8 Steps to Dramatically Enhance Your Spotify Experience

I remember when my friend and apartment-mate Ben first began using Spotify in college. Back then, we were still deep in the iTunes > iPod > occasional burnt CD paradigm, and the idea of a library you could pay for that allowed unlimited access to listen to, but not own, the world's music was radical. The fact that they were out of Sweden added to the mystique – ‘could this be legal?’

Now, a decade or so later, Spotify’s paradigm has completely changed the way we listen to music. It has revolutionized not only how we experience music but also how we discover it. It’s now incredibly easy to find and explore new artists and embark on deep and wide music journeys without ever taking your fingers off the keyboard. If we could somehow send a description of how we use and consume Spotify to 14-year-old me, that little iPod mini, CD-toting music nerd would 1) not believe you and 2) be so genuinely excited.

Most Spotify users sense it’s a massive app with numerous features. However, many consume it as is and don’t tweak it for their optimal experience. Below are my top ‘fixes’ for the most common issues people run into while using Spotify.

Top Spotify Fixes

Problem: Taste Profiles like Weekly Discovery Aren’t Giving Good Recommendations

I listen to a lot of Lofi and jazz while working or writing, which I love but don’t want to consider when Spotify recommends other music. Maybe you fall asleep to a playlist of ocean sounds and fan noise. Whatever is adversely affecting your Spotify recommendations, it can be frustrating to lose that avenue of music discovery. Luckily, there's an easy fix that worked for me. I began ‘excluding’ several of my heavily-in-rotation work playlists from my taste profile, and my Weekly Discovery playlist began improving immediately.

Solution: Remove a Playlist from Your Taste Profile

1. Go to the Playlist.
2. Click on the three dots (more options).
3. Select "Exclude from your taste profile"

Problem: Slow to Load or Inconsistent Playback

Solution: Download Playlists for Offline Mode

1. Go to the playlist you want to download.
2. Toggle the "Download" switch to save it for offline listening.
3. Ensure your device has enough storage space and a good internet connection for downloading.

Problem: Only One Person Can DJ at a Time

Solution: Use the Jams Feature to Collaborate Together

1. Open the Spotify app and start a session.
2. Tap on the "Devices Available" icon.
3. Select “Start a group session.”
4. Share the invite link with your friends.

Problem: Too Many Playlists and Saved Items Make It Hard to Find What You’re Looking For

Solution: Use Folders to Organize

1. On the desktop app, right-click on your playlists.
2. Select "Create Folder."
3. Drag and drop playlists into the folder for better organization.

Problem: Spotify Encourages Me to Only Listen to Singles or Individual Songs from Artists

Solution #1 : Save Entire Albums to play later.

1. Go to the artist's profile.
2. Click on the album you want to save. Select '+ Add to playlist' and then select '+ New Playlist' to save the album.
   1. You can skip this step and instead "Save" the contents to your library as a whole, but I find that to be messy.

Solution #2 : Listen to Spotify's pre-made playlist curated for the artist

1. Go to the artist's profile.
2. Scroll down past 'Discography' to the 'Featured' section.
3. Select and save the "This Is [Artist’s Name]" playlist which is a great introduction to the artists works past the songs you currently know.

Bonus Suggestion: Create an 'Album Collection' in Spotify

To piggyback on the last two suggestions, I've created a folder in Spotify called 'My Album Collection,' which consists entirely of playlists I've made that each contain an individual album I want on my 'shelf' at all times. This sets the intention that I want to experience the entire album and makes it easy to find the handful of records I'm working my way through right now!

Problem: I Can’t Find Anything While Searching

Solution: Construct Better Searches

1. Use Search Modifiers to narrow down results.
   • Example: Type an artist's name followed by year:2010–2014 to find songs released in that period.
2. Other modifiers include genre:, label:, and isrc: (International Standard Recording Code).

Problem: Playing Spotify on Headphones Doesn’t Always Sound Right

Solution: Adjust Audio Settings

1. Set Quiet, Normal, or Loud Settings
   • Go to Settings > Playback.
   • Choose between Quiet, Normal, or Loud.
2. Set Audio Quality
   • Go to Settings > Audio Quality.
   • Select your preferred quality for both streaming and downloads.
   • More details can be found here.

Problem: Streaming Services Don’t Pay Artists Enough

Solution: Support Artists Directly

1. Visit their website or Bandcamp to buy physical copies of their albums or merch.
2. Attend their concerts when they come to your town.
3. Are you and artist or know more about this topic, please send me a note and I'd love to hear additional suggestions for individual action for addressing this problem.

By implementing these fixes, you can enhance your Spotify experience and tailor it to your preferences. Dive deeper into the music world and enjoy a more personalized and efficient journey through your favorite tunes.

Let me know if you find any fire tracks - I want to hear them! 🔥