Spotify Launches Playlist Notes for User and Editor Picks

Spotify is rolling out Playlist Notes, a new feature that lets listeners add personal context to songs, podcast episodes and audiobooks included in their playlists.

The feature expands on User Notes, which Spotify introduced last month for individual tracks. Playlist Notes move those comments directly into playlists, giving creators a way to explain why an item was added, share a memory connected to it or recommend something to other listeners.

Spotify Playlist Notes add context to recommendations

To create a note, users can open a playlist they own or collaborate on in Spotify’s mobile app, tap the three-dot menu next to a song, podcast episode, or audiobook, and select “Add note.” Once saved, the note is visible to anyone who can access the playlist.

User-created Playlist Notes are rolling out on iOS and Android in more than 100 markets.

Spotify is also extending the feature to its editorial team. Editors can now attach notes explaining why particular tracks were selected for curated playlists, adding more context to recommendations that previously appeared without commentary from the people who chose them.

The feature will initially appear on several major Spotify playlists, including Today’s Top Hits, RapCaviar, Hot Country, All New Pop and Fresh Finds Hip-Hop.

Spotify introduces profiles for playlist editors.

Alongside editorial notes, Spotify is launching Editor Profiles. These pages show an editor’s top tracks and albums, as well as the Spotify playlists they help curate, giving listeners more information about the people behind the service’s editorial recommendations.

Editor Notes and Editor Profiles are initially available to free and Premium users ages 16 and older in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand.

The additions fit Spotify’s broader effort to make listening more personal and interactive without changing the core playlist experience. Instead of simply seeing which tracks someone selected, listeners can now understand some of the memories, recommendations or editorial reasoning behind those choices.

The rollout also gives Spotify another way to differentiate its service from streaming rivals, including Apple Music and YouTube Music, as competition increasingly extends beyond music catalogues to discovery, recommendations and social features.

The update comes after Spotify reported more than 300 million subscribers for the first time in its second-quarter results. The company also reported 777 million monthly active users.