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Spotify updating iOS app with neat touch preview and new swipe gestures

[youtube=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BriF9qxInAk]

Spotify has announced an update to its iOS app to add some very handy new features. You’ll be able to preview any song just by touching the track and holding your finger down. Tapping it then plays the full track.

The app is also getting two new swipe gestures designed to make it even easier to queue music and save tracks to My Music … 

Simply swipe right on a track to add it to your queue, and swipe left to add it to your My Music selection.

iTunes was still showing the previous version at the time of writing, but my app has already updated, so it should show up in iTunes shortly. Spotify says it is also exploring ways to bring similar functionality to its desktop apps.

Spotify revealed earlier this month that it now has 15 million paid subscribers, a 50% increase in just six months. Apple is of course preparing to launch its own streaming music service in the form of a rebranded version of Beats Music. It was reported last November that Apple is expected to bundle the Beats Music app into iOS at some point this year.

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Comments

  1. philboogie - 10 years ago

    I love Spotify. Can’t believe Apple hasn’t expanded Beats Music nor its Radio to more countries, though in their defence, it may not be up to them but government rulings on ‘what goes where’. Anyway, looking forward to this update, ‘sounds’ promising.

    • philboogie - 10 years ago

      edit: it’s already on my phone. Really takes some getting used to though

    • Gregory Wright - 10 years ago

      “though in their defence, it may not be up to them but government rulings on ‘what goes where’

      Or, it could be it takes time to move the company forward in that area. Apple acquired Beats in August 2014. Give it time.

  2. Mario Cunha - 10 years ago

    I hope they fix their app in order to play correctly with Apple CarPlay… at this moment just can’t use Spotify on my car :(

  3. dkmahone - 10 years ago

    I installed Spotify on my cousin’s iPhone at Christmas and got this feature back then. I was very jealous because I couldn’t activate it on my own Spotify. I guess they beta test new features on random customers.

    I’m constantly impressed with Spotify – they seem an open, data-driven company who consistently deliver an awesome product. Now if only they could lure Taylor Swift back…

  4. Rybo Colleran (@Rybo830) - 10 years ago

    Whats the name of the song at :13. thanks

  5. Rybo Colleran (@Rybo830) - 10 years ago

    What is the name of the song at the :13 mark?

  6. rogifan - 10 years ago

    Not seeing it yet on my iPhone 6.

  7. Jonny - 10 years ago

    I opened Spotify this morning and saw the “new features” in-app promo/guide but then when using the app none of those features were there. My App Store Updates panel does not show anything for Spotify. I force-quit Spotify and opened it again and now the new features are there but still no update in the App Store Updates panel. How is that possible? Can features like this be added without actually updating the app?

    • ummario - 10 years ago

      Similar happened to me…. I saw the notification inside the app, and after a restart could use the new features. It’s strange because also can’t see the update on the App Store, so was wondering how did they updated the app. I have iPhone 6 with 8.2 and also have premium Spotify account.

    • Sly (@SlyRogoz) - 10 years ago

      Restart Spotify app (double click on home button, switch off Spotify, open again)

      • Jonny - 10 years ago

        My question/observation is more about how these features get added without there being an update to the app or if there’s some weird delay in the App Store panel that lists the recently updated apps

  8. skarchmit - 10 years ago

    They broke the “my music” section

  9. Ricardo Garcia - 10 years ago

    Spotify should release an update in which the app could work in Landscape mode. Spotify as well as Pandora have failed, after 4 months of the release of the Iphone 6 plus, to enable their applications to work in Landscape mode.Rdio did it a long time ago and they just released an update which makes the Landscape mode look even better. You would expect more from two companies that charge about $10 a month for service to be up to date. I love my premium service with Spotify but they need to get going.

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Avatar for Ben Lovejoy Ben Lovejoy

Ben Lovejoy is a British technology writer and EU Editor for 9to5Mac. He’s known for his op-eds and diary pieces, exploring his experience of Apple products over time, for a more rounded review. He also writes fiction, with two technothriller novels, a couple of SF shorts and a rom-com!


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