Ryan Haines / Android Authority
TL;DR Spotify is improving its experience for free users.
The service will now let non-paid subscribers pick and play the song they want.
These users will also be able to play a song shared by a friend or artist.
Spotify has long been focused on improving the Premium experience. For example, Premium members recently started gaining access to lossless audio, a feature that many have been waiting for. Now it’s finally time for free users to get a little something. The service is now giving non-paid subscribers more control.
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If you’re a free user of Spotify, you’ll now be able to play any song you want to listen to. The company is calling this new feature “Pick & Play.” There’s also “Search & Play,” which allows free users to search for a song and start listening instantly. And if a friend or artist shares a song, you’ll be able to listen right away with “Share & Play.”
Before you get too excited, there is a caveat that is conveniently missing in the announcement post. The company tells TechCrunch that free users will get an “allocation of “on-demand time.”” There’s no mention of how long this on-demand time will be, but that limit will reset daily. After reaching that limit, free users will be restricted to a limited number of skips per hour.
The update is set to roll out soon. When it does, these features will be available to free users globally. Meanwhile, Premium members won’t have to deal with such restrictions.
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