GoKawiil
Tech News
Spotify reported 788 million monthly active users and roughly €5 billion in Q3 revenue. Co-CEO Gustav Söderström told investors that Spotify is integrating with AI assistants like Meta's Muse, ChatGPT, and Claude, aiming to be the music service those agents recommend when users ask for playlists or audio content through conversation rather than the Spotify app itself.
A developer has released OnKey, a free and open-source singing trainer for Apple Silicon Macs. The app listens to songs played through Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube, learns the vocal melody after one playthrough using a vocal-separation model, CREPE pitch tracking and a note model, then displays scrolling notes with the user's pitch overlaid and a line-by-line score on repeat plays. It requires microphone and system audio access, does not store or stream music itself, and uses Shazam and LRCLIB lookups only to identify songs and fetch lyrics.
Spotify has introduced a native in-car application that runs directly on vehicle dashboard systems rather than mirroring content from a connected phone. The app adds features such as video playback, synced lyrics, and improved playback controls designed for in-car use.
A blogger reverse engineered the Android app for the music guessing board game Hitster, decompiling its APK with jadx to inspect its code. They found a JSON file containing an encrypted card-to-song database and located the AES decryption routine directly in the app's source, allowing them to decode the mapping between card IDs and Spotify tracks without needing a paid Spotify or Apple Music subscription.
Spotify is rolling out a new verification step for some Premium Family members, requiring them to scan a QR code displayed in the plan manager's app that refreshes every few seconds. Members who fail or ignore the seven-day verification window are barred from joining another Family or Duo plan for 12 months, though they can still buy an individual Premium subscription. Spotify says the check only works through its mobile app with the latest version installed.
Spotify unveiled a fully native in-car app built directly on Google's Android Automotive operating system, debuting in Audi vehicles including the A6 e-tron, Q6 e-tron, A5, Q5, and A6. The app runs on the car's own infotainment hardware without needing a connected phone, Bluetooth, or aux cable, and Spotify now controls the entire on-screen interface rather than relying on Google's templates.
Spotify launched a Memberships feature letting podcast creators sell monthly fan subscriptions for perks like bonus episodes, ad-free listening or exclusive video. The program began immediately in the US, UK, Canada and other markets, with creators keeping 90% of revenue and full control over pricing and content mix. Early participants include The Adam Friedland Show, Making Sense with Sam Harris and The Shawn Ryan Show, with some charging around $5 a month.
Spotify has updated its recommendation system to filter out over 50 million songs it classified as AI-generated spam or low-quality filler. The change aims to prioritize music made by human artists when suggesting tracks to listeners.
Spotify says it is filtering AI-generated 'slop and spam' tracks out of its recommendation system while continuing to host AI music and offer AI remixing tools. Fake or AI-suspected acts like The Velvet Sundown and Breaking Rust still have hundreds of thousands of monthly listeners, with a July report finding the top 10 AI artists earned roughly $2.4 million. Spotify does not offer users a way to block AI audio entirely, unlike Deezer, which plans a full opt-out filter by year's end, or Bandcamp and Tidal, which restrict or don't pay royalties on AI-only tracks.
Spotify has rolled out its Memberships program, letting podcast creators offer exclusive content to fans for a recurring subscription fee. Creators can set multiple price tiers and keep 90 percent of revenue, with the feature launching across 34 markets for shows meeting minimum thresholds of 100 consumption hours, 100 listeners or viewers, and three published episodes.
Spotify has launched a paid membership feature for podcasters, letting creators offer perks such as bonus audio or video, fewer ads, or early access to episodes in exchange for a subscription. The feature is live in 34 markets including the U.S., with creators keeping 90% of revenue. To qualify, shows must be hosted on Spotify for Creators or Megaphone and meet minimum listener and episode thresholds.
Spotify announced it has pulled over 50 million songs flagged as AI-generated slop or spam from its recommendation system over the past year. The company said it uses listener engagement, feedback, upload patterns, metadata, and third-party AI detection tools to identify such content, and that editors avoid programming flagged tracks. Spotify also noted it is partnering with Universal Music Group and Believe on a tool for creating AI music remixes.