TL;DR
The author stopped using Spotify as their primary streaming service but retained a Premium account because of several unique features. Standouts include cross-device control, an automatic offline playlist, granular taste controls, and two social listening tools.
What happened
The piece explains why the author continues to use Spotify even after switching primary services. They still access long-standing playlists and experiment with AI-generated lists, but say Spotify’s simplicity and select capabilities keep them as a paying user. The article highlights five features the author believes competitors fail to match: Spotify Connect for remote playback and control across devices; Offline Backup, which builds an automatic playlist from cached and recently played tracks when Offline Listening is enabled; the ability to exclude tracks or playlists from a personal taste profile; Spotify Jam, a shared, synchronous listening session that Premium users can host and invite others to join; and Blend, which produces a shared playlist reflecting multiple users’ tastes and updates daily. The author notes some limits — for example, hosting Jam requires a paid plan and some Connect controls require devices on the same Wi-Fi network.
Why it matters
- These features provide cross-device continuity and control that affect daily listening habits.
- Offline Backup offers a way to keep listening when connectivity drops without manual downloads.
- Taste controls let users refine recommendations without losing access to specific songs or playlists.
- Social tools (Jam and Blend) enable shared listening and collaborative curation across device types.
Key facts
- Spotify Connect lets users start playback on one device and control it from another using the same account.
- Remote playback control via Connect requires devices to be on the same Wi-Fi network.
- On iPhone, the device's physical volume buttons cannot adjust the volume for some Connect sessions, per the article.
- Offline Backup creates a playlist from cached and recently played tracks when Offline Listening is active; it updates automatically based on listening.
- Offline Backup requires a Premium subscription, Offline Listening to be enabled, and at least five songs listened to while online to populate the backup.
- Offline Backup is available on Android, iOS, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay and appears on the Home feed when the app detects no internet.
- Users can exclude individual tracks or entire playlists from their Spotify taste profile via the three-dot menu and can re-include them later.
- Spotify Jam allows a Premium user to host synchronous group listening; guests, including free users, can join. Hosts can invite nearby users via Bluetooth tap, QR code, or shareable link.
- Blend produces a shared playlist for up to 10 people, shows which member added each song, and refreshes daily; a similar YouTube Music feature (Taste Match) allows up to nine people.
What to watch next
- Whether Spotify will change the iPhone volume-button behavior for Connect sessions — not confirmed in the source.
- If Offline Backup will be expanded to non-Premium users or altered in its population rules — not confirmed in the source.
- Whether competing services will introduce direct equivalents to Jam or Blend and how that will affect cross-platform listening — not confirmed in the source.
Quick glossary
- Spotify Connect: A feature that lets a user control playback on one device from another device logged into the same Spotify account.
- Offline Backup: An automatic playlist created from cached and recently played tracks so users can continue listening when the app goes offline.
- Taste profile: Spotify’s model of a user’s musical preferences that informs personalized recommendations and curated playlists.
- Spotify Jam: A synchronous group-listening session where a host and invited participants hear the same music at the same time and can add to the queue.
- Blend: A collaborative playlist that merges the musical tastes of up to multiple users and updates periodically to reflect current preferences.
Reader FAQ
Do you need Spotify Premium to use these features?
Some features require Premium: Offline Backup requires a Premium subscription, and hosting a Spotify Jam requires a paid plan; other features may be usable by free users as guests.
How do I exclude a song from my taste profile?
Open the playing screen, tap the three-dot menu in the upper-right corner, and select 'Exclude track' from your taste profile; the action can be reversed with 'Include track.'
Can free users join a Jam session?
Yes — free users can join Jam sessions started by a Premium host, but they cannot host one themselves.
Will other apps copy these Spotify features?
not confirmed in the source
5 Spotify features no other music app gets right Credit: Lucas Gouveia / Android Police By Rahul Naskar Published 4 minutes ago Rahul Naskar has years of experience writing news and…
Sources
- 5 Spotify features no other music app gets right
- 5 New Spotify Features You Should Be Using Right Now
- 13 Top Spotify Features for 2026
- Spotify's Free Experience Is Even Better—Here's How to …
Related posts
- How I Escaped Google Photos’ 15GB Limit and Built a Local Photo Vault
- I quit ordering takeout after learning where delivery apps source meals
- Apple joins Plugfest to test Car Key interoperability with major automakers