Spotifast, a new desktop application for Spotify, has been released as a native Windows client built in Rust, aiming to reduce memory consumption. It typically uses 150-200 MB of RAM, a notable decrease from the 600 MB to 1 GB used by the official app, while offering similar features and additional customization options. The app requires a Spotify Premium account and currently does not support lossless audio due to DRM limitations.
tomshardware.com
· 2026-10-08
Michael Smith of Cornelius, North Carolina, was sentenced to 18 months in prison and ordered to forfeit over $8 million after pleading guilty to wire fraud conspiracy. Between 2017 and 2024 he used 1,040 bot accounts to generate hundreds of millions of fake streams of AI-generated songs uploaded under fictitious artist names on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube.
techspot.com
· 2026-10-08
Spotify has renewed its exclusive partnership with Joe Rogan for his podcast, The Joe Rogan Experience, extending the agreement into 2024. The deal allows Rogan's show to continue streaming on Spotify and be available on other platforms like YouTube and Apple, despite ongoing controversies and political appearances by Rogan's guests. The renewal underscores Spotify’s commitment to maintaining Rogan’s influential and widely listened-to program.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-08
Spotify has begun a global rollout of its audiobook service, extending availability from 22 to more than 180 countries by the end of 2026. The expansion grants access to over 350,000 titles in multiple languages, with some markets offering 12 hours of listening per month included in Premium subscriptions. Additionally, the company is enhancing its Page Match feature and expanding Audiobooks+ to more regions and plans, including student plans in select European countries.
9to5mac.com
· 2026-10-07
Michael Smith, 54, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to running a seven-year scheme that used AI-generated songs and bot accounts to defraud streaming platforms. The Justice Department said Smith created thousands of fake accounts on services like Spotify and Apple Music using stolen identities and fraudulent debit cards, then used automation to stream hundreds of thousands of AI-generated tracks billions of times. In one month alone, April 2023, his fake songs reportedly generated 80.9 million streams, more than Taylor Swift's entire catalog during the same period.
arstechnica.com
· 2026-10-07
Spotify announced it is expanding audiobook access to more than 180 markets across Europe, the Americas, the Caribbean, the Middle East, Africa and Asia, starting the rollout immediately and continuing over coming months. The expansion gives over 750 million users access to more than 350,000 titles in over 120 languages, up from a previous footprint limited mostly to English-speaking countries and Germany.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-07
Michael Smith, 54, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to running a scheme that used AI-generated songs and thousands of bot accounts to fraudulently generate billions of streams on Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and YouTube Music between 2017 and 2024. Court documents say Smith worked with an AI music company's CEO and a music promoter, routing bot traffic through VPNs to dodge anti-fraud detection, and collected more than $10 million in royalties.
bleepingcomputer.com
· 2026-10-07
Spotify has broadened its Music Quiz feature beyond its initial BTS trial from March to cover more than 2,000 artists, available to Premium subscribers aged 18 and over. The quiz appears as a card under the Now Playing screen, offering Easy, Medium and Hard questions, a final score, and the ability to challenge friends. The rollout currently spans the US, UK, Australia, Canada, India, Indonesia, Ireland, New Zealand, Nigeria, Singapore and South Africa.
androidauthority.com
· 2026-10-06
Spotify has introduced a new mobile feature called Music Quiz, testing users on trivia, album art and audio clips tied to more than 2,000 artists including Bad Bunny, Bruno Mars and Charli xcx. The feature begins rolling out Tuesday in the US, UK, Canada, Australia and other markets, letting users share their scores with friends similar to Wordle.
cnet.com
· 2026-10-06
Spotify has expanded its Music Quiz feature, allowing Premium subscribers to test their knowledge across more than 2,000 artists through questions about music, album covers, and audio previews. The quizzes are accessible via the Now Playing view and are initially available in multiple countries, with plans to add more languages and artists later.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-06
Dynamic Lyrics, a third-party app, displays time-synced song lyrics on a car's infotainment screen via Apple CarPlay once linked to Apple Music or Spotify. Unlocking the feature permanently costs a one-time $9.99 fee, and users need iOS 26 to enable it on CarPlay.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-03
Neko Health, the Swedish preventative-health startup co-founded by Spotify's Daniel Ek and Hjalmar Nilsonne, has opened in New York after raising nearly $1 billion and amassing a global waitlist of over 300,000 people. The company charges $500 for a one-hour scan covering dozens of biomarkers, blood, skin and metabolic screening, which is not covered by insurance but may qualify under Health Savings Accounts.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-03
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