Spotify, a leading music streaming platform, recently announced a significant workforce reduction, affecting 17% of its employees. This decision by CEO Daniel Ek, coming as a surprise just before the holiday season, aims to address the company’s financial challenges and align its operational costs with its financial goals.

Spotify surged in 2020 and 2021 fueled by lower capital costs

Despite a strong performance and a positive earnings report, Ek explained that the company faced a stark choice between making smaller reductions over the next two years or taking decisive action now. Opting for the latter, Ek stressed the need for a substantial adjustment to right-size the company’s costs to meet its objectives, acknowledging the pain this decision would cause to the team.

The backdrop to this decision is Spotify’s rapid expansion in 2020 and 2021, fueled by lower capital costs. These investments paid off, contributing to the company’s growth. However, even after previous layoffs in early 2023 and May, cutting about 8% of its workforce, Ek noted that the company’s cost structure remained too large for its future needs.

Approximately 1,500 employees will be impacted by this latest round of layoffs. To ease the transition, Spotify plans to offer an average of five months of severance pay, healthcare coverage during this period, and immigration and career support.

Ek’s announcement underlines the necessity for Spotify to adopt a leaner operational model in its next phase. This follows the introduction of a revamped royalty model aimed at increasing payouts to working artists while reducing fraudulent streams.

Spotify has consistently grown its user base, now boasting 574 million monthly active users, a 26% increase year-over-year. Despite this growth, profitability has been elusive, with recent quarters showing rare profits. Ek promises more details on the implications of these changes in the coming weeks.

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Are you tired of waiting for Spotify‘s long-promised HiFi tier? Well, new clues suggest it may be closer to reality than ever. A Reddit user has dived deep into Spotify’s app code and unveiled the possibility of a “Supremium” tier, which aims to provide 24-bit Lossless music, touted to be free from “lag and delays.”

An AI feature in the new tier can probably recommend new music and patterns

While the details remain speculative, what we know is pretty intriguing. Imagine being able to sort your playlists by “danceability” or customizing them based on tempo and key. Sounds fun, right? That’s not all. The tier might also offer smooth transitions between tracks, nixing those awkward moments of silence, and introduce mood-based or genre-specific filtering options.

Here’s the kicker: AI-driven playlists and a feature called “Soundcheck” could be on the cards. Think of Soundcheck as a combination of Spotify Wrapped and Daily Mixes, essentially giving you insights into your listening habits and personalized music recommendations.

Wait, audiobook lovers, you’re in luck as well. Supremium could potentially offer 30 hours of audiobooks each month, a feature bound to shake up how you consume content on the platform.

As for the cost, Supremium is currently tagged at $20 per month, more expensive than any existing Spotify Premium plans, but in line with Tidal’s 24-bit HiFi Plus offering. The price, of course, is subject to change if and when this becomes official.

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Spotify, one of the leading music streaming platforms, has a fast-growing user base, but the paid subscribers of the platform are not growing as fast as the number of free users.

In a bid to increase the conversion of free subscribers into paid ones, Spotify seems to be exploring putting some of the features behind a paywall, only accessible to the paid subscribers.

In the latest development, Spotify appears to have locked down the lyrics feature, which shows the lyrics of the currently playing song on the screen, behind a paywall. For the free users, the company is showing a message that reads: “Enjoy lyrics on Spotify Premium.”

According to the company’s PR executive CJ Stanley, the change is not yet permanent as the company is currently testing it with a limited number of users in a couple of markets. Since the company is testing the feature, it’s safe to assume that it has plans to roll out the feature on the platform.

Spotify has revealed that its monthly users on the ad-supported tier or the free subscribers have increased by 34 percent over the last year, reaching 343 million. On the other hand, the number of paid subscribers increased by 17 percent to 220 million.

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In a market that has seen a surge in music streaming services, Spotify has stood out as one of the few platforms that resisted increasing its subscription prices. However, recent reports suggest that this will soon change, as Spotify is preparing to raise its monthly subscription fees in the United States by $1. While this might not seem like a significant increase, it marks a shift in Spotify’s pricing strategy, which has remained steady at $9.99 for its ad-free Premium plan for quite some time.

The Music Streaming industry is growing rapidly as catalogues grow and more people get a subscription

The news of the impending price hike comes in the wake of other major players in the music streaming industry having already raised their prices over the past year. While Spotify initially benefited from an influx of customers who switched to its service due to the price hikes by its competitors, the company now appears to be following suit to cut its losses and retain its user base in the long run.

According to a report from The Wall Street Journal, Spotify is expected to make the official announcement of the price increase in the US market as early as next week. The new subscription fee of $10.99 for the ad-free plan will likely take effect shortly after the announcement. While this may be disappointing news for existing Spotify subscribers, it’s important to note that price hikes are expected to be announced in other markets as well. Some companies are even laying their employees off in crazy numbers to keep up with the inflation in the economy.

Currently, Spotify offers a free, ad-supported plan that grants access to a vast library of over 80 million songs, podcasts, and audiobooks. However, this plan comes with certain limitations, such as the presence of ads, the inability to download content for offline listening, and the restriction to play songs in specific playlists only. The Premium plan, which will now cost $10.99 in the US, provides subscribers with an ad-free experience, the ability to download music and podcasts for offline listening, and the freedom to listen to any track in any order. Additionally, Premium subscribers enjoy the highest music quality available on Spotify (which is not the best in the competition, unfortunately), ensuring a better listening experience.

Students can avail a 50% discount on the Premium plan for up to 4 years, making it more affordable for those pursuing their education. For couples living together, the Premium Duo plan offers two individual Premium accounts at a discounted price. Furthermore, families can opt for the Premium Family plan, which covers up to 6 individuals with their own Premium accounts, and it comes with Spotify Kids and an explicit content filter.

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In an exciting development for music enthusiasts, Tidal, the popular music-streaming app, has commenced the rollout of hi-res FLAC streams across its platform. Jesse Dorogusker, the CEO of Tidal, made the announcement in a Reddit post, sending waves of excitement through the audiophile community. FLAC, short for free lossless audio codec, enables the streaming of high-fidelity audio up to an impressive 24-bit/192Hz, delivering an unrivalled listening experience.

The Hi-Fi Plus plan will be priced at a hefty $20 on the first date

While FLAC streams offer superior sound quality, they do come with a tradeoff in terms of file size. These audio files occupy approximately four times the space of a standard MP3, which explains their scarcity on widely-used streaming platforms. However, Tidal has taken a bold step to cater to discerning ears by embracing this format.

The rollout is currently in the early access phase for iOS users, allowing them to indulge in over six million tracks available in hi-res FLAC. The company has also promised to continuously expand its FLAC library with new additions every day. To access these premium streams, users can simply update their beta app, if they have access, and select the “Max” quality in settings. Tidal is keen on gauging user feedback during this phase before making the feature widely available. Android users and those not affiliated with the early access plan can expect to access the hi-res FLAC streams in August.

Tidal’s decision to embrace FLAC streams marks a departure from their previous use of MQA (Master Quality Authenticated) audio, which was more of an upscaling technique than an actual file type. While the CEO, Jesse Dorogusker, has not explicitly addressed the future of MQA, he did mention that Tidal plans to “support multiple formats” of hi-res audio, promising an even more versatile listening experience for users.

Naturally, access to such high-quality audio comes at a price. Users interested in enjoying the FLAC streams will need to subscribe to the HiFi Plus plan, priced at $20 per month. Tidal recently increased the price of their standard subscriptions from $10 to $11 per month, a move that has sparked speculation about industry giant Spotify‘s plans to introduce its own hi-fi tier (which has been in speculations for quite some time now).

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(Via)

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The copyright authority in China has just announced that digital music platforms are no longer allowed to sign exclusive copyright deals, apart from certain exceptions. The announcement was shared earlier this week and arrives as the latest efforts from Beijing to crackdown on digital companies.

According to a Reuters report, the National Copyright Administration of China (NCAC) shared the order on Thursday during a meeting in Beijing. Notably, this meeting included some major digital music platforms, along with other known record and songwriting copyright based firms. The move from the copyright authority is the latest efforts of Chinese regulators in cracking down on the nation’s tech industry. The steps from the Chinese government seek to address growing issues like monopolistic behavior, unfair competition and consumer rights, which has also been widely debated in western regions like Europe.

Just last year, Tencent Holdings announced that it had ended all exclusive music copyright deals following an order from the Chinese regulator. The intervention from the authorities arrived due to Tencent reportedly holding access to more than 80 percent of exclusive music libraries. In other words, it held an almost complete monopoly in the market and could leverage upstream copyright parties to restrict the entry of new players in the market.

Unfortunately, it is unknown which companies were involved in this recent meeting, although, known brands like Xiaomi, China Mobile, and even Netease own popular streaming services in the Asian country, since global streaming services like Spotify are banned in Mainland China. NCAC added that “The talks emphasized that record companies, songwriting copyright companies and digital music platforms should … settle payment according to a guaranteed sum plus a share of actual usage, and should not sign exclusive copyright agreements except under special circumstances.”

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The global online music streaming revenues have declined 2 percent quarter on quarter but grew by 13 percent over last year at 6.7 billion US Dollars. The fall in music streaming arrives after the sudden surge that occurred earlier this year due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

According to a Counterpoint Research report, the paid subscriptions for online music streaming grew by 29 percent year on year over 35 percent in the previous quarter. Research Analyst Abhilash Kumar stated that “The growth slowed down in the second quarter and, for the first time, the revenues declined sequentially. There are a couple of reasons for the same. Also, the advertisement revenues saw a dip since many companies opted to cut expenditure in view of the COVID-19 pandemic. However, podcasts related to different genres were able to keep people glued, offsetting some of the decline.”

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In terms of overall monthly active users, Tencent Music, along with its subsidiaries QQ Music, Kuwo, and Kugoi, led the charts in Q2 2020 with a 26 percent share, followed by Spotify and YouTube Music with 12 to 10 percent shares respectively. However, Spotify led the paid subscriptions numbers, with a 34 percent market share followed by Apple Music at 21 percent and Amazon Music at 15 percent.

For those unaware, while various nations, economies, and industries faced the impacts of the pandemic and the subsequent lockdowns, the online streaming market remained unaffected. Rather, the industry saw a boom during this time in both paid subscribers and overall userbase as people stayed indoors. Although, this surge has already started to decline quarter on quarter and is expected to reach pre COVID-19 levels by Q4 2020.

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Music is a daily part of our life. One cannot pass a day without hearing a single tone of music either directly or indirectly. Since Sony Walkman revolutionized portable music players, there has always been a craze for listening to music on the go. Currently, smartphones are the gateway to almost everything, which also includes music. Hence, if you have an Android smartphone, then you must consider using the below-listed best music player apps to further improve your experience.

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The music listening experience has evolved since the past few years. The dependence on CD, Pendrivers and flash drives is eliminated with the advent of online music streaming services such as Spotify, Gaana, YouTube Music, Apple Music, etc. However, there are some users who still rely on old music listening ways. To help both types of music listeners we have created a list of best apps for both Offline and Online Music Players.

Gone are the days of MP3 playback, streaming is the new way of doing anything, whether it is music, video, or even game for that matter. Therefore, we have created separate lists for both music streaming apps and offline music player apps to help you choose the better one.

Have a Look at our other Best Apps guides by heading to unique best Apps Portal.

Best Online Music Player Apps for Android

The list consists of online Music streaming apps. Most of the apps need active subscriptions to enjoy music without any advertisements.

Spotify

Spotify is hands-down the best music streaming app you can use on your Android smartphone. From vast libraries to intuitive design, there are only a few apps that come close to it.  The service offers you a free tier with advertisements and three premium plans known as ‘Spotify Premium’ for $9.99, $14.99, and $499 for individuals, family (6 accounts), and student respectively for a month. Additionally, the student plan comes bundled with ad-supported Hulu and SHOWTIME.

Key Features:

• High Quality
• Family PLan
• Public Playlists
• Cross-platform compatibility

Install Spotify from the Play Store

YouTube Music

As the name implies, this music streaming service is offered by YouTube, which incorporates both video and music in a single app. The app design is reminiscent of Spotify, with good UI elements providing a great experience. YouTube Music comes bundled as part of YouTube Premium subscription, which offers ad-free videos and music, picture-in-picture mode, background video playing, and more. It costs $11.99 / month for individuals. YouTube Music can also be subscribed standalone at $9.99, but in our opinion, getting the whole package at $11.99 is the best deal.

Key Features:

• Super Audio Quality
• Google Cast and Google Assistant Support
• Playing Personal Playlists vi Google Assistant
• Home Screen Widget
• Ability to choose a download location

Install YouTube Music from the Play Store

Apple Music

If you were a long-time Apple user and switched to Android recently, there’s nothing better than Apple Music since you might have been using It for years generating favorites and playlists. However, the app experience will not be seamless as on Apple devices, so do note that. As for long-time Android users, they are better off with the first two apps. One-month Apple Music subscription costs $10 and $5 for individuals and students, respectively. The iPhone maker also provides a Family plan at $5 per person for up to six members.

Key Features:

• Local Broadcast Radio Stations
• Top Music VIdeos playlist
• Search by Lyrics
• Curated Playlists from editors
• Every Mood and Playlists

Install Apple Music from the Play Store

Prime Music

From Amazon’s Den, Prime Music app offers a good song collection with a free subscription with Amazon Prime Membership. It is a perfect match for the users who would love to listen to songs of different artists like the radio station. Amazon Prime Music offers over 40 million songs under its Unlimited paid-membership. There are unlimited skips while listening to songs. However, Amazon Priem Music does not support its own song upload like the Play Music service.

Key Features:

• Access to Over 40 Million Songs
• Unlimited Skips
• Content for every language and country user
• Free with Amazon Prime subscription.

Install Prime Music from the Play Store

Best Offline Music Player Apps for Android

AIMP

AIMP is one of the best local offline music players out there. It supports a plethora of audio formats and features material design with support for themes. Thus, you do not have to look at the same screen every day. It also comes with several other features like HTTP live streaming, internet radio, play from Windows shared folders (using versions 1 and 2 of Samba), and lots more. Above all, the app is free from the Play Store, and it is also available for Windows platform.

Key Features:

• It is simple to use
• 10-band equalizer support
• Multi-channel audio mix
• Support for all types of audio formats

Install AIMP from the Play Store

Poweramp

Poweramp is the oldest name in the Android world, and it has been a go-to music player for several years. Even today, it is one of the best music players to be worth considering. It features all the goodies like theming, support for a variety of formats, Android Auto, Chromecast, and Google Assistant along with unique UI, gapless playback, and a ton of other useful features. But unlike AIMP, Poweramp does not come free as the full version of the app costs $4.99. Anyways, you can try the trial version before investing in it.

Key Features:

• Intuitive Interface with never-ending features.
• Chromecast Support
• Support almost every music format.
• Equalizer for bass and treble control.
• Mono Mixing and Stereo Expansion Mode.
• Visualizations and custom UI.

Install Poweramp from the Play Store

Install Poweramp Full Version Unlocker

BlackPlayer EX

BlackPlayer EX is yet another good music player with support for several formats, theming, which even includes different fonts and a ton of other features without ads. That being said, it is not free but cheaper than Poweramp at $3.59. There was a free version earlier to try out limited functionalities. However, it has been removed now. It offers 6 extra fonts, 11 color accents, and eight additional now playing themes in customization.

Key Features:

• Custom EQ Presets
• Chromecast Support
• 11 Color Accents
• Minimalist and simple design
• Lyrics viewing and editing

Install BlackPlayer EX from the Play Store

Rocket Player For Android

A simple yet intuitive music player for Android with support for 10 band equalizer and custom theming. It also supports embedded lyrics feature, tag editing, sleep timer, Chromecast support, Android Auto Support, and batch Selection. The user can also show the player controls while playing on the lock screen. It supports various formats like mp3, ogg, wav, alax, flac, wv, and others.

Key Features

• Chromecast Support
• Android Auto Support
• Support for the equalizer and 30+ themes
• Detailed view of every song.

Install Rocket Play from Play Store

These are some best online music streaming and offline music players for Android. If you have any better recommendations, then let us know via the comment below.

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