ReportWire

Tag: Spotify

  • The newest trend in L.A. office space: In-house studios for traveling influencers

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    For the trendiest tenants in Hollywood office buildings, it’s the latest fad that goes way beyond designer furniture and art: mini studios

    To capitalize on the never-ending flow of stars and influencers who come through Los Angeles, a growing number of companies are building bright little corners for content creators to try products and shoot short videos. Athletic apparel maker Puma, Kim Kardashian’s Skims and cheeky cosmetics retailer e.l.f. have spaces specifically designed to give people a place to experience and broadcast about their brands.

    Hollywood, which hasn’t historically been home to apparel companies, is now attracting the offices of fashion retailers, says CIM Group, one of the neighborhood’s largest commercial property landlords.

    “When we’re touring a space, one of the first items they bring up is, ‘Where can I build a studio?’” said Blake Eckert, who leases CIM offices in L.A.

    Their studio offices also serve as marketing centers, with showrooms and meeting spaces where brands can host proprietary events not open to the public.

    “For companies where brand visibility is really important, there is a trend of creating spaces that don’t just function as offices,” said real estate broker Nicole Mahalka of CBRE, who puts together entertainment property leases and sales.

    Puma’s global entertainment marketing team is based in its new Hollywood offices, which works with such musical celebrity partners as Rihanna, ASAP Rocky, Dua Lipa, Skepta and Rosé, said Allyssa Rapp, head of Puma Studio L.A.

    Allyssa Rapp, director of entertainment marketing at Puma, is shown in the Puma Studio L.A. The company keeps a closet full of Puma products on hand to give VIP guests. Visits to the studio sanctum are by invitation only, though.

    (Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

    Hollywood is a central location, she said, for meeting with celebrities, stylists and outside designers, most of whom are based in Los Angeles.

    The office is a “creation hub,” she said, where influencers can record Puma’s design prototyping lab supported by libraries of materials and equipment used to create Puma apparel. The company, founded in 1948, is known for its emblematic sneakers such as the Speedcat and its lunging feline logo, and makes athletic wear, accessories and equipment.

    Puma’s entertainment marketing team also occupies the office and sometimes uses it for exclusive events.

    “We use the space as a showroom, as a social space that transforms from a traditional workplace into more of an experiential space,” Rapp said.

    Nontraditional uses include content creation, sit-down dinners, product launches, album listening parties and workshops.

    “Inviting people into our space and being able to give them high-touch brand experiences is something tangible and important for them,” she said. “The cultural layer is really important for us.”

    The company keeps a closet full of Puma products on hand to give VIP guests. Visits to the studio sanctum are by invitation only, though. There’s no retail portal to the exclusive Hollywood offices.

    Puma shoes are on display in the Puma Studio L.A.

    Puma shoes are on display in the Puma Studio L.A.

    (Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

    Puma is also positioning its L.A studio as a connection point for major upcoming sporting events coming to Los Angeles, including the World Cup this summer, the 2027 Super Bowl and 2028 Olympics.

    In-office studios don’t need to be big to be impactful, Mahalka said. “These are smaller stages, closer to green screen than a massive soundstage.”

    Social media is the key driver of content created by most businesses, which may set up small booth-like stages where influencers can hawk hot products while offering discounts to people watching them perform.

    Bigger, elevated stages can accommodate multiple performers for extended discussions in front of small audiences, with towering screens behind them to set the mood or illustrate products.

    Among the tricked-out offices, she said, is Skims. The company, which is valued at $5 billion, is based in a glass-and-steel office building near the fabled intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street.

    The fashion retailer declined to comment on the studio uses in its headquarters, but according to architecture firm Odaa, it has open and private offices, meeting rooms, collaboration zones, photo studios, sample libraries, prototype showrooms, an executive lounge and a commissary for 400 people.

    Pieces of a shoe sit on a workbench in the Puma Studio L.A.

    Pieces of a shoe sit on a workbench in the Puma Studio L.A.

    (Kayla Bartkowski / Los Angeles Times)

    The brands building studios typically want to find the darkest spot on the premises to put their content creation or podcast spaces, Eckert said, where they can limit outside light and sound. That’s commonly near the center of the office floor, far from windows and close to permanent shear walls that limit sound intrusion.

    They also need space for green rooms and restrooms dedicated to the talent.

    Spotify recently built a fancy podcast studio in a CIM office building on trendy Sycamore Avenue that is open by invitation-only to video creators in Spotify’s partner program.

    “Ambitious shows need spaces that support big ideas,” Bill Simmons, head of talk strategy at Spotify, said in a statement. “These studios give teams room to experiment and keep pushing what’s possible.”

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    Roger Vincent

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  • Spotify can reorder your playlists by BPM and key

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    Spotify is rolling out a new feature that’s meant to make transitions in between tracks even smoother. If you’ll recall, the streaming service released the ability to create customized transitions within playlists in August last year. It gave people a way to create uninterrupted progressions and eliminate awkward silences between songs. Now, Premium users will be able to make sure the songs in their playlists flow seamlessly even further by reordering tracks based on their keys and BPM or beats per minute.

    The new feature can rearrange playlists with one tap. All paying users have to do is tap Mix on one of their playlists and then tap the Edit button. From there, they can scroll down to find the Smart Reorder option. Tapping Smart Reorder will automatically rearrange songs according to their keys and BPM without users having to do anything else. They just have to click Save so that the change to their playlist takes effect.

    Spotify says users have streamed over 220 hours of their mixed playlists since it introduced custom transitions last year. It also listed some of the most popular ones on the platform, including The Weeknd’s Wake Me Up transitioning into After Hours and Flo Rida’s Low into Rihann’s S&M.

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    Mariella Moon

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  • Spotify debuts SeatGeek integration for concert ticket sales

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    Ticketing marketplace SeatGeek has a partnership with Spotify that will direct an artist’s fans to its platform from the Spotify app. The integration is currently limited to a few participating venues for which SeatGeek is the primary ticket seller.

    While SeatGeek is one of the largest online marketplaces for the secondary ticketing market, the company’s announcement makes clear that this Spotify integration only applies to venues where it’s the primary ticketing company. For now, that’s just 15 US partner venues, primarily professional sports arenas like AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

    Spotify has experimented with in the past, but now focuses on signing on partners to integrate into the streaming experience. The company 46 ticketing partners, including Ticketmaster, AXS and others. The app also allows users to to be notified about upcoming concerts and events.

    The world’s largest music streaming service has added a glut of new features recently. One , while another new addition finally added . The platform, which now boasts some , has also been trying to in its library, although not very hard by the looks of it.

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    Andre Revilla

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  • Spotify ventures into physical book sales, adds new audiobook features | TechCrunch

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    While Spotify users face yet another price hike, book lovers have some exciting developments to look forward to that could help cushion the blow.

    Spotify announced several updates for its audiobook business on Thursday, notably its expansion into physical books. Users in the U.S. and the UK will soon be able to purchase physical copies of their favorite audiobooks directly through the app, marking a significant pivot for the once digital-only platform. 

    The company also introduced two features designed to make the audiobook experience smoother and more flexible, including a new tool called “Page Match” that lets users scan a page from a physical book to instantly transition to that spot in the audiobook. 

    Additionally, “Audiobook Recaps”—a previously iOS-only feature—is coming to Android devices in the spring. This feature provides bite-sized recaps tailored to the last section users stopped listening to.

    Image Credits:Spotify

    ​Spotify’s decision to sell physical books through its app positions it as a competitor to major booksellers, including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. The company also recognizes that many readers still value physical books, and by offering both print and digital formats, Spotify is trying to turn itself into a one-stop shop for book lovers. 

    Spotify has partnered with Bookshop.org on the new offering, an online marketplace that supports local, independent bookstores. This partnership is great news for indie booksellers, as every purchase made via Spotify will directly benefit local book communities.

    The ability to purchase physical books will roll out this spring and appear on audiobook pages in the app as a button labeled “Add to your bookshelf at home.” Clicking it takes users to Bookshop’s website, which handles the pricing, inventory, and shipping.

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    Image Credits:Spotify

    To bridge the gap between formats, Spotify is also launching a feature called Page Match, which is currently available to premium subscribers and will roll out to all audiobook users by late February. The feature was initially spotted by Android Authority last month. 

    Spotify’s new Page Match feature lets users scan a page from a physical or e-book using their phone camera. The tool analyzes the page content and directs users to the exact spot in the audiobook. It’s powered by a combination of Spotify’s in-house and third-party computer vision and image scanning technologies.

    When users want to switch to the audiobook, they can select the “Scan to Listen” button and click the “Scan to Read” button to return to the physical book, making it easy for users to pick up where they left off, whether they’re reading at home or switching to audio while on the go.

    Page Match is currently available for most English-language titles, with plans for future expansion. There are now more than 500,000 titles on the platform.

    In the two years since Spotify first introduced audiobooks, the platform has experienced significant growth. The company reported in October that the number of users listening to audiobooks rose 36% over the past year, and listening hours increased 37%. Plus, more than half of Spotify’s 281 million premium subscribers have engaged with an audiobook.

    Spotify is expected to release its fourth-quarter earnings results February 10.

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    Lauren Forristal

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  • Travis Kelce Jokes Taylor Swift Is ‘Gonna Kill’ Him For Not Recognizing Song Lyrics – She Wrote About HIM! – Perez Hilton

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    Travis Kelce better knock on Wood in hopes that his future wifey doesn’t get mad about this!

    During Wednesday’s episode of the New Heights podcast, KillaTrav totally fumbled when he didn’t recognize some Taylor Swift song lyrics — particularly ones from a song she wrote about HIM! Well, a part of him…

    During the episode, Jason Kelce read out a comment a fan left about their latest merch drop:

    “‘I can’t believe none of the hoodies are called ‘New Heights of Man-Hoodie,’ I don’t know what that means but she’s disappointed.”

    Ugh, not you, too, Jason!! Swifties will know exactly what that’s referencing, but Travis didn’t! He replied to his brother:

    “What’s that mean? What’s a ‘man-hoodie’? Is that a thing?”

    Related: Taylor & Travis Facing ‘First Real Test Of Their Relationship’

    At that moment, their producer Brandon Borders claimed “biggest Swiftie” status in the room, replying to the confused brother duo:

    “It’s a Life of a Showgirl reference, come on. ‘New Heights of manhood,’ it’s the time you were referenced in the album.”

    Travis then laughed and said:

    “I didn’t understand that. Taylor’s gonna kill me for not knowing that!”

    Oh no!! Travis!!

    What happened to being the top listener of TLOAS on your Spotify wrapped?! Jason added:

    “We’re not as good with the Easter eggs as these Swifties. They sure know how to plant ‘em and call ‘em out.”

    Ha! Watch the pod for yourself (below):

    Poor Trav, he’s gonna be sleeping on the couch when he gets home. LOLz! Reactions, Perezcious readers?

    [Image via New Heights/YouTube/MEGA/WENN]

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    Perez Hilton

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  • How Is Spotify Experimenting With More Interactive Features? – Tech Digest

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    Spotify has always existed as a primarily passive streaming service, with listeners simply playing the songs they want to hear or checking out curated playlists from the platform’s algorithm. That model is changing now, though, as the company has begun to introduce more AI elements to improve its interactivity.

    Spotify Wrapped has been one of the best updates in recent years, and now Spotify is seeking to expand on that. It wants more interactivity, which will lead to a greater connection between artists and fans.

    Spotify Wrapped Could Lead to Other Interactive Elements

    Spotify Wrapped has been an immense success, with over 200 million users engaging with it in 2025. Since its first release in 2015, the promotion has grown bigger and better. The recent introduction of more interactive elements and videos from creators has made it a viral sensation, and now Spotify wants to continue in this vein with similar offerings on the platform.

    There has already been some suggestion that Wrapped’s popularity could inspire more frequent interactive moments throughout the year, rather than a single annual event. Spotify has already hinted at this direction by testing smaller, seasonal recaps and interactive playlist prompts. The appeal of this type of content lies in uncertainty, as users don’t know exactly what insights or surprises they’ll receive.

    Interactivity doesn’t just have to stop there, though. There could be other aspects of the platform that give users things to do, such as music quizzes or music bingo games.

    Why Are Interactive Elements So Important in Modern Entertainment?

    Spotify’s forays into exploring more interactive elements aren’t surprising, as most other entertainment platforms in the modern age already have these features in place. Netflix, for instance, has recently experimented with interactive programming that gives viewers a choice over what happens. The company has also introduced a gaming section to the site, with players able to enjoy mobile-style offerings.

    This mirrors trends that have been long established in the iGaming industry, which has flourished thanks to its fully interactive platforms. Players scroll through well-furnished lists of UK slots presented through thumbnails. Some of them, like 15 Stars Ablaze, use a moving image layered in the background along with bold colours and effects, giving them a popping, interactive feel.

    Platform Aiming to Foster Artist-Fan Connection

    Spotify recently announced some of its plans for the future, and one area of focus is the growth of the artist-fan connection. The company wants to foster greater interactivity between listeners and musicians, and is seeking to do this using AI tools. Spotify has a wealth of data at its disposal through its database of over 700 million people, and can use this to develop AI-driven content aimed at individual users.

    There could be more of a focus on superfan monetisation as well, with the potential for these people to pay more to connect with their favourite artists. Many artists, including Lewis Capaldi, Chappell Roan, and Dua Lipa, have already recorded video messages for top fans, with all artists given the opportunity to do so. It’s clear that the musicians want to increase the interactivity of the platform as well and ensure that they are giving their fans value and attention.

    Interactivity and zoning in on individual users’ interests will be the key focus of many entertainment platforms in the next few years, and Spotify is making steps to ensure that it continues to evolve with this trend. There could soon be a new era of music in which the connection between fans and musicians is closer than ever.

     

     

     

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    Tech Digest Correspondent

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  • AI song ‘Jag vet, du är inte min’ banned from Swedish charts – Tech Digest

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    A viral song has been disqualified from Sweden’s official music charts because it was created using Artificial Intelligence.

    The folk-pop ballad, entitled “Jag vet, du är inte min” (I know, You’re Not Mine), has amassed millions of streams making it the most-streamed song on Spotify in Sweden.

    Performed by a digital entity known as Jacub, the song features melancholic lyrics about heartbreak backed by acoustic guitar. Despite its massive public appeal, industry leaders insist it does not meet the criteria for official recognition.

    Investigation into the artist’s identity revealed a lack of any real-world presence. Journalists discovered the track was registered to executives at Stellar Music, a Danish firm with a dedicated AI department.

    The producers, calling themselves Team Jacub, defended the work as a “human-controlled creative process” rather than a mere tech project.

    The Swedish music industry organization, IFPI, remains unmoved by these arguments. Ludvig Werner, head of IFPI Sweden, stated that any song found to be primarily AI-generated is ineligible for the top list.

    The decision highlights a growing tension between traditional creative standards and rapidly advancing technology.

    Sweden is currently a focal point for the AI music debate. While the country has pioneered licensing systems to allow AI models to train on copyrighted works, officials are wary of the technology undermining human creators. Experts predict AI could significantly reduce revenues for human musicians within just two years.

    This strict stance contrasts with international charts like Billboard, which often allow AI tracks if they meet streaming and sales criteria. However, other platforms like Bandcamp have joined Sweden in prohibiting content generated substantially by algorithms.

    The ban serves as a landmark moment for the global music industry. As AI-generated music is forecast to become a multi-billion pound business, Sweden’s ruling suggests a commitment to keeping human musicians at the centre of the official rankings – at least for now.


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    Chris Price

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  • Spotify Just Got More Expensive Again, In Case You Didn’t Dislike Them Already – Metal Injection

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    Spotify has raised prices across all paid subscription tiers in the United States, making it the most expensive major music streaming service on the market. The increases take effect immediately for new subscribers and will roll out to existing Premium users in the U.S., Estonia, and Latvia over the next month.

    Under the new pricing structure, Spotify Premium Individual now costs $12.99 per month, up from $11.99. Duo plans have increased to $18.99 (previously $16.99), while Family plans now cost $21.99 per month, up from $19.99. Student subscriptions also rose by $1, landing at $6.99 per month.

    In a statement announcing the changes, Spotify said: “Occasional updates to pricing across our markets reflect the value that Spotify delivers, enabling us to continue offering the best possible experience and benefit artists.” Which is odd, because if Spotify’s pricing reflected their value then they’d be paying me to use it. So that’s not true.

    With the hike, Spotify now sits above its main competitors on price. Apple Music, TIDAL, and YouTube Music all currently charge $10.99 per month for individual plans, while also offering lower-cost options for students and families — undercutting Spotify’s new rates.

    The announcement arrives amid a busy period for the streaming giant. In recent months, Spotify has partnered with ChatGPT to introduce more personalized music and podcast recommendations, and it has rolled out expanded parental controls for shared family accounts.

    However, the platform has also faced mounting criticism. Spotify has drawn backlash for its handling of AI-generated music and voice clones, as well as for running advertisements connected to ICE. Additionally, several high-profile artists – such as King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard alongside post-rock icons Godspeed You! Black Emperor –have removed their catalogs from the service following reports about CEO Daniel Ek’s investments in AI-driven military defense technology.

    As subscription costs rise and controversies continue to stack up, Spotify’s latest price increase may further fuel conversations among listeners and artists alike about whether the platform still offers the best value — or whether it’s time to look elsewhere.

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    Greg Kennelty

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  • Pirate group Anna’s Archive says it has scraped Spotify in its entirety

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    Anna’s Archive, the open-source search engine for shadow libraries, it scraped Spotify’s entire library of music. The group acquired metadata for around 256 million tracks, with 86 million actual songs, and is just under 300TB in total size.

    “A while ago, we discovered a way to scrape Spotify at scale. We saw a role for us here to build a music archive primarily aimed at preservation,” the group said in a . The pirated treasure trove of music represents over 15 million artists with over 58 million albums.

    The group intends to make all files available for download for anyone with the available disk space. “This Spotify scrape is our humble attempt to start such a “preservation archive” for music. Of course Spotify doesn’t have all the music in the world, but it’s a great start,” the group wrote. The 86 million songs that the group has archived so far represent about 99.6 percent of listens on the platform. This only represents about 37 percent of the total and the group still has millions left to be archived.

    The open-source site is normally focused on text like books and papers, which it says offers the highest information density. The group says its goal of “preserving humanity’s knowledge and culture” doesn’t distinguish between media types. Of course none of this is exactly legal, and the sharing or downloading of all these files is flagrantly in violation of IP protection laws.

    Anna’s Archive contends that current collections of music, both physical and digital, are over-indexed to the most popular artists or composed of unnecessarily large file sizes due to collectors’ focus on fidelity. The group says that what it’s amassed is by far the largest music metadata database publicly available. The music files will be released in order of popularity in stages.

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    Andre Revilla

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  • Improve your music streaming quality in minutes

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    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    Lossless audio is becoming more common, but many people are still unsure what the term means. In simple words, lossless audio keeps all the details from the original recording. Nothing is removed to make the file smaller, so the music sounds closer to what the artist created. Apple Music, Spotify and Amazon Music all support at least CD-quality sound. The one major service that still relies on compressed formats is YouTube Music.

    Even if your favorite app does not offer lossless quality, you can still improve how your music sounds. Most streaming apps use default settings that focus on convenience instead of clarity. With a few quick tweaks, you can unlock richer audio without buying new gear.

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    Turn off volume normalization

    Volume normalization changes the loudness of your tracks so they match each other. It softens loud songs and boosts quiet ones. That may keep things balanced, but it alters the original recording and can cut the dynamic range.

    Turning it off keeps your music closer to what the artist intended. You may adjust the volume more often, but your sound gets cleaner.

    How to turn off volume normalization on Spotify 

    • Click your picture icon in the upper left
    • Tap Settings and privacy
    • Click Playback
    • Then turn off Enable Audio Normalization (or Volume normalization, depending on your version).

    How to check volume normalization on YouTube Music

    YouTube Music is the only major music service that still does not support lossless audio, and its volume settings can add more confusion. In 2025, Google began rolling out a feature called Consistent volume, which normalizes loudness between tracks so they play at a more similar level. The catch is that this setting has not reached every account yet. To see if you have it:

    YouTube Music (Android and iOS)

    • Open YouTube Music
    • Tap your profile photo
    • Go to Settings
    • Select Playback (on some iPhones, it appears under Playback & restrictions)
    • Look for a toggle called Consistent volume
    • If you see Consistent volume, turn it off for the most accurate sound and the widest dynamics. (If you do not see that option on your devices, your version of YouTube Music likely has not received the rollout yet, and there is currently no direct way to disable its volume normalization.)

    How to turn off volume normalization on Amazon Music

    Amazon Music includes a feature called Normalize Volume, which smooths out loudness between tracks. Turning it off keeps the dynamic range closer to the original recording.

    iPhone and Android

    Settings may vary depending on your Android phone’s manufacturer.

    • Open the Amazon Music app
    • Tap your profile icon in the upper left
    • Tap Settings
    • Scroll to Playback
    • Turn Loudness Normalization off (This may appear as “Normalize Volume” on some versions of the app.)

    Mac (desktop app)

    • Open the Amazon Music app
    • Click your profile photo in the upper right corner
    • Click Settings
    • Go to Playback
    • Turn Normalize Volume (or Loudness Normalization) off
    • Desktop web player (browser)

    The web player does not always include a Normalize Volume option. If you see it under Settings → Playback, turn it off. If you do not see it, your account type or browser version does not support changing this setting on the web.

    Tune the EQ to your taste

    Your equalizer shapes the way your music sounds. It can highlight bass, smooth out middle tones or brighten treble. Many apps include presets. Others let you make custom profiles. If your streaming app falls short, you can try third-party EQ apps like Wavelet on Android or Boom on iOS.

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    Spotify login on an Android

    Adjusting your EQ helps shape the sound so your favorite songs feel fuller and more balanced. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    How to adjust your EQ settings

    Spotify EQ

    • Click your picture icon in the upper left
    • Go to Settings and Privacy
    • Tap Playback
    • Click Equalizer

    Once you open the Equalizer, you will see sliders that control different parts of the sound:

    • Bass for low tones
    • Mids for middle tones like vocals and guitars
    • Treble for higher tones

    You can pick a preset such as Bass Booster, Vocal Booster or Acoustic. You can also move the sliders to create your own profile. Start with a preset, then adjust each slider a little at a time until the music matches what you like.

    YouTube Music EQ

    • Tap the initial icon in the upper right of the screen
    • Click Settings
    • Tap Playback 
    • If you see an option labeled Equalizer, tap it to open your device’s audio settings. You can adjust bass, mids, or treble based on your taste.

    If you do not see an Equalizer option, that is completely normal. YouTube Music does not include its own EQ on most devices. The app only shows an EQ button when your phone or tablet has a system equalizer that YouTube Music can access. Many iPhones and several Android models hide or remove access to the system EQ, so the setting never appears.

    To use EQ on devices that do not support it, consider a third-party app such as Wavelet on Android or Boom on iOS.

    Apple Music EQ on iPhone

    Apple Music does not include an EQ menu inside the app. To adjust your sound profile:

    • Open the Settings app on your iPhone
    • Tap Apps
    • Click Music
    • Then tap EQ.
    • Pick a preset like Vocal Booster, Reduce Bass or Acoustic, or try a few options to find the sound you prefer.

    Switching EQ presets is one of the fastest ways to make your music feel new again.

    Apple Music EQ on Mac

    The Mac version of Apple Music includes its own equalizer, but it can be hard to find if you are not used to the Mac menu bar. Here’s exactly what you should see:

    • Open Finder
    • Go to Applications
    • Open the Music app

    Once the Music app is open, look at the very top of your screen, above everything else. This thin horizontal strip is the Mac menu bar. It does not sit inside the Music app window. It is always at the very top of macOS.

    You should see words in the menu bar that look like this (from left to right):

    Music File Edit Song View Controls Account Window Help

    • Click Window in that row
    • A dropdown menu should appear beneath the word “Window”
    • In that dropdown, look for Equalizer and click it

    As soon as you click Equalizer, a small floating window should appear with:

    • A dropdown menu of presets (Bass Booster, Classical, Vocal, Acoustic, etc.)
    • A row of vertical sliders for different frequency bands
    • A checkbox to turn the EQ on or off

    If the Equalizer option does not appear in the Window menu, or the EQ window does not pop up when selected, that is a known issue affecting some macOS versions in late 2025. It is not something you’re doing wrong.

    You can also check Window > Sound Enhancer to disable Apple’s extra processing if you prefer clean sound.

    Amazon Music EQ

    Amazon Music does not include its own built-in EQ in the app. Instead, it uses your device’s system equalizer.

    If your device has a system EQ:

    • You will see an Equalizer button inside Amazon Music under Settings > Playback
    • Tapping it opens your device’s sound settings
    • If you do not see an Equalizer option, your phone does not expose a system EQ to apps. This is normal on many iPhone and Android models. For EQ control, Amazon Music recommends using third-party EQ apps or system-level audio tools.

    Avoid Dolby Atmos if you want lossless quality

    Dolby Atmos adds a spatial effect. It makes sound feel like it is coming from around you. It is immersive but not the same as lossless quality. Many users mix these up and lose out on higher audio fidelity without realizing it.

    On Apple Music, you can download songs in Dolby Atmos or in lossless quality, but not both at the same time. If Atmos is on, your downloads will not save in lossless format.

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    Two women listening to music

    Choosing the right audio quality setting gives you richer detail across every streaming service. (Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson)

    How to check your settings

    Apple Music

    • On your iPhone, click Settings
    • Click Apps
    • Tap Music
    • Scroll down to Dolby Atmos and turn it off

    Pro Tip: Delete and re-download songs to replace Atmos files with Lossless or Hi-Res Lossless versions.

    Amazon Music

    • How to check your audio quality settings on Amazon Music
    • Open the Amazon Music app
    • Tap your profile icon in the upper left
    • Tap Settings
    • Go to Playback
    • Check these options:

    Streaming Audio Quality

    • Choose HD or Ultra HD for lossless playback
    • If you only see “Best Available”, click it as it will automatically use HD/Ultra HD when your plan and device allow

    Download Audio Quality

    Some users only see Standard and Space Saver, which means lossless downloads are not available on that plan or device. If HD/Ultra HD downloads are supported on your account, set this to HD or Ultra HD for lossless offline files. Not every user will see them. Amazon has not rolled out lossless downloads universally, even for Unlimited subscribers.

    Spatial Audio (only appears on supported accounts)

    If visible, turn Spatial Audio off for consistent lossless stereo. Dolby Atmos or 360 Reality Audio may override Ultra HD when both versions exist. If the toggle does not appear, your device or account is not part of Amazon’s spatial-audio rollout.

    Spotify

    Spotify does not support Dolby Atmos. You will not see a toggle for it, and there is no risk of replacing lossless files with Atmos versions. Spotify streams only in stereo.

    YouTube Music

    YouTube Music supports spatial audio on some devices, but the service does not offer lossless audio at all. Turning on spatial audio does not affect lossless quality because lossless formats are not available.

    Improve your audio quality settings on any streaming service

    Every platform lets you raise streaming quality. Free tiers often default to lower quality to save data. Paid plans unlock higher bitrates. Here’s what you get with the top tiers:

    • Spotify Premium: up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC
    • Apple Music: up to 24-bit/192 kHz ALAC
    • Amazon Music Ultra HD: up to 24-bit/192 kHz
    • YouTube Music: still no lossless support
    • Other simple ways to improve your sound

    If you want even better audio, try a few hardware checks.

    Confirm your earbuds or headphones support high-resolution Bluetooth codecs like LDAC or AptX Adaptive

    Use a USB-C DAC if your headphones do not support high-res codecs

    Match your audio gear to your source to avoid compression issues

    Small swaps can produce big upgrades.

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    Kurt’s key takeaways

    Better sound is only a few taps away. These settings help you unlock cleaner audio, wider dynamics, and more detail without buying expensive equipment. Small changes can make your music feel richer and more immersive across every track.

    What tweak made the biggest difference for your sound? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • Spotify says it is investigating after thousands of users report outages

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    Thousands of Spotify users reported difficulty accessing the music streaming service, with some customers saying their playlists had disappeared, according to outage tracking site Downdetector.

    Reports of problems with Spotify spiked on Monday morning, with about 35,000 people telling Downdetector they were experiencing difficulties accessing their music. 

    In a social media post at 9:45 a.m. EST, Spotify said it was looking into issues with the streaming service. “We’re aware of some issues right now and are checking them out!” the company said. 

    The company issued an update at about 10:30 a.m. EST, saying the issue had been resolved. 

    “All clear! Thanks for your patience. If you’re still having issues, you can find out more on this issue on our Community support thread,” the company posted.

    Spotify didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment from CBS News.

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    Alain Sherter

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  • Spotify’s new playlist feature gives users more control over their recommendation algorithm

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    Spotify is attempting to give users more control over the music the streaming service recommends with a new playlist feature called “Prompted Playlist.” The beta feature is rolling out in New Zealand starting on December 11, and will let users write a custom prompt that Spotify can use — alongside their listening history — to create a playlist of new music.

    By tapping on Prompted Playlist, Spotify subscribers participating in the beta will be presented with a prompt field where they can type exactly what they want to hear and how they want Spotify’s algorithm to respond. And while past AI features took users’ individual taste into consideration, Spotify claims Prompted Playlist “taps into your entire Spotify listening history, all the way back to day one.”

    Prompted Playlist will exist alongside Spotify’s other playlist features. (Spotify)

    Prompts can be as broad or specific as users want, and Spotify says playlists can also be set to automatically update with new songs on a specific cadence. An “Ideas” tab in the Prompted Playlist setup screen can provide suggestions for users who need inspiration for their prompt. And interestingly, Spotify says each song in the playlist will be presented with a short description explaining why the algorithm chose it, which could help direct future fine-tuning.

    If this all sounds familiar, it’s because Spotify has already tried AI-generated playlists in the past. The difference here, besides Spotify framing the new feature as giving users more “control,” is the detail of the prompts, the depth of user data Spotify is applying and the options users will have to keep playlists up-to-date. Prompted Playlist is only available in English for now, but Spotify says the feature will evolve as it adds more users.

    Spotify isn’t the first company to offer users more direct control over how content is recommended to them. Meta has recently started experimenting with algorithm-tuning options in Threads and Instagram, and TikTok lets users completely reset their For You page to start fresh. The irony of all these features is that algorithm-driven feeds were supposed to be able to recommend good music, posts and videos without additional prompting. Now that prompting is being pitched as a feature, rather than extra work.

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  • Spotify to Launch Music Videos on Platform in United States

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    Spotify has announced plans to bring music videos to its platform in the United States following a beta launch overseas last year.

    A spokesperson for Spotify confirmed to Variety that the company plans to integrate music videos in the coming weeks. On platform, users will be able to switch between audio and video with the tap of a button. It’s unclear if the feature will be available to all subscriber tiers or just Premium users, as the overseas launch was rolled out to the latter.

    News of the product feature expansion comes just a day after Spotify signed an audiovisual direct-licensing pact with the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA), launching an opt-in portal for NMPA members to enter into licensing agreements for expanded AV rights in the States. Spotify previously struck licensing agreements referencing audiovisual rights with Universal, Warner and Sony.

    In March 2024, the streaming service began rolling out music videos in beta across 12 markets including the U.K., Germany and Italy, along with a limited catalog of visuals from Ed Sheeran, Doja Cat and Ice Spice. The company expanded its rollout to 85 additional markets in Oct. 2024, giving access to videos from Charli xcx, Fontaines D.C., Lisa and more.

    The beta launch of music videos was far from Spotify’s first foray into the video market. Dating back to 2015, the streamer was striking deals with Comedy Central and ESPN to bring short-form content and podcasts to the service. Podcast video has grown significantly over the past few years — in July 2020, Spotify launched its first set of “vodcasts,” and last November unveiled uninterrupted video podcasts as the number of creators publishing videos monthly on Spotify grew 50 percent year over year. But the latest move does mark a competitive expansion into the streaming market, adopting a similar toggle between audio and video that currently exists on YouTube Music.

    Earlier this month, Spotify announced that it saw double-digit growth on its free and paid-subscription tiers for Q3 2025. They added five million paid Premium subscribers, up 12 percent to 281 million, and overall monthly active users grew 11 percent to 713 million for a 17 million net gain.

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  • Spotify’s redesigned tvOS app brings podcast and music videos to Apple TV

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    Using Spotify on Apple TV might be a smoother experience going forward. Spotify has released an entirely new “experience” that integrates many of its mobile features to Apple TV, including managing your queue and viewing lyrics.

    The updated Spotify for Apple TV app also includes remote control via Connect — hopefully there won’t be any future issues with changing the volume. You can also use Spotify DJ, the AI-powered guide for choosing what to listen to next.

    If you’re a big video person then there’s another update for you. Apple TV will now be able to show podcast videos and let you adjust playback speed on any videos. It’s good timing as Spotify recently announced that some of its podcast videos will come to Netflix in early 2026.

    The update also brings one of Spotify’s newer ventures to Apple TV: music videos. Any Premium subscribers in one of the 97 beta markets with the feature can choose “switch to video” on any song that has a music video. It works just like the tool for Podcasts.

    All of these updates come with an entirely new interface that Spotify has created specifically for tvOS, redesigned Spotify for Apple TV should roll out for everyone by mid-November.

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  • Spotify gives parents new power to control what their kids hear on streaming platform

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    NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

    Spotify is rolling out a major update for parents who want more control over what their children listen to. Managed accounts, first tested in select countries, are now expanding to the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Germany, France and the Netherlands. These accounts create a safer and more personalized way for young listeners to enjoy music while parents stay in control of what plays.

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    TEENS FACE NEW PG-13 LIMITS ON INSTAGRAM

    A safer way for kids to explore music

    Spotify’s new managed accounts are built for kids under 13. They offer a music-only experience inside the main Spotify app. Parents can use their Family Plan settings to filter explicit lyrics, block certain artists or songs and hide videos or looping visuals called Canvas. Unlike the limited Spotify Kids app, these accounts exist within the regular Spotify platform. Kids get a familiar interface with features like Discover Weekly and Daylist, but with restrictions that fit their age.

    Parents can now guide what their kids listen to while enjoying music together on Spotify. (Spotify)

    How managed accounts work

    Premium Family subscribers can set up a managed account directly from their Spotify settings. Choose “Add a Member,” then select “Add a listener aged under 13.” Parents control what content plays, while kids build their own playlists and get personalized recommendations based on their listening habits. This separation keeps parents’ Discover Weekly and Wrapped playlists clean from unexpected surprises like a sudden obsession with gaming soundtracks or silly meme songs.

    META STRENGTHENS TEEN SAFETY WITH EXPANDED ACCOUNTS

    Child’s Spotify library screen showing playlists and a song by Chappell Roan playing.

    Managed accounts make family streaming safer, simpler and more personalized for young listeners. (Spotify)

    Why this matters for parents

    For years, parents have struggled to give kids music freedom while keeping explicit content away. This update finally solves that challenge. Managed accounts let parents turn off videos, block podcasts and make sure no age-restricted content slips through. It provides peace of mind for families who love streaming music together.

    Spotify parental controls screen shows playback settings for a child’s account named Maya.

    Kids get their own playlists and recommendations without changing what parents hear. (Spotify)

    What this means for you

    If you already subscribe to the Premium Family plan, this update adds even more value. You still get six individual accounts, and now you can include a customized child account. Parents can share their favorite songs safely while using filters that protect young listeners. Kids get the freedom to explore new music and create playlists without affecting the main account’s recommendations.

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    Spotify screen shows a search for

    Spotify’s new tools give families more control and more ways to connect through music. (Spotify)

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    Kurt’s key takeaways

    Spotify’s expansion of managed accounts is a smart move toward safer, family-friendly streaming. It protects young listeners while helping them build their own love for music. With strong parental controls built right into the app, families can enjoy listening together with confidence and ease.

    Will you set up a Spotify managed account for your child, or keep family listening under one shared profile? Let us know by writing to us at Cyberguy.com.

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    Copyright 2025 CyberGuy.com.  All rights reserved.  

    Kurt “CyberGuy” Knutsson is an award-winning tech journalist who has a deep love of technology, gear and gadgets that make life better with his contributions for Fox News & FOX Business beginning mornings on “FOX & Friends.” Got a tech question? Get Kurt’s free CyberGuy Newsletter, share your voice, a story idea or comment at CyberGuy.com.

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  • Spotify is freezing and crashing on some Android devices

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    The Spotify app has been freezing and crashing on some Android devices, according to multiple users and a . This is happening only when a phone or tablet is connected to Wi-Fi, so keep on listening to Spotify while out and about.

    Users first took note of the problem around two weeks ago, to address their concerns. Many folks say that the app becomes essentially unusable on Wi-Fi due to the constant crashes and freezing.

    The company has acknowledged the issue and says its . However, we don’t have a timetable for a patch or anything like that. For the time being, some Android users will just have to avoid using the Spotify app while on Wi-Fi.

    To that end, error reports have mostly come in from people on Samsung Galaxy and Google Pixel phones. The problem doesn’t appear to be universal, which has led some to speculate that may be related to Chromecast-ready devices. This would explain why the issue only persists on Wi-Fi, but we’ll have to wait to hear from Spotify for a cause.

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  • Spotify now lets people follow venues to find out about concerts

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    Spotify just introduced a feature that lets users . This will provide people with updates and details about upcoming concerts.

    Once a venue is selected as a favorite, it gets saved in a user’s library. Browsing each venue provides information on scheduled concerts, general announcements and other stuff. Folks can even filter upcoming shows by genre. Clicking on a specific spot will also pull up “tailored suggestions for other venues” in the vicinity.

    Spotify’s new venue-tracking platform will offer links to each location’s “official ticketing partner” to make it easier to scoop up some tickets. The company says it currently tracks over 20,000 venues throughout the globe, from “iconic arenas to beloved independent clubs.”

    Spotify also announced a change to its live event feed. This will now update daily instead of weekly. For the uninitiated, this tool and lists nearby live events.

    The platform recently added yet another tool for concert discovery in the form of with upcoming shows in the area. These playlists update every week and include 30 songs.

    These are welcome tools, as artists from streaming platforms, instead relying on live ticket sales. The features could also help stem some of the bad press that’s been coming Spotify’s way lately, thanks to CEO Daniel Ek’s and the platform going running recruitment ads for .

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  • Spotify now lets you follow venues to get details on upcoming concerts | TechCrunch

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    Spotify is introducing a new feature that will let users follow venues to get updates and details on concerts scheduled to take place there.

    Venues you follow are saved in your library, and you can browse them to see event calendars, information on scheduled concerts, and announcements. Users can also filter upcoming shows at venues by genre.

    The company is also updating its live event feed daily instead of weekly to provide the latest event updates.

    Image Credits: Spotify

    As before, users can tap on upcoming shows to book tickets via the listed ticketing partner. Spotify experimented with selling tickets itself in 2022, but hasn’t talked about expanding that business since. The company currently partners with ticketing platforms like Live Nation and Ticketmaster instead to sell tickets directly from an artist’s page.

    Earlier this year, the company released a new weekly updated playlist called “Concerts Near You,” which lists 30 songs from artists performing around users’ locations, along with details about their next show.

    Spotify’s rivals are also concentrating on improving live event discovery on their platforms. In February, SoundCloud partnered with Ticketmaster and Live Nation to let artists list upcoming shows on their pages.

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  • Commentary: ICE ads are playing on a streamer near you. Can they survive the online rebellion?

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    There you are, sitting in traffic in your car, listening to Taylor Swift on Spotify because it’s easier than subjecting yourself to a new, more challenging artist. An ad pops up in your stream. It’s serious stuff, evidenced by the dystopian tone of the narrator: “Join the mission to protect America,” the serious man’s voice commands, “with bonuses up to $50,000 and generous benefits. Apply now … and fulfill your mission.”

    It’s an Immigration and Customs Enforcement recruitment ad, part of the Trump administration’s investment of $30 billion to add more than 10,000 deportation officers to its ranks by the end of the year. You would have been spared the outrage if only you had paid for Spotify’s ad-free tier of service, but there’s no way the audio streamer is getting your money now. You’ll be switching to, say, Apple Music. Maybe Tidal?

    The experience of being subjected to recruitment ads for a domestic military force, assembled by a power-hungry president, has generated intense backlash that’s culminated this week in calls for boycotts of streaming services and platforms that have featured ICE spots. They include Pandora, ESPN, YouTube, Hulu and Fubo TV. Multiple HBO Max subscribers bemoaned on X that they were subjected to ICE recruitment videos while watching All Elite Wrestling: “Time to be force-fed ICE commercials against my will for two hours again #WWENXT,” @YKWrestling wrote.

    Recruitment ads — Uncle Sam’s “I Want You” poster comes to mind — are an American staple, especially in times of war. But the current recruitment effort is aimed at sending forces into American cities, predicated on exaggerated claims that U.S. metro areas are under siege and in peril due to dangerous illegal immigrants, leftist protesters and out-of-control crime rates. The data, however, does not support those claims. The American Immigration Council found that from 1980 to 2022, while the immigrant share of the U.S. population more than doubled (from 6.2% to 13.9%), the total crime rate declined by over 60%.

    Yet there’s a far scarier doomscape on the horizon if ICE’s recruitment efforts are successful: a mercenary army loyal only to Trump, weaponized to keep him on the throne. If that sounds more dystopian than the aforementioned Spotify ad, consider that the administration has spent more than $6.5 million over the past month on a slew of 30-second commercials aimed at luring in police officers.

    The ads aired on TVs in more than a dozen cities including Chicago, Seattle and Atlanta and opened with images of each specific metro area’s skyline. Then came the commanding narration: “Attention, Miami law enforcement!” It’s followed by the same messaging that is used in ICE ads across the country: “You took an oath to protect and serve, to keep your family, your city, safe. But in sanctuary cities you’re ordered to stand down while dangerous illegals walk free — Join ICE and help us catch the worst of the worst. Drug traffickers. Gang members. Predators.”

    But are the ads working? It’s hard to say since transparency isn’t a hallmark of the MAGA White House. For what it’s worth, a Sept. 16 press release from the DHS claimed that it had received more than 150,000 applications in response to its campaign and had extended 18,000 tentative job offers.

    As for the power of consumer-led boycotts, there’s hope. More than 1.7 million Disney, Hulu and ESPN subscriptions were reportedly canceled between Sept. 17 and Sept. 23 during Jimmy Kimmel’s temporary suspension by ABC (Disney is ABC’s parent company). The network pulled the show after the host’s comments related to Charlie Kirk’s assassination angered MAGA supporters and the Trump-appointed FCC chair appeared to threaten the network. But after a week with a significant increase in cancellations — a 436% jump compared to a normal week — Kimmel was back on the air.

    As of today, Spotify appears unmoved by the pressure to pull those intrusive ICE ads. “This advertisement is part of a broad campaign the US government is running across television, streaming, and online channels,” a Spotify spokesperson said in a statement this week. “The content does not violate our advertising policies. However, users can mark any ad with a thumbs up or thumbs down to help manage their ads preferences.”

    Thumbs down. Frowny emoji. Cue the dystopian narrator for a counter ad: “Join the mission to protect America: Cancel Spotify.”

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