tool Spotify launches this year.
If you love Wikipedia black holes, you will long SongDNA
Between October and now, Spotify has expanded its Song Credits tab, which now reveals the complete list of contributors to a song, as well as its handy About the Song tool. But the platform hasn’t offered anything like SongDNA before – and based on early reactions, it will introduce a new and interactive way to discover new music.
For me, music discovery is one of the essential parts of the best music streaming services, but I often hit a wall with Spotify because my usual discovery tricks work great some days and then stop working for a certain period of time. SongDNA provides a constant stream of information, and I can certainly see rival platforms employing similar features.
Tidal has focused on contributors and producers for a while, and Apple Music has also experimented with a tool of its own. Last year it launched Listening Guides for Apple Music Classical, a feature that gives you insight into a piece of music, highlighting key details and explaining the story behind the piece.
Do you have access to Spotify’s SongDNA? If so, let us know what you think about it in the comments.
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