Apple Music launched a new algorithmic radio station within its app, called “Discovery Station“. This move seems like a direct response to Spotify’s long-existing offering of personalized playlists, especially popolari playlist “Discover”. A challenge to the music streaming giant, which Apple also wants to overcome in the discovery of new songs.
Apple Music, with Discovery Station we discover new music
Spotify, the Swedish competitor to Apple Music, has been offering its own unique “Discover” playlists for a long time. These playlists have gained popularity for their ability to curate songs based on listening habits and preferences of users. In an effort to level the playing field, Apple Music has launched the new “Discovery Station”, aiming to provide users with a new way to discover new musical gems.
The concept behind the Discovery Station is simple but effective: it only plays new songs that users haven’t listened to yet. These are songs that aren’t in users’ playlists, songs that haven’t been given a thumbs-up, or aren’t yet in their music library. In short: new music.
Discover new music
While Apple Music already boasts una “New Music Mix”which is updated weekly, is limited to salt 25 defends. This new addition aims to take the experience one step further by providing a seamless stream of fresh and unexplored music.
Besides the Discovery Station, Apple Music users are also familiar with the feature “My station”which customizes a mix of their favorite songs and similar tracks. This mix is designed to suit individual tastes, making for a more personalized and enjoyable listening experience.
While Apple has yet to make an official announcement about the algorithmic discovery playlist, reports point to the feature it is already being rolled out to users both on the web and within the app. Those who haven’t yet located it in the app can access the playlist directly through a link provided. This strategy of soft launch seems aimed at perfecting the offer before making a more formal announcement.
This novelty underlines how Apple increasingly wants to focus on services, which are now worth a quarter of his income (at least in the quarters when the new iPhones don’t arrive). With the ability to discover new music, Apple Music becomes a complete alternative to Spotify. The difference will therefore be made by discovery algorithms and user preferences: Apple may not necessarily win – but it has what it takes to compete.