Popular music streaming service Spotify is loved by users for its personalised playlists and end of year Spotify Wrapped feature but one new change hasn't wowed fans.
At the Los Angeles Stream On event, Spotify unveiled a significant redesign of the app which puts a feed function on users' homepages where they can scroll to discover new music, podcasts and books.
This feed has been compared to video app TikTok as it will feature clips of music videos and podcasts where available that will autoplay for anyone scrolling.
As the update hits their devices, users have begun to complain online at the interface accusing the app of "trying to be TikTok".
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During the Stream On event, Spotify chief product officer, Gustav Söderström, said: "Our goal is not to steal time, it is to help users save time."
He explained that this change should help musicians, podcasters and other creators get discovered more easily and help users "discover content that drives deep, meaningful, and long-lasting engagement".
This new feature can be found by clicking on 'music' or 'podcasts and shows' on your homepage and scrolling. It's thought this will help users find new music, as there have been longstanding complaints that the app is too cluttered to find anything easily.
Having the discovery videos also offers Spotify a new place to house adverts for those who don't pay for premium, which until now have mainly been audio driven.
However, on initial launch it seems users are not enjoying this home page revamp, as one said: "I don't need video clips 'and other stuff' - I just want a nice clean main tab where I can find the playlists that I've chosen, easily. Especially when I'm paying for a subscription."
Another added: "I spend as little time in the Spotify app as humanly possible, and I like it that way. Trying to think of ways that might get me to spend more money in the app (I'm sure that's the goal), there aren't many options."
"Can Spotify stop nobody wants any of these updates," lamented a third user while some else added: "New Spotify update is god awful why are you trying to be Tiktok! I just want to find the albums I listen to often, easy."
Many said they close the app after choosing their playlist so this feature would be of minimal use to them, while others suggested Spotify simply put these videos into their pre-existing Discover Weekly playlists.
One user said: "Why can't services remain focused on whatever they do best?", a common complaint levied at Instagram's constant updates.
Discovery pages are not unusual with Instagram and Twitter having dedicated sections for finding new people to follow. Twitter has used TikTok's model of 'following' and 'for you' to expand what users see beyond their followed lists.
TikTok's For You Page has been phenomenally successful so it's no surprise other developers are following suit. However, for Spotify, which already has discovery built-in, fans are seeing this as a misstep trying to force them to spend more time on the app.
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