Music is one of the few things that transcends all generations and cultures. It is a borderless means of communication, allowing everyone to communicate and express themselves in a way no other thing or concept allows for. It can communicate feelings like joy, sadness, and pain; or promote sleep with soothing sounds or generate energy with a hype song. Music is a focal point of society and many cultures today, so it is important that there is a strong source to provide people with the music they desperately crave. Spotify has taken this challenge head on and has provided the world with a superior streaming platform with a wide variety of benefits for everybody.

Spotify is one of the global leaders in music streaming- an icon within the music industry. The green and black logoed company provides a myriad of benefits for music and podcast lovers alike to enjoy the relaxing music they love. Many of these features separate Spotify from the rest of their competition, soaring high above the likes of Apple Music, Pandora, I Heart Radio, and many other streaming options. Let's go through and analyze some of the benefits, advantages, shortcomings, and features of Spotify.

Spotify Wrapped

Spotify has many features and benefits that separate it from its competition, but Spotify Wrapped may be the best. Spotify wrapped is an annual benefit the service provides at the end of the year, giving the customer a "year in music," based off all the music played by the user throughout the year. It's almost like a Christmas present from the streaming service. With Spotify Wrapped, the user is given an analytical review of how much music they listened to throughout the year. This analysis includes total number of songs, total number of artists and new artists listened to, total minutes of music or podcasts played and streamed, and which artists and songs where the top played of the year and how much each of those songs or artists were listened to. It also shows which genre of music and podcast was listened to the most, how many genres listened to, how many countries artists you listened to originate from, and even what percent of listeners you are in for some of your top artists. This analysis ultimately ends with a fully constructed playlist the site provides you with with the Top 100 songs you listened to throughout the year, in order from most played to least played out of the top 100. This is an interactive feature that is exciting for people to share with their friends and followers across social media. This feature is a major pro for the streaming service, as users look forward to seeing their wrapped all year.

Podcasts

When most people think of Spotify, their minds immediately go straight to music. Quietly, Spotify has grown into a major site for streaming podcasts. The site gives creators easy access to post their podcasts and gives listeners plenty of opportunities to discover new podcasts. The site allows for podcast discovery in a similar manner as they do for music by recommending podcasts based on what someone enjoys and what other people with similar tastes enjoy.

Organized Set Up

The structural set up of the app is an often overlooked feature of the app. Though there is no pizazz in the design of the app, it is extremely easy to navigate through. All sections are labeled, from the individuals music library to their profile to the setting menu. This allows for anyone to use the platform with relative ease.

Site Generated Playlists

Another feature Spotify provides is a plethora of generated playlists tailor made to the users music tastes. The site will make daily mixes based on songs someone listened to the days before, and these playlists come out everyday. The site has other promotions to help generate new playlists and help users broaden their music taste. The site has run promotions where you can slightly connect with your favorite celebrities, as they would make a playlist based off songs that you and said celebrity listen to and enjoy in common. They even have a site where you can make a virtual pet, where they will make a playlist based on what type of animal you like, the animals characteristics you chose, and the music you already listen to. The site also works to recommend songs after you finish a playlist, generating a "radio" with similar songs. This also happens with podcasts, where the site will recommend podcasts based on other ones you listen to.

Offline Streaming

Another feature the site provides is the ability to stream offline. Certain playlists or podcasts can be saved to a certain device, allowing offline streaming to occur in areas with poor reception or no internet connection. This is useful as someone can save as many songs or playlists as they chose, only being limited by the storage space on the device.

Shortcomings of Spotify

Though the app is laced with benefits, there are a few shortcomings of the app. One of these shortcomings is the design of the app itself. Though the app is built and constructed in a way that is easy to use, it lacks a sense of flashiness. The app lacks an aesthetic appeal like Apple Music has, which some users really enjoy. This, however, is not an aspect of the actual music streaming and doesn't affect the quality of music or music selection available, just a visual aspect some enjoy. Another shortcoming of the app is the lack of ability to physically own a song. Some users really cherish the ability to be in ownership of a song by making a purchase. The inability to physically purchase these songs generates a small sense of fear in some users, as the user is then put at the mercy of the company who owns the songs. This is not a big issue, however, as most people are not put off by the inability to purchase songs, as that typically leads to higher bills in the long run. One final reason some people are put off by Spotify is the price itself. Going in alone can be a hefty price, being over ten dollar a month. Spotify, however, has found numerous ways to counter this common complaint. The website offers a large variety of promotions and ways to save money while using the platform. The site provides a family bundle, which allows multiple users to share the same plan. This rate is more expensive, but it allows for more people to enjoy the platform and being a cheaper investment over time when compared to users purchasing individual plans. The site also provides a student discount for college students where they can purchase a subscription for approximately five dollars. This gives students access to all the same features as well as added benefits, such as a subscription to Hulu.

Conclusion

Spotify has a large number of benefits that put it above its competitors in the music streaming industry. From Spotify Wrapped to all the promotions the platform provides, Spotify has a lot of benefits that outweigh the few downsides of the app.