Spotify debuts new playlist, takes on Apple Music

Spotify has debuted a feature called the Daily Mix, offering tailored playlists for premium and free tiers.

It will be updated every 24 hours. Like Discover Weekly and Release Radar, it feature tracks selected by algorithm, of songs users will enjoy and which they might enjoy.

But unlike those features, Daily Mix is less about discovering new content and offering tracks that each listener will most enjoy. In fact, users can get up to six playlists a day, depending on the styles of music they like, and how wide their listening habits.

According to Spotify, “With Daily Mix, you will tune into a mix of the music you know and love, made fresh in continuously updated playlists. Whether you’re in the mood for dancing to upbeat tunes or relaxing with mellow hits, just select your mix and enjoy your most loved familiar tracks with new music peppered in.”

Although Daily Mix has launched, users who have not listened to any songs the past week might not get it just yet. It could be up to a two-week wait before it appears on the user’s library.

Spotify also promises that Daily Mix will become better at finding or recommending songs. Users have the option of either “banning” a song or “hearting” a song. This gives the company a better idea of their tastes.

This part of the growing engagement that Spotify is developing with its community. As its executives explain, it’s moved from being just a search engine to being more appealing as a service, which updates playlists for music lovers who don’t want to do it themselves.

Daily Mix is seen as a challenge to For You content on Apple Music, which is also updated daily and offers a selection of playlists and albums to choose from.

Spotify remains the world’s biggest on-demand music service with 40 million subscribers. But it would be worried about the rapid rise of Apple Music, which has notched up 17 million subscribers since its mid-2015 launch.