Spotify releases update with welcomed interface changes
Today Spotify released an update for its desktop software, which brought a few welcome interface changes to the music streaming client’s interface.
The first change to the popular software was a removal of the “Favorites” list, which sat above the “Activity” updates on the right hand side of the application; the “Activity” column now takes up the entirety of that space. The new change is one of many that begin to make the client look a bit less cluttered.
The playlist section has also undergone a slight change: The header welcomes the addition of more rounded and smoothed out buttons, with quick access to either start a radio station based on the playlist or to share the current playlist with friends. In addition, the title of the playlist has been enlarged to a more suitable header size; the title was previously small and blended in easily with the playlist information.
The largest interface change is seen within the social sections of the application, including artist and user profiles. These sections are welcomed to a much brighter theme and pull away from Spotify’s previous emphasis on dark grey design. The pages are mostly bright white with some minor touches of very light grey. The new design makes the artist profile photo and green interface buttons truly “pop.”
Within the artist’s discography page, top songs are neatly kept at the top with albums listed below. In addition, you can now view artist albums in a list or grid format.
If you visit the profile and follow sections, you will notice an emphasis on following others – the music of others you follow will show up in your “Activity” list on the right hand side of the application.
It is well known that Spotify has not put as much emphasis on its interface design as its main competitor, Rdio. These changes to the Spotify interface are more than well-welcomed, and I personally hope to see more updates down the road. For now, great job on this update, Spotify Team!
What do you think – is Spotify on the right track to improve its interface design?
