Spotify experienced an issue, as we saw a massive spike in Downdetector reports — it peaked at close to 5,000 reports.

The streaming service did acknowledge the outage at around 11:05 a.m. ET on its Spotify Status X account.

Spotify outage — what happened

The 'Spotify is down' reports roll in

We're seeing around 2,700 reports on Downdetector as of this post, which is generally a strong sign that something is wrong (really, anything over 1,000 is a strong sign that something is broken).

We'll keep you posted as the number of reports goes up or down, but for the time being, if you're having an issue with Spotify, just know that you're not alone.

Waiting for Spotify status

Spotify usually posts on its Spotify Cares X account when an outage occurs, but so far, a few people have reached out and received generic messages asking them to DM the account for solutions.

As always, we'll continue to monitor that account and any other Spotify channels for any official word from the company about what's happening with its streaming service.

Downdetector reports still going up

A clear indication that this outage is legitimate is that the Downdetector reports are still going up.

A lot quick outages end up seeing a spike in report and then a sharp decline, but Spotify's outage keeps trending up, now sitting at just under 3,900 as of this post.

Spotify Status

The Spotify Status X account hasn't posted anything new since May 12, so we're still left in the cold for anything official regarding the ongoing Spotify outage.

Rapidly approaching 5,000 reports

Spotify is rapidly approaching 5,000 reports on Downdetector, currently sitting at more than 4,900. In fact, by the time you see this, it will probably have crossed the 5,000 report threshold.

We're looking into what exactly is happening and will provide updates as we learn more, including any official work from Spotify.

Users are stressing

For those dealing with the Spotify issues, things aren't ideal. As seen in the Downdetector comments section screenshot above, users are having issues with music not playing on Spotify and it's causing lots of emotion. People rely on music and podcasts for all kinds of things, so not having access is definitely upsetting.

Of course, you can always refer to our best music streaming services guide to help you find something else to listen to until Spotify comes back.

Where is the outage?

The Downdetector outage map doesn't tell us much, as there doesn't seem to be a clear hotspot in the reports.

Major cities like New York, Chicago and Los Angeles seem to have more reports than rural areas, but that's likely just because more users are in those cities.

Is it coming to an end?

We're seeing our first steep decline in Downdetector reports for Spotify, which could mean it's coming to a close. We'll keep watching, as thing can change quickly with outages like these.

Spotify finally acknowledges the outage

I reached out to Spotify for comment, and the company emailed me back referencing its Spotify Status X account, which has finally posted about the outage.

Unfortunately, it didn't say much, just posting, "We’re aware of some issues right now with the app and are checking them out!"

While it doesn't give a clear indication of when things will return to normal, at least music lovers can rest easy knowing Spotify is working on the problem!

A massive drop

We just saw a massive drop in the number of Spotify reports. It's sitting at around 400 reports right now, which is a far cry from the 4,800 at which it peaked.

Does that mean the outage is over? Not necessarily, but it's a good sign that most people are able to use Spotify again, which is, of course, good news!

As a carefree college student with plenty of time to kill after classes and before marching band duties, I prided myself on staying on top of all the new music that came out every day.

It wasn’t that hard for me to stay in the know, since there was an abundance of blogs showcasing new artists, and my dorm mates were generous with their musical recommendations. Even after I graduated from my alma mater, I stayed in all types of musical circles that never let me fall behind whenever a new song by a popular or emerging artist started gaining popularity.

Now, as a man in his late 30s whose time is occupied by work and tons of other personal responsibilities, it’s gotten hard for me to follow all the newest releases from my favorite musical genres. Streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music, do a great job of exposing me to fresh artists, but I’ve had one too many instances of being disappointed by their biggest songs.

I figured ChatGPT would make for a great musical tastemaker and lead me to the promised land of new tunes. That trick definitely did the job, as it exposed me to the best sources for brand-new songs and songs I never knew about beforehand.

Freshening up my playlists for the summer and beyond

I put ChatGPT to work when I presented it with this prompt: “Recommend the best ways to stay informed about emerging artists and new songs from the following musical genres: hip-hop/rap, R&B, metal, J-Pop, and K-Pop. Give me sites and YouTube channels that can help me out as well.”

The chatbot stepped up to develop a new music curation system that combines genre-specific media outlets, discovery-focused YouTube channels and curated playlists/charts.

ChatGPT then laid out a bunch of trustworthy sites and YouTube channels for each genre that have the sole intent of putting me onto a wealth of recently released songs from legacy acts and emerging artists. I ended up leaving with one site and YT channel for each genre, as you can see below:

• Hip-Hop/Rap: Raptology and gentR
• R&B: Rated R&B and Stereohearts R&B
• Metal: Metal Injection and Nuclear Blast Records
• J-Pop: Billboard Japan Hot 100 and RICECAKEProd
• K-Pop: Billboard Japan Hot 100 and K-Ville Entertainment

Alongside those reliable sources, ChatGPT also mentioned the likes of Groover Charts, COLORSxSTUDIOS, THE FIRST TAKE, STUDIO CHOOM and Pitchfork as additional gateways to new artists and music. With my new music discovery system in place, I had an easier way to find something new to jam to during my daily walks to the train station for work.

Here are 10 of the latest songs that made my playlist thanks to ChatGPT’s dependable music curating process:

• “Day In The Sun (Gettin’ wit U)” by De La Soul
• “Pop This Heat” by JPEGMAFIA
• “Paegant Stage” by Tone Stith
• “G.Y.A.M.L. (My Love) by Glenn Lewis
• “Erased” by SYLOSIS
• “GHOST TOWN” by SPACE OF VARIATIONS
• “LUCID DREAM” by IVE
• “Bubble” by Yorushika
• “TNT” by Cortis
• “Summer’s Not Over” by Tiffany Young

Final thoughts

After realizing I was listening to the same five to 10 tracks on repeat, I made a conscious effort to use ChatGPT as my digital music curator. The AI tool helped point me toward new artists, playlists, websites and YouTube channels that regularly cover the genres I already love.

Now, taking a walk through the city with an updated playlist has become one of the parts of my day I look forward to most.

Music has always been the lifeblood of my life, and discovering fresh tracks again has made it feel exciting in a way I didn’t realize I was missing.

More from Tom’s Guide

• I use Gemini every day — these are the 7 features most people overlook
• I use these 5 prompts to stop AI from giving me lazy answers — the difference is huge
• I use ChatGPT every day — but Gemini and Claude keep beating it in these key areas

Spotify is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month, which you can see in the current disco ball-themed logo. But also, the music streaming service is releasing new features that offer more control, better offline listening, and easier playlist editing.

In an announcement post, Spotify says the behind-the-scenes updates make the app more reliable and easier to use. Three of the updates are only available for Premium subscribers, but one is rolling out globally for everyone.

Here's how they work and what they do for your listening experience.

Playlist organization and curation

Starting now, you can organize your playlists into playlist folders right from your phone. The feature already exists for the desktop app but it's finally coming to mobile versions.

You can group your playlists by mood, activity or genre. This feature is available to everyone.

The second playlist feature allows you to use in-playlist bulk actions to edit and reorganize multiple tracks, books or podcast episodes at the same time. This feature is rolling out to everyone globally too.

Premium users are also getting the ability to select and manage multiple songs in your play queue at the same time. This feature has been missing for a couple years, but it's back now.

Queue reshuffle

Speaking of your play queue there is a new reshuffle button that will mix up the order of your queue shuffle. Spotify describes it as a fresh way to set a different pace or hear something new from the music you're playing. It means you don't have to toggle shuffle off or on.

This feature is only for Premium users on mobile and is currently rolling out.

Improved offline listening

Spotify says its made offline listening "more dependable" with the introduction of background downloads on iOS. Even if you close the app, music and podcasts will continue downloading.

It will provide notifications showing their progress. This feature is only for Premium users and is rolling out now.

Spotify hasn't said when this feature will be available for Android users.

More from Tom's Guide

• These are the 6 best soundbars we've tested to boost your home audio
• I tested LG’s first FlexConnect soundbar for 3 months — this could be the future of surround sound
• I’ve been testing these audiophile headphones and they’ve let me hear my favorite music in detail like never before

I’ve lived on this planet for 37 years, and thus far, I’ve attended a bunch of memorable summer get-togethers.

Pulling up to someone’s backyard and being treated to the best combination of food, music, drinks and people is a regular occurrence in my life once the weather permits everyone to party outside for hours. Now that the 3-day Memorial Day weekend has come around once again, I’m looking forward to helping my friend set up their very first BBQ for one of America’s favorite annual traditions.

I know the basics when it comes to putting together a memorable Memorial Day backyard cookout — the grill has to work overtime to provide the food everyone’s going to eat, the coolers have to be filled with all manner of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages and the music has to hit.

Even though I have that standard BBQ planning know-how to work from, I still needed some assistance in making sure my planning would satisfy my friend’s requirements for his Memorial Day weekend gathering. With the aid of ChatGPT, I came away with the perfect BBQ schedule, playlist and menu for this year’s festivities.

Early to mid-afternoon preparations

Even though Memorial Day officially falls on Monday, it’s way better for most folks to indulge in the BBQ celebrations on either day of the holiday weekend. After making my request to ChatGPT for the ultimate Memorial Day weekend schedule, playlist and menu, it came back with a nice start to the early afternoon:

• 1 pm — Setup & chill arrival vibes: Make sure the ice coolers are filled, the lawn games are out, the burgers are prepped and the playlist starts smooth. Serve a fresh fruit platter, chips + guac, pasta salad, lemonade and iced tea first. Your playlist should include “Location” by Khalid, “Lovin on Me” by Jack Harlow, “Saturn” by SZA and “Feels Like Summer” by Childish Gambino.

From 12:30 pm until 2:30 pm, ChatGPT laid out the ultimate BBQ menu for attendees spread out across three mandatory categories:

• Grill essentials: Smash burgers, BBQ chicken wings/drumsticks/thighs, BBQ ribs, hot dogs/sausages and honey jerk shrimp skewers.
• Elite side dishes: Mac & cheese, baked beans, corn on the cob, potato salad, watermelon feta salad and Hawaiian rolls.
• Sauce bar: Classic BBQ, honey BBQ, Alabama white sauce, chipotle ranch and garlic aioli.

With a solid menu now in place, the chatbot went on to suggest a list of 13 songs that make a great fit for the afternoon vibe:

• “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar
• “FE!N” by Travis Scott
• “TEXAS HOLD 'EM” by Beyoncé
• “Paint The Town Red” BY Doja Cat
• “So Fresh, So Clean” by Outkast
• “September” by Earth, Wind & Fire
• “Hot In Herre” by Nelly
• “Yeah!” by Usher feat. Lil’ Jon and Ludacris
• “Get Low” by Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz feat. Ying Yang Twins
• “Summer” by Calvin Harris
• “Summertime” by DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince
• “Pon de Replay” by Rihanna

Late afternoon to evening escapades

With the daytime fun for the BBQ coming into focus, the chatbot went on to assemble the perfect assortment of drinks, dessert and songs that keep the party going until it comes to a satisfying end:

• Drinks: Frozen margaritas, rum punch, strawberry mojitos, watermelon sangria and Arnold Palmer spiked half & half (iced tea & lemonade).
• Dessert: Banana pudding, peach cobbler and ice cream sandwiches.
• Playlist: “Hold On, We’re Going Home” by Drake, “Buy You A Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” by T-Pain feat. Yung Joc, “Unbreakable” by Alicia Keys, “Good Life” by Kanye West feat. T-Pain and “Between the Sheets” by The Isley Brothers and “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers.

The takeaway

With every part of the Memorial Day weekend BBQ mapped out by ChatGPT, I took note of its best suggestions, added a few songs to the playlist it created and included some extra food and drink options based on what my friend told me about his guests’ preferences.

By combining my own experience hosting a crowd with ChatGPT’s recommendations, I now have a go-to Memorial Day weekend BBQ routine I can reuse and refine every year.

More from Tom’s Guide

• I used ChatGPT to build the ultimate 2026 summer bucket list and it totally nailed my vibe
• 7 easy ways to use AI to plan your entire 2026 road trip in minutes
• I asked ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude what Moms really want for Mother’s Day — here's the best advice they gave

It's been 20 years since Spotify first graced our phone screens, and the music streaming app has come leaps and bounds since.

The brand celebrated its 20th anniversary just over a week ago, and as a 'thank you for listening,' it dropped a free gift for those on Premium and Free plans. Your Party of the Year(s) popped up on our phones and we were able to see stats even Spotify Wrapped didn't reveal. From your first song to the total minutes listened since you opened your account, Spotify's free update was full of surprises.

Not all pleasant surprises, of course, because imagine my surprise when I found out that the first song I'd listened to on Spotify, back in 2018, was 'Love the Way You Lie' by Eminem and Rihanna... and I haven't played it on Spotify since then. Alongside some retro-fuelled graphics which some may argue were better than Spotify Wrapped's, Spotify also created a 'Your All-Time Top Songs' playlist for users to enjoy.

I've been going through the playlist for the past week and it has surprised me in more ways than one. It's provided more insight into my listening history and patterns than Spotify Wrapped has ever managed to do. So, join me as I dissect my top songs of all time, and share what surprised me most (and what didn't).

How does it work?

First things first, how does Spotify's 20th anniversary gift work? All you need to do is open the app on either desktop or mobile, and there should be a 'Your Party of the Year(s)' banner that you can click on. If that doesn't work, you can go to the website and access it. Easy to do!

Spotify will then give you a few graphics, akin to the ones featured in the annual Spotify Wrapped, and it will even quiz you on which song you think you played first. I, incorrectly, guessed mine was 'Another Brick in the Wall' by Pink Floyd. Turns out it was that Eminem track. My partner and coworkers guessed theirs incorrectly, too, so you may be in for a surprise.

Once the graphics have finished doing their thing, Spotify will ask if you want to check out a curated 'Your All-Time Top Songs' playlist and save it to your library. This playlist gives you the exact number of plays for, well, your top songs of all time. It's definitely worth going through the list. Some songs may shock you.

What I suspected is, in fact, true

If there's one thing you need to know about me, it's that I can be a bit obsessive. If I like a piece of media — like, really like it — I will consume it incessantly. It could be a video game (Baldur's Gate 3 and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 in my case), or a TV show (Agatha All Along for me), but whatever it is I won't let it go. And clearly, those interests show up in my listening activity, too, and that's something I'm very aware of. Yes, even if they aren't really related to music, per se.

Well, Spotify's 'Your All-Time Top Songs' playlist only further confirmed it. I will obsessively listen to songs — be it from TV shows and video games, or parodies. Take a look at the screenshots above and you'll see what I mean. You're telling me I listened to 'The Ballad of the Witches' Road' from Agatha All Along 398 times?! Followed by 'The Chosen,' a Baldur's Gate 3 parody by Space Bards 249 times? That's... a lot of listens. You know what else I've listened to a lot of? The entirety of the Expedition 33 soundtrack. That one wasn't surprising, though, as the game only came out last year.

I know these aren't isolated instances either. For instance, right at this moment, I'm obsessed with 'FA9LA' and 'Lutt Le Gaya,' from the Bollywood movie Dhurandhar. I doubt it'll be long before this song creeps into this playlist — if Spotify updates it regularly, like the automated 'On Repeat' one, but this remains to be seen.

Old loves and new alike

In addition to helping me understand my listening patterns better, Spotify's 'Your All-Time Top Songs' has done something else: it's reignited my love for songs I used to love way, way back when. And the number of songs and artists I used to obsess over but have forgotten about since really surprised me.

Take Mitski, as an example. Mitski writes lots of sad songs, and I don't like listening to sad songs. I'm all about whimsy (when I'm not having an existential crisis over what Pink Floyd sang in 'Echoes' and the like). I know my music taste is quite varied, though, but imagine my surprise when Mitski's 'First Love/Late Spring' showed up as my second-most listened to song — and the rest of the playlist features many other songs by her, too.

I consider myself a deep thinker, and someone who will overanalyze everything, and I couldn't help but look back to when I was a huge Mitski fan (which was, in the end, a passing phase) or when I was in love with, say, 'Sea Shanty Medley' by Home Free. I was in different phases of my life back then — be that heartbreak, struggle, or joy. Not to get too deep about it, but Spotify's playlist reminds me of how far I've come, and how I've overcome sadness that hung over me like a dark cloud.

That's one of the reasons why I think 'Your All-Time Top Songs' is much, much better than the 2025 iteration of Spotify Wrapped. Sure, Wrapped is fun and it's something users look forward to every December, because it gives them a yearly recap of their listening activity.

But Wrapped is an annual event, and Spotify dropping its latest playlist on a random Wednesday has gone down a treat in my friends circle. Combine that with its 'Listening Stats' which give you an insight into your week's activity and you've got yourself an insightful, winning formula. I want Spotify to do more things like this. Rekindle my love for obscure tracks I've forgotten about. Show me how I've changed. And keep 'em coming.

More from Tom's Guide

• Spotify Lossless is the best thing to happen to my phone — here's why I love it so much
• Spotify Free vs. Premium: Should you pay to play?
• I’ve waited 15 years for this: Spotify is finally fixing this major mobile playlist headache

Spotify revealed a new "Reserved" feature today (May 21) that could help superfans see their favorite musicians more easily. As the name implies, the new feature sets aside tickets for premium subscribers so they have a better chance of purchasing them.

The new feature is for eligible Spotify Premium subscribers via a partnership with Live Nation.

"Getting concert tickets today can feel like a race you’re set up to lose," Spotify wrote in an announcement post. "You show up at the right time, refresh endlessly, and still miss out. Too often, the experience is stressful, unpredictable, and disconnected from what should matter most: whether real fans actually get tickets."

Reserved launches later this summer for "select artists" in the United States, though Spotify promises it will come to other regions later.

Spotify says this is meant to get tickets in fans' hands and not scalpers.

Here's how reserved works

Spotify says that it will use data like streams, shares, and "other Spotify activities" to identify an artist's "most dedicated fans." Then it will hold two tour tickets for these people.

You do need to be a Spotify Premium subscriber, but once selected, you'll have a day-long window to purchase the ticket.

"There will be significantly more superfans than there are seats available on a tour, so not every fan will receive an offer.” The press release also specified that ticket reservations will be based on where you're located, so you'll need to enable preferred locations in the Live Events Feed. You'll want to turn on notifications.

If a tour isn't coming to your area, you may not receive an offer. If you do receive one, though, you can purchase tickets for any show on the tour.

Price and availability will vary by show.

Other Spotify announcements

Reserved was announced as part of Spotify's Investor Day, where the company revealed several other features.

A new standalone desktop called Studio by Spotify Labs is coming soon, which will allow you to create personalized podcasts, playlists, and more based on personal tastes. It's AI-powered and can walk you through your day if you want.

Additionally, Spotify and Universal Music Group (UMG) announced a new licensing agreement that would allow subscribers to make AI covers and remixes of select participating artists from UMG's lineup.

More from Tom's Guide

• The Invincible Season 4 finale left me wanting more, so I’m using Spotify’s official TV & Film playlists to relive the action
• I found 3 hidden Spotify features that completely changed how I listen to music
• I ditched Spotify for Deezer — here's why (and how it went)

After finishing season four of "Invincible", I was reminded that part of what makes a TV show or movie so memorable is the soundtrack behind it. I challenge you to think of the best movies of all time. They all have an iconic song to go with it, right?

"Saltburn" has Murder On The Dancefloor by Sophie Ellis-Bextor, "Armageddon" gave us I Don't Wanna Miss A Thing by Aerosmith, and just this month, Go by the Chemical Brothers is having its viral moment after featuring in the movie "Apex".

I always find myself leaving the movie theatre and rushing to add new songs to my playlists. But when I'm watching a TV series, that's a whole other thing because there are so many more songs. There are some shows that give us banger after banger. Take "Smallville", for example. Every popular song of the 2000s features in that show and, in turn, made a mark on a generation. So I'm turning to Spotify to relive shows with music.

Where Spotify comes in handy

Recently, I binge-watched the entirety of "Invincible". This show is full to the brim with action and leaves its mark on your memory long after you step away from the screen. But in my opinion, it's made ten times better by the soundtrack.

If I had tried to add all of the songs from all four seasons of "Invincible" to a playlist, I would have been there for hours because there are a lot of songs. But Spotify has a TV & Film hub where you can find the soundtracks to a bunch of your favorite TV shows.

You can find this feature by searching "TV & Films" in your Spotify search bar, and the hub will appear. You will then see official soundtracks for your favorite TV shows and movies from Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. And trust me, there's something for everyone in here.

There's a section for New on Netflix, which has playlists for "Stranger Things: Tales From '85", "Something Very Bad Is Going To Happen" and "People We Meet on Vacation" — all awesome watches with killer soundtracks. Everything's already organized for me, no playlist-making required. All I had to do was hit play.

Why this makes Invincible so good

But back to the reason I was so excited about this Spotify feature — "Invincible". I had serious binge-watch blues after finishing the latest season of this show. And if you haven't experienced this before, I envy you. I became so wrapped up in the world that when I watched the last episode, I was immediately searching for when season five would be released. 2027. Great.

So I need something to bridge the gap.

The official Spotify playlist has been on repeat ever since. And while it's not the same as watching the show, there are five hours and 14 minutes of songs on there that can keep my mind occupied. Songs that remind me of Invincible's first steps to becoming a superhero, the first introduction to the dreaded Viltrumites, and even the deaths of my favorite characters.

There is so much action jammed into this series, and the way music is tied into everything is extremely clever. It's a joy to watch and listen to.

Let's get talking

The thing I love the most about the show having such a great soundtrack, is that it gets the fandom talking. I've seen countless videos on social media rating the best tracks from the show, and it's great to see a discourse around it.

Whether you're a casual viewer of the show or a total die-hard fan, the music in the show has drawn people together from episode to episode.

I'm excited to reminisce on other TV shows and movies, so which soundtrack will you be listening to first?

More from Tom's Guide

• 3 best new to Netflix shows you should binge-watch this weekend (May 15-17)
• Digital fatigue is showing up in our music consumption — and Gen Z is ditching streaming for vinyl crackle
• YouTube is hiding a gold mine of free movies — here are 5 you shouldn't miss

As a native New Yorker, I’ve been fooled by the weather one too many times over the past few months.

One day it’s sunny and pushing into the 70s, giving me hope that summer has finally arrived. The next morning, I’m back in a sweater and jacket wondering what happened.

But now that summer is finally getting closer, I’ve started thinking about one thing: planning the perfect road trip.

I use AI tools every day for everything from shopping advice to productivity hacks, so naturally I turned to chatbots to help plan my summer travel, too. And honestly, some of the results were surprisingly useful.

From building itineraries to finding affordable stops and organizing travel logistics, these are the best ways to use AI before you hit the road this summer.

Creating an itinerary

Before even pulling out of the driveway for that dream road trip, it’s definitely worth checking in your preferred AI tool to plan out your future summer getaway.

Popular AI tools (ChatGPT, Gemini Canvas in Google Gemini, Claude, etc.) and even the ones specifically built to arrange trips (Layla, Mindtrip, iMeanAI, etc.) are equally efficient at putting you on the right path towards the best destinations during your travels.

This list of prompts can come in handy whenever you’re interacting with chatbots when you’re looking to be led to the best locales to stop off at during your dream road trip:

• Plan a [number of days] summer road trip from [location] to [location] focused on seafood, beaches, bookstores, and scenic coastal towns. Keep the driving under [number of hours] per day.
• Find underrated summer road trip stops between [location] and [location] that feel cinematic, nostalgic, and uncrowded.
• What’s the best last-minute stop between [location] and [location] if I want to avoid tourist-heavy places?
• Find fun indoor activities near me because it’s raining.

I even asked ChatGPT to come up with an all-in-one prompt that covers every request possible when you’re requesting its aid during your road trip research and planning:

Act like an elite road trip planner, travel hacker, local guide, and budget travel expert.

Help me plan the perfect summer road trip based on my preferences.

Ask me questions one at a time about: My starting location, budget, trip length, travel style, food preferences, interests, music taste, scenic vs. fast routes, hotel vs. camping preferences and who I’m traveling with. Then create a complete itinerary, driving schedule, budget breakdown, packing list, food reccomendations, hidden gems, scenic stops and backup rain plans. Then, optimize everything for fun, efficiency, low stress, and memorable experiences.

Building a road trip playlist, finding cheap gas and more

Once you’ve gotten the most important step out of the way when planning your summer road trip with the assistance of a chatbot, it’s time to move on to the next steps that will make your experience that much more lively:

• Using the voice chat option in Google Maps to locate the cheapest options to buy gas.
• Building the perfect music playlists for your open road journey with the ChatGPT-enabled Apple Music app and the Claude-powered Spotify “Connector. Spotify also has an app within ChatGPT, by the way.
• If you’re going on a solo road trip and are more interested in vibing out to narratives over music, you can get audiobook recommendations from Audible from right inside Claude.
• You’re going to get the munchies during your time out on the road, of course. In this case, using the Resy Connector inside Claude to find the top spots to grub at during your road trip is worth a try.
• ChatGPT also has access to apps for Expedia and TripAdvisor, which come in handy whenever you’re looking to book a top-rated hotel during your road trip if you’re planning to stay at one.
• Chances are high that you’ll be looking to attend a sporting event or concert during your road travels. ChatGPT apps such as Ticketmaster, SeatGeek and StubHub are reliable enough to find your best prices and seats for those events.

Bottom line

I’m sure most of you reading this right now are staring at your suitcases and muttering to yourself, “soon…”

Heading out on the road with your best friends or enjoying that road trip getaway with your family or even alone, starts to look and sound that much more delightful for folks like me who reside in states that stay colder a lot longer than it remains warmer. When the time finally arrives for you and anyone who wants to come along to take advantage of that PTO you’ve been saving up for so long, spend some time with AI to help you build the perfect road trip itinerary.

Hopefully, my tips will give you all the best ways to make your dreams of hitting the open road for an unforgettable road trip a reality.

More from Tom’s Guide

• I asked Google Maps to find the cheapest gas — this hidden feature nailed it
• I used Canvas in Gemini to plan a trip — and it found free activities I didn’t expect
• I let Resy in Claude pick new restaurants for me to try — and the results were surprising

Spotify suddenly received an influx of reports on the outage tracking site Downdetector around 10:20 am Pacific.

The company actually acknowledged something was happening on X before reports started hitting Downdetector.

"We’re aware of some issues right now with the app and are checking them out!" the post read.

Spotify's problems lasted for more than four hours without any updates from Spotify after the company's initial Twitter post.

Users said that they can't access the app or are having problems logging in. I have seen some people say they can get in, but their music crashes or they're unable to search.

The company finally gave the all-clear in a post around 2 p.m. Pacific. Though we did see some isolated reports of people unable to login and one person who claimed Spotify disappeared from their app store.

Spotify did not provide any information on why the service went down today.

Spotify is down — live outage updates

Sudden spike

There was a brief rise in reports around 9:30 am Pacific but only around 100. However, starting around 10:20 am, a sudden influx of nearly 2,000 reports hit Down Detector.

It appears the outage is global with comments indicating the music streamer is down in Colombia, Spain and North Macedonia.

Spotify is aware

Before reports started flooding Downdetector, Spotify was already aware, a rarity when it comes to outages.

The company posted on X that it was investigating issues.

"We’re aware of some issues right now with the app and are checking them out!"

Status page tells a different story

This page is allegedly the official Spotify status page but according to this page there is nothing wrong and all systems are operational.

I'm taking this one with a grain of salt since it shows no incidents going back two years, which is 1000% not true.

What's happening?

Based on comments I'm seeing on StatusGator, Downdetector and Twitter the most common complaint is that the app won't load at all.

Other people have said that they can't search or login into the service.

Reportedly this is the message one user said they received, ""This page got tripped up. There was an error and we couldn't load the page. You could try refreshing, or go back.

If all else fails, why not go for a dance and come back later?"

Over 15,000 reports

On Downdetector, reports just hit just over 15,000 reports.

Currently, the outage tracker is showing 15,415 for Spotify.

The outage does appear global and the outage map on DD is showing hotspots in just about every major city across the United States.

"Under investigation"

Spotify has a Community board called "Ongoing Issues" where the current outage is listed as "under investigation."

The most recent post from a moderator was an hour ago though and I'm not seeing anything new since then in the board or the Twitter account.

Reports going down but no apparent changes

As far as I can tell, nothing has changed but reports have dropped by nearly 10,000 on Down Detector.

However, you can tell that an outage is still kicking because the comments section there devolves into strange Twitter-esque insanity.

Spotify has not announced that any fixes have been applied.

No updates from Spotify

After the initial post acknowledging the outage, Spotify has remained quiet.

Meanwhile, reports have stabilized around 4,400 on Down Detector. And even the outage tracking site Status Gator is showing a potential recovery, though I am seeing tons of comments saying the app isn't loading posted mere minutes ago.

Spotify is still down

Unfortunately, I can't give you any updates for Spotify. The status pages haven't updated in over two hours and reports have leveled out with the same complaints.

Spotify alternatives

Welp, no updates from Spotify and it appears to still be down.

If you're frustrated and waiting why not check out our picks for the best music streaming services?

Why not give Apple Music, Deezer, or Tidal a try? For audiophiles, you could always try Qobuz, which provides high-quality versions of songs.

Are you having issues?

With no new updates available, are you having issues with your Spotify app or acccount?

Let us know in the comments.

Speculation: Did Spotify break the app?

Earlier today, Spotify revealed its new Spotify 20: Your Party of the Year(s) feature, which is like Spotify Wrapped but for your entire Spotify listening history.

It's supposed to share your first day on Spotify, total number of unique songs, your first streamed song, most streamed artist and more.

I've tried accessing the feature throughout the day and never got past the opening screen, which just shows a spinning buffer wheel.

It's possible the launch of this new feature scrambled Spotify's servers, causing the outage, though I obviously can't say for sure if that's the cause.

Downdetector reports finally dropping

We're finally seeing a significant drop in Downdetector reports. What peaked at almost 17,000 is now down to 1,400. While that number certainly doesn't mean the outage is over, it does mean we're moving in the right direction where things could be resolved in the relatively near future.

Spotify gives the all clear

I'm still seeing isolated reports of people unable to login but for the most part it seems things are back to normal.

The Spotify Status Twitter account just gave the all clear, the first update from the streamer in over four hours.

There was something going on with Spotify, but it was short lived. The popular music and podcast streaming service wasn't working as expected, with thousands of users flocking to Downdetector to report problems, but the reports dropped off quickly.

For its part, Spotify never acknowledged the issue. The company's SpotifyCares X account is telling users to restart the app, but it never said there was a widespread issue.

Spotify outage — Live updates

The reports roll in

The reports started rolling in quickly, with more than 4,000 reports popping in on Downdetector. This is a lot of reports, so we're quite confident that something is wrong with Spotify, though we're digging through X and other networks to learn more about which platforms are having the most issues.

Leveling off?

The outage could be leveling off, as we're seeing the reports go down. This happens sometimes as huge spikes come in when an outage first starts and then it normalizes as time goes on.

We'll see if this is an early sign that Spotify has fixed the problem or if its the leveling off process shortly.

Working for most

Based on the Downdetector comments, it appears that Spotify is working again. I'm currently listening to the new Black Veil Brides song without any issues over here, so I think this was just a quick outage that's been sorted.

The music fan in me loves seeing AI tools integrate with streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify.

I’ve already tested ChatGPT’s ability to build playlists through Apple Music, and that experiment introduced me to new ’90s underground hip-hop tracks, jazz perfect for a moody evening walk and a stack of metal songs made for hardcore wrestling fans. Spotify is also part of the ChatGPT app ecosystem, and it recently arrived in Claude through its own app integrations, called Connectors.

I’m always in the mood to pit chatbots against each other to see which one creates the best images, handles complex questions more effectively or surprises me in some new way. For this Spotify showdown, I wanted to see whether ChatGPT or Claude could better handle my playlist requests and which one would deliver the stronger mix of songs.

By the end of this musical AI face-off, one emerged as the clear winner and the digital road trip passenger I’d happily hand the aux cord to.

ChatGPT’s Spotify playlists

To get this music-themed competition underway, I went with three prompts to see how both chatbots would respond:

• Create a playlist of deep cuts from ‘90s hip-hop icons. No charting tracks.
• Make a playlist that would have played at a high school dance in 2006 with pure mid-2000s pop and R&B energy.
• Generate a playlist starting with Radiohead, then expand into their influences (Aphex Twin, Can) and artists they influenced (James Blake, Everything Everything), plus side projects (The Smile, Thom Yorke solo).

I used the first prompt to generate a playlist full of nostalgic ‘90s hip-hop songs that only diehard fans of the genre would recognize. The second prompt came in handy to bring me back to my 2006 high school prom (and yes, I do feel ancient whenever I see my next-door neighbor’s kids getting ready for their prom).

And finally, the third prompt was meant to get me in the mood to mellow out to Radiohead’s best tracks and listen to the artists that influenced them, along with the musicians they inspired.

ChatGPT fulfilled my requests by bringing up five pre-made playlists for each prompt. You can check out the three playlists I ended up choosing below:

ChatGPT’s playlist recommendations were strong—they were full of tracks I regularly listen to, plus songs that started as unfamiliar listens and morphed into go-to faves.

I liked that the hip-hop playlist expanded beyond the ‘90s by featuring obscure ‘00s hip-hop cuts from the likes of Special Ed, Black Star and Souls of Mischief. The high-school prom-themed playlist ended up being a nice flashback to the good ol’ days, thanks to popular song inclusions from Ashanti, Maroon 5 and Taking Back Sunday.

The third playlist featured a wide variety of highly recommended songs from Radiohead, The Smile and Thom Yorke.

Claude’s Spotify playlists

After presenting my three prompts to Claude, it delivered results in the same manner as ChatGPT, giving me five pre-made playlists to choose from for each category. The three playlists I picked out are as follows:

The first playlist Claude brought to my attention primarily focused on including obscure and popular ‘90s hip-hop songs, which featured artists such as Camp Lo, Jeru The Damaja and Black Sheep. The second playlist surprised me by including a massive selection of the most popular ‘00’s tracks from multiple genres—I enjoyed going from Nelly Furtado and Timbaland to Sisqo to Beyonce and Jay-Z and so on.

The third playlist was a bit of a letdown since it only featured the greatest songs from Radiohead and nothing from the likes of James Blake, Everything Everything, The Smile and Thom Yorke.

The takeaway

At the end of this chatbot Spotify playlist-builder showdown, I gave the edge to Claude.

Its hip-hop playlist stayed firmly in the ’90s lane and introduced me to some new favorite deep cuts, with “Nighttime Vultures” by Mobb Deep feat. Lex Diamonds standing out the most. Its second playlist also impressed me, capturing the broad, crowd-pleasing sound of 2000s pop in a way that felt like the soundtrack to my high school prom.

The third round went to ChatGPT, which better matched the exact vibe I requested and delivered the musical picks I was hoping for.

Still, with a 2-1 final score, Claude came out on top. While I pulled songs from both chatbots’ recommendations, Claude won two categories and ultimately gave me more tracks I’d genuinely keep in rotation going forward.

More from Tom’s Guide

• I used Apple Music in ChatGPT to build creative playlists — and the results surprised me
• 7-0 wipeout: I put ChatGPT-5.5 vs Claude 4.7 through 7 impossible tests — and the results shocked me
• I asked ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude how wrestling moves are performed and it blew my mind

The best Garmin smartwatches offer onboard storage for music and podcasts. This perk means that you can jam out to your tunes while working out, without having to lug around a hefty smartphone.

Best of all, Garmin's offline music feature plays nicely with many of the most popular streaming apps, including Spotify and Amazon Music.

However, the process to initially get your preferred streaming downloaded and synced to your Garmin is slightly involved, which is why I am here to help.

Follow along as I walk you through the complete process, which should take roughly 15 minutes. The result will be a smartwatch filled to the brim with all your favorite pump-up tracks.

Also, while I'm specifically using Spotify for this explainer, the process of adding music to your Garmin watch using one of the other supported streaming platforms is essentially the same.

How to save Spotify music to your Garmin watch

1. Download the Garmin Connect IQ app to your smartphone
2. Log in to the app store and search for Spotify (or your preferred music app)
3. Download the app and accept permissions
4. On your Garmin watch, select Music from the menus and then Spotify
5. Open the Garmin Connect app on your smartphone, enter your Spotify login credentials, and agree to the terms
6. Open the Spotify app on your Garmin watch and tap "Get started"
7. Select the playlists and/or podcasts you wish to download for offline listening
8. Wait for the music to sync; once complete, your download will appear in the Spotify music library on your watch
9. Pair some Bluetooth headphones with your Garmin and get your jam on

Read on to see full illustrated instructions for each step.

How many songs/podcasts you can save depends on which Garmin smartwatch model you own. The Garmin Forerunner 570, for example, has 8GB of internal storage, which should be enough to save 500 or more songs/podcasts.

Which begs the question, what do you like to listen to while working out? I'm a fan of punk rock and classic hip-hop; let me know your preferences in the comments below.

More from Tom's Guide

• I walked 5,000 steps with the Garmin Forerunner 570 vs Apple Watch Ultra 3 — and the winner was nearly too close to call
• I ran a half marathon with the Apple Watch Ultra 3 vs Garmin Forerunner 970 to test the GPS and heart rate accuracy — here’s the winner
• Garmin Forerunner 165 vs Apple Watch SE 3: Which entry-level smartwatch wins?

I've been a loyal Spotify user since I was in High School. I seriously can't imagine my life without having all of my favorite songs, and every song in the world for that matter, at my fingertips.

When I was younger and starting out on my journey of music discovery (it's a thing), I tested out all of the streaming services. I've used Apple Music, Qobuz, Tidal and Deezer in the past — but Spotify took the crown.

And it's no wonder. Spotify has been at the top of the streaming service game for as long as I can remember. But recently, I came across some updates Deezer has been making over the years and their commitment to make sure no AI-generated music gets on the streaming platform. This is something I personally feel very strongly about as a musician myself, and I'm always keen to support real-world creativity and move away from AI-slop. Here's how I made the switch while keeping all of my data intact.

Transferring data

"But my listening data," I hear you cry. "What will happen to it?" It's easy to worry about all of the hours, minutes and seconds you've spent listening to music to create the perfect listening algorithm, being all for nothing. Because the only thing we Spotify die-hards care about is Spotify Wrapped. If I can't have all of my activity tracked and wrapped in a neat little bow, then frankly, I don't want it.

But saving my data was incredibly simple. Upon making a Deezer account, I was prompted to transfer my playlist data from the streaming service of my choice. I simply logged into my Spotify account, and all of my liked songs and playlists were transferred across. The process didn't take long at all.

To make sure it knew what I liked, Deezer also asked me to do a quick quiz to select my favorite music. This let me select artists that I frequently listen to and analyzed my responses to make sure I was getting music recommendations tailored for me. This made me feel like the user experience is at the forefront of the streaming service.

What listening is like

I decided to test out how much of this data really sank into the algorithm by playing a random song and then seeing what Deezer would recommend to me. The result? Zero skips.

I notice that when I stream from Spotify, I'm always recommended the same tracks. And sure, I like them, but I need a little variation from time to time. Deezer, on the other hand, was recommending me songs I love but haven't listened to in years. And in the whole week of listening, there were only a few songs repeated.

It did a great job of recognizing what music I like, and it totally refreshed my listening with some new recommendations too.

Playlist creation and recommendations

I've talked before about my love of creating playlists and the personalization it adds to listening. And I think listening to music is a personal thing, not just because of the genre you listen to, but because of the way you listen to it.

I make a playlist for almost every occasion or feeling. You name it — I have a playlist ready and waiting. So I was also glad that making playlists with Deezer is super simple.

When creating a new playlist, it gives you suggested tracks based on what's in there, shows you your favorite tracks for inspiration, and also shares with you the top tracks you've been listening to. I really felt like I had a lot of inspiration when working within the app, and was pretty spoilt for choice.

So, what do you think? Could you make the switch after years of loyalty to another streaming service? Let me know in the comments what you think about another streaming service coming for the Spotify crown.

More from Tom's Guide

• I test Bluetooth speakers for a living and these are my 12 top picks for outdoor listening this summer
• I replaced my to-do list with ChatGPT Tasks — and it was the productivity boost I needed
• Is sleeping with a fan on bad for you? A respiratory expert weighs in

It’s no secret around here that I love a good playlist. I spend far more time than I should probably admit fine-tuning the perfect curation of songs daily. Whether it’s a playlist of instrumental tracks to keep me sharply focused while I work or my favorite sing-along tunes for the shower, I’m always prepared.

So when I started testing Spotify’s Prompted Playlist generative AI beta after its release earlier this year, I was amazed at how quickly it could create a playlist and how accurately it knew what I wanted to listen to. But if there’s another thing that's important to know about me, it’s that I love a good podcast.

So when I heard that Spotify was expanding the Prompted Playlist feature to include podcasts, it’s safe to say I got pretty excited.

What am I using it for?

Part of my day-to-day job is keeping up with the latest tech news. And my word, there is so much of it. So I decided to use this AI tool to help me keep up to date with the latest advancements.

You could use the new feature to keep up with anything, though, since there is at least one podcast out there for anything you could imagine. Think of everything from entertainment to discussions on the latest movie releases.

This is a great way to stay up to date without feeling like you're doom-scrolling on news apps. It’s entirely curated for you with influence from listening habits, so you know you’ll like it.

How to create your own audio feed

The reason I like prompted playlists is that they rely on your creativity and what you want. Your playlist is only going to be as good as the prompt you give it.

After looking through the examples from Spotify to get a good idea, I used the prompt: “Create a podcast playlist with the latest tech news from the past few days. Include popular shows on the newest gadgets and technology news.”

Some of the news was a little repetitive, as some shows covered the same information, but some of the perspectives differed, so I didn’t mind this too much — it’s good to consider all sides of an argument.

This new feature is definitely a winner in my books. It saves me scrolling for ages to find the perfect podcast. I found that refreshing daily was best for me because I always had the option to try something new, but if you don’t spend as much time with podcasts, weekly might be the best option for you.

Give the prompted playlist a go and see what works, and let us know in the comments whether you’re loving AI integration of Spotify for easier streaming or if you love the art of playlist creation so much you’ll never try it.

More from Tom's Guide

• I’ve been using ChatGPT as my own personal Spotify DJ — here’s how I did it
• No crunches required: I tried this viral standing ab workout and the results are legit
• Ignore coffeefluencers telling you to spend $1k on espresso — my pro setup is under $650 (trust me, I'm an ex-barista)

I'm new to the world of generative AI. It's plagued my social media feeds for what seems like years at this point, but I've never had anything I personally wanted or needed to use it for. But that all changed when I found out I could use it to make playlists and discover new music.

I've previously used Spotify's Prompted Playlist generative AI feature to create playlists, but what stood out to me was that it pretty much exclusively used songs already in my library. While I (obviously) already liked all the songs on the playlist and enjoyed listening to them, I yearned for more.

One of my New Year's resolutions for 2026 is to listen more widely. That means more genres, new artists, and you guessed it, more playlists. So I'm turning my attention to ChatGPT.

Why ChatGPT?

ChatGPT has plugins, meaning I'm able to connect it directly to the music streaming service of my choice. I've been using Spotify as my primary streaming service for as long as I can remember, and even though I've tried many other services, it's the one I keep coming back to because of its user-friendly interface.

Connecting my Spotify account to ChatGPT meant it could have all of my streaming data and understand my music taste. That way, it doesn't need to rely solely on my prompt when selecting music.

ChatGPT also does a far better job of understanding more complex prompts than Spotify's native AI model. And beyond that, ChatGPT actually gave me ideas of how I could expand on these prompts.

How to set it up

The first thing I did was log in to my ChatGPT account and link it up with my Spotify account. This took less than a minute and meant I could start giving prompts right away.

To make sure ChatGPT is considering Spotify, click the plus button on the left, followed by more, and then click the Spotify icon.

So now ChatGPT can analyze my listening habits and recommend the right tracks for the prompts.

When coming up with prompts, you'll need a little bit of your own creative flair, but even if that's not your strong suit, ChatGPT can give you a nudge in the right direction.

I wanted a quick playlist that would keep me relaxed while reading my book on a sunny Sunday afternoon. So I asked:

"Can you make me a playlist for a Sunday afternoon, with the golden sunlight streaming through the window as I drink a cup of hot chai and read my fantasy novel on the chaise lounge, using my Spotify taste as inspiration?"

The result? An ideal chilled-out playlist that incorporated some of my favorite artists as well as songs I'd never heard before.

It features artists I listen to all the time, like Hozier and Phoebe Bridgers, but also adds some tracks that I don't listen to very often, such as the soundtrack of the movie Call Me By Your Name. This is an interesting addition that I assume has come from the film being based on the book of the same name, which has themes of golden sunlight throughout. It perfectly embodies the vibe I was going for.

ChatGPT even gave me suggestions on how to create a more niche playlist, like adding a location or the overall vibe I wanted. Knowing I wanted this playlist to play while reading, it even suggested I ask for instrumental tracks to enhance my focus.

Why I'll keep doing this

Since I'm someone who loves making Spotify playlists for every occasion, you may be wondering why on earth I'm letting AI take the wheel? But sometimes I need a super quick solution so I can get on with what I'm doing. In this case, that's enjoying my book with a calming playlist.

I also love that it recommended me songs I’d never listened to before by artists I hadn’t listened to as well as taking into consideration my taste in music. I even had recommendations for some deep-cut songs from artists I already listen to.

It's a great way to quickly curate a super niche playlist based on an activity, and the more detail you use, the more accurate it can be. So, if you haven't tried it yourself yet, I'd recommend making it a weekend project.

More from Tom's Guide

• I’ve been testing Spotify’s generative AI to make my playlists — and it’s redefining my music taste
• I upgraded my $40 turntable with these Onkyo speakers, and the sound quality was unrecognizable
• I tried the ‘AI leverage’ prompt — it exposed how much time I’m losing every week

As a lifelong music fan, one of my favorite pastimes is curating playlists. Whether it’s a major life event or a longer-than-usual drive, you can rest assured that I’ll have a playlist ready for the occasion in no time. I’d even go so far as to call it a superpower of mine.

With Spotify, making playlists has always been simple. You can add to playlists in various ways in the app, and you even get recommended songs to add to your playlist based on the existing songs and your listening habits.

Prompted Playlists brings a new level to the playlist game. It uses generative AI to build personalized playlists quickly using your prompts and listening habits.

As this is a beta feature, it’s still rolling out in some regions, but a quick update of the app should allow you access to it if you don’t have it already.

How to create your own Prompted Playlist

Creating your own Prompted Playlist couldn’t be easier — all you need is a little creative flair. Head to the plus icon in the button on the right of the screen and select Prompted Playlist.

From here, Spotify asks you to “describe your perfect playlist in as much detail as you want.” Of course, the more detail you use, the more personal to you the playlist is going to be. Even if you only write a few lines, the generative AI does a great job of pulling together some great tracks that fit the brief.

But if you don’t feel like wracking your brain for a detailed prompt, Spotify also has a whole bunch for you to choose from, and these are seemingly tailored to your personal taste.

While selecting what you want to make your playlist about, you can also set up a schedule for the playlist to continuously update, kind of like the Daylist options from the streaming service. I love this feature as it means you never get bored.

My results

I tried creating a few different playlists using prompts provided by Spotify. These included music that makes me feel like the main character in a movie of my life entitled “My Life as a Movie,” and also what my taste would be like in the ‘80s, with a playlist called “Parallel Universe: My taste in Another Era.”

Both of these playlists adopted a lot of music I already listen to, and added in a few surprise tracks that I hadn’t listened to in a couple of years, or had never heard before. The ‘80s playlist intrigued me, as in the short description notes, it cited Sam Fender’s anthemic rush and The 1975’s neon groove as major influences. These are both artists who have spoken about their influences from the 80s, such as Bruce Springsteen and Joy Division.

I’ve had my Spotify account since I was in high school, so there’s a lot of information for Spotify to be using about my listening habits to create the best playlists for my taste. And I think it does a great job.

My favorite playlist that I created was one for a hypothetical holiday. I love creating playlists when I’m heading somewhere new, as I can use those songs to remind me of where I was and what I was doing — I’m a sucker for nostalgia.

I told Spotify that I was heading on a trip to Italy with my friend and I wanted a playlist to capture the memories we would make. Spotify understood the assignment.

It gave me a playlist titled “Italian Summer Memories” (pretty on the nose), and it gave me the perfect summer mix. It also added in some regional tracks that I wouldn’t have been listening to otherwise. I love being introduced to new music, so this is a great way to do that.

Am I going to be using it?

As I mentioned earlier, I love creating playlists. I have so many that I regularly rotate through based on genre, mood and activity. I often go through my Spotify and clean it up too, deleting and adding new playlists – it’s pretty cathartic.

But I’m an advocate for the romance of the humble playlist. Making a playlist for people you love, receiving playlists that remind someone of you, is one of the best feelings.

That said, my favorite part of the playlists created by Spotify is the short description of each song. I felt like I was learning a lot about the songs. But at times, this feels almost like a justification of why the song made its way into the playlist, but I appreciate learning a little about the music while I listen, and it creates an element of personalization.

I often worry that integration of AI into something so human as making a playlist for someone is troublesome — that we’re losing the romance that comes with creation. But I think Spotify’s Prompted Playlists offer a way of expressing your feelings without delving too far below the surface.

So if you just want some vibey tunes it’/s a great feature. But please, I quite literally beg, don’t make a playlist for the person you love with AI.

More from Tom's Guide

• Wired headphones are the ultimate retro audio flex — and these ’80s-inspired cans from Gadhouse are the fashion statement of 2026
• Apple finally launches AirPods Max 2 — and the ANC improvements could be a game-changer
• I wore Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses while shopping at Target — 7 things that were surprisingly useful

After years of teasing, Spotify finally added lossless audio for Spotify Premium users last September. In a surprise move, Spotify just released a new hi-fi audio feature for its Windows desktop app.

Spotify has lagged behind some of the best music streaming services when it comes to hi-fi audio, but the company is finally playing catch up.

The music streamer dropped "Exclusive Mode" this week, which lets Spotify take control of your computer's audio processing to deliver music as it was recorded with bit-perfect playback up to 24-bit/44.1 kHz FLAC.

Spotify says that Exclusive mode is “ideal for listeners with external audio equipment (like a DAC or audio interface) who want the purest possible sound.” The announcement posts claims that your computer can alter audio before it reaches your DAC by resampling it, mixing in other system sounds or adjusting the volume.

The mode overrides that potential alteration to ensure that you get the highest quality version of the track.

Exclusive Mode is free for Premium subscribers.

How to turn on Exclusive mode

• Ensure external DAC or audio interface is connected to your desktop
• Open Spotify and navigate to Settings
• Select Playback
• Go to Audio Output, select your device from the dropdown menu
• Toggle on Exclusive mode

Some caveats

Mac users are out of luck for now, though Spotify says an Apple version is in the works.

Additionally, Spotify says that while "exclusive mode" is on, other apps will be "unable to play sound through that device." You'll need to switch your computer's default audio output to another device if you have multiple audio devices playing sound.

Also, Exclusive mode is unavailable for music videos, podcasts, preview clips or canvas clips.

The blog post notes that exclusive mode will work with speakers straight up but it does work best with a DAC or audio interface.

For more information checkout the Spotify support page or the blog post announcement.

More from Tom's Guide

• I ditched Spotify three months ago — here's what I switched to and why
• Spotify? I don't know her — here's why I'm switching to this audiophile-approved streaming service
• Spotify Free vs. Premium: Should you pay to play?

A Spotify Premium subscription brings with it a lot of benefits. You get lossless audio, on-demand playback, an AI-powered DJ and even audiobook listening. But the biggest benefit is far more prosaic: you don't have to put up with the commercials.

So it's understandable some Spotify listeners were a bit upset this week when a glitch caused the service to hit them with ads, despite their monthly $11.99/£11.99 payment.

Reports started to crop up on Reddit and were swiftly picked up around the web. Spotify itself clearly noticed the issue and worked swiftly to get it rectified.

"We've received some reports about Basic plans users who noticed they're getting ads and their accounts appear as Free on the mobile app, but the account overview does show they're Premium. We're currently investigating this behavior," the company posted on its Community page.

A further update confirmed the issue has been resolved.

"Thanks for your patience while we looked into this issue. We’re happy to say that this should now be fixed for everyone! If this continues to happen on your end, please make sure to log out and log in again, that should do the trick."

Other service providers will want to take note of Spotify's swiftness in solving the issue. Because the affected customers didn't pull their punches when it came to letting the Swedish streaming service know there was a problem.

One user wrote: "I am having exactly the same issue, this is VERY EXPLICITLY an advertisement interrupting regular music in a regular playlist, first time I have ever had this happen in the 12 years I have used Spotify and all it took was two stupid commercials and I now despise and loathe Spotify as a company and have spent the last hour researching alternatives that will allow me to keep my playlists."

Ouch.

If you're considering ditching Spotify, you might be interested to read about the streaming service my colleague Pete left it for here.

The reason for the glitch wasn't made clear, but it could be to do with the company tinkering in the background to add new features. According to recent reports, the latest version of Spotify (9.1.34.12) will finally bring playlist folders to the mobile app. Something that's long overdue.

More from Tom's Guide

• Spotify just handed you the keys to your taste profile — here's how to change it
• I ditched Spotify three months ago — here's what I switched to and why
• YouTube Music is locking this key feature behind a paywall — because apparently Google has no shame

There are two types of Spotify users: Those with meticulously organized playlists and those who throw everything they listen to under "liked songs" and call it a day. I'm part of the first camp, and I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve opened my Spotify app, looked at my wall of playlists, and just... given up. It's like a digital junk drawer of tracks that I can never seem to find when I actually need them.

You can organize your library into Playlist folders, a feature added back in 2010, but it's exclusive to desktop and Spotify's web player. If you're listening on mobile and want to tweak things, you're SOL. That could soon change, though. According to a new leak, Spotify is reportedly bringing playlist folders to the mobile app, and honestly? It’s long overdue.

Code uncovered by Android Authority in the latest version of Spotify (9.1.34.12) suggests the company is finally laying the groundwork to fix this availability gap. The teardown showed off common menu items coming to the app, like the ability to create a new folder, give it a name or rename it, and move playlists between folders. Based on the language in the code, it looks like you'll have two ways to create a folder: with the standard Create button or from the Your Library tab is the Create button is hidden.

There is one catch: deleting a folder could wipe out all the playlists tucked inside. A warning prompt in the code asks if you're sure they really want to delete the folder and all the playlists therein. It’s not ideal, but at least Spotify adds a "Are you really sure?" warning to save us from our own clumsy thumbs.

There's no word yet on when we can expect Playlist folder customization options to roll out to mobile. Similarly unclear is whether Spotify will support nested folders on mobile at launch, another feature that's been exclusive to desktop thus far.

It's about time, Spotify

If you’re like me and rarely touch the desktop app, your library has probably been a disorganized mess for years. Having these tools directly on my phone means I can finally organize my playlists while I'm actually listening to them — on the bus, at the gym, or just lounging around the house.

I’m clearly not the only one who's been screaming into the void about this. With over 600 million monthly active users on Spotify — the bulk of sessions on phones — it’s wild that we’ve had to wait this long for basic playlist customization options to make the jump to iOS and Android. It’s consistently been one of the most upvoted features on Spotify’s forums for years. We've been heard, finally.

Not that Spotify's the only music streaming platform plagued by this particular annoyance. I’ve looked at the competition, and honestly, nobody is getting this right. Apple Music still makes you jump through hoops on the best iPhones, with creating and managing playlist folders being similarly exclusive to desktop.

Meanwhile, YouTube Music just wants you to search for everything or use filters instead of handing you the keys to actually organize your tunes. Playlist management on mobile may not be the most flashy upgrade, but for those of us who treat our playlists like a curated art gallery, it's a handy convenience that gives Spotify an edge over the competition.

More from Tom's Guide

• Spotify just handed you the keys to your taste profile — here's how to change it
• I ditched Spotify three months ago — here's what I switched to and why
• YouTube Music is locking this key feature behind a paywall — because apparently Google has no shame

Starting around 3:30 p.m. ET, Spotify started having issues preventing listeners from using hte music streaming service. According to Downdetector, reports quickly spiked hitting around 1,000 reports before dramatically rising from there.

We saw a range of issues reported from the desktop play not loading properly to the Mac app not working. Some people even reported that the mobile app was unaccessible as well.

Through some testing, we found that the desktop browser version wouldn't load the main screen, though clicking around seemed to resolve it. On the mobile front, the app wouldn't load playlists or recently played at all.

The outage lasted just over an hour before seeming to resolve around 4:30 p.m. ET. As far as we can tell Spotify never acknowledged any issues today and the company's status page doesn't show any incidents. So, it's still not clear what caused the system to fail today.

Here’s what we know about the Spotify outage.

Huge spike for Spotify being down

The first reports of Spotify being down happened shortly after 3:00 p.m. ET according to Downdetector, reaching to about 1,215 reports by 3:51 p.m. Users are reporting a wide range of issues from the web player to the apps.

Spotify is experiencing issues

Hey, folks! Tony Polanco here to update this blog for the next 45 minutes. I just fired up Spotify, and it's down for me as well. I guess I'll have to wait to listen to Kiss Alive! I'll keep you updated with the latest news, so stay tuned!

A slight drop

As of 4:06 pm ET, the number of reports on Downdetector has dropped from 1,246 to 1,204. Hopefully, this trend will continue (and accelerate) so we can all go back to listening to our favorite tunes and podcasts.

Signs of life

I just checked both the desktop and phone app versions of Spotify, and both are working. The desktop took a second or two longer than usual, but I'm able to use it again now. Hopefully, this means service will be restored to normal soon.

Reports take a huge dive

We might be back in business, folks! As of 4:27 pm ET, reports dropped from 1050 to 252. While some might still be experiencing issues, this could mean the worst is behind us.

That's all she wrote

Today's outage appears to be over with reports on Down Detector well under 100 as of this posting.

To be fair, reports never really hit higher than 2,000 today so it may not have been as widespread as initially believed.

As of this writing, Spotify hasn't acknowledged any problems and everything appears back to normal.

Spotify is finally letting users take a look under the hood and seize the reins of their recommendations. At Friday's SXSW conference, Spotify co-CEO Gustav Söderström announced a major update that fundamentally changes how your listening data is shared and influenced by both other users and Spotify's algorithmic model. It's called your Taste Profile, an AI-powered feature that lets you customize what music, audiobooks, or podcasts you want to listen to. It's still in beta for now and will roll out to Premium users in New Zealand first before a wider launch in the coming weeks.

With it, your once-private taste profile is more transparent and easily tweaked than ever. For those of us who treat our Spotify feeds like a digital sanctuary, this shift might feel a bit invasive. But don't worry; now you don't have to let your toddler’s "Baby Shark" phase or your Jam session that went off the rails with one too many sea shanties wreck your recommendations.

Taste Profile surfaces everything Spotify understands about your preferences in one place, such as listening patterns, most-played artists, and preferred genres. Users can then edit this profile and fine-tune Spotify's future recommendations. Training for a marathon? Tell Spotify you want more pulse-pounding, high-energy tunes. Commute dragging on forever? Ask for some new podcasts to listen to. Spotify will tailor future recommendations based on the vibe you want, and change the homepage to reflect these new suggestions. The company added that Taste Profile is an optional feature, and users are free to "leave it and enjoy Spotify as usual."

How to change your Spotify Taste Profile

To check out your Taste Profile, tap on your profile picture in the Spotify app or on desktop. Scroll down and select Taste Profile, where you'll see a breakdown of everything Spotify has gleaned about your tastes. Tweaks can be made using natural language prompts.

This is where Spotify's AI push is headed

Taste Profile is Spotify's second big AI feature to roll out so far this year. Last month, the company brought Prompted Playlist, which lets you put in specific requests to generate a playlist, such as only including shows from a specific show you like, to the U.S. and Canada after testing it out in New Zealand. It signals a larger shift in how Spotify sees algorithmic curation, not as something its users passively engage with but rather another tool in their arsenal to shape their listening experience as they see fit.

Prompted Playlist remains exclusive to Spotify Premium, and Taste Profile is likely going to remain behind that paywall for the time being. There's no word yet one when us plebs will get it.

More from Tom's Guide

• Finally! I'm so excited for this simple Spotify update to song lyrics that I will use it all the time
• YouTube Music is locking this key feature behind a paywall — because apparently Google has no shame
• I ditched Spotify three months ago — here's what I switched to and why

Spotify CEO Gustav Söderström just dropped a bombshell at SXSW in Austin: the days of fighting with your "bad" music recommendations are almost over.

In a move that brings ChatGPT-style control to your playlists, Spotify is rolling out a massive update to its Taste Profile. For the first time, you won’t just wonder why the algorithm thinks you love sea shanties — you’ll be able to tell it exactly where it’s wrong.

How the new "Taste Profile" works

Using a built-in Large Language Model (LLM), Spotify is giving users the power to "mold" their recommendations using natural language. According to a recent Spotify blog post, the experience is designed to be conversational:

“If something doesn’t feel quite right, you can tell us by flagging when your profile misses the mark—asking for more or less of a certain vibe, or simply sharing what you’re in the mood for.”

In the coming weeks, users will finally have the chance to actually review their curated profile and alter their recommendations to their preferences.

What you can change

This isn't just a "thumbs up/down" button. You’ll get an inside look at how Spotify describes your taste in music, podcasts, and audiobooks, then use prompts to tweak it:

Boost specific artists: "Give me more Sabrina Carpenter, less Doja Cat."

Refine genres: "Switch my focus from J-Pop to K-Pop this week."

Control the "vibe": Dial back the energy for work or crank it up for the gym.

The feature begins its rollout in the coming weeks, starting exclusively with Premium listeners in New Zealand. After this initial testing phase, the AI-powered Taste Profile is expected to expand to global markets.

Bottom line

Spotify’s Taste Profile is improving to the point where users are gaining more control over what the app advises them to listen to next. Before, they were only able to exclude certain playlists and even individual tracks from affecting what pops up through their recommendations.

With this upcoming update, Spotify users will have more access to their Taste Profile so they can see how it decides what they should listen to next and tell it exactly what they’re looking for.

More from Tom’s Guide

• How to make AI playlists on Spotify — follow these 5 steps
• Spotify's AI DJ now speaks Spanish and offers new text prompts and personalized suggestions
• I used ChatGPT to make the perfect Spotify playlist — here are 5 prompts to get you started

Music is my lifeblood — it has the power to distract me from the latest bout of madness during a public transportation ride, send me into a wormhole of discoverability whenever I come across a song from a new artist, and make me sing to myself in the bathroom mirror before I start my day.

A great song also has the power to affect whatever mood I’m in by either magnifying it or changing it altogether. I can remember the exact moments where I was listening to a song that made me stare at the ceiling in a sad state during a breakup and bumping to a hype-inducing track during my final college party. ChatGPT has helped me make a few welcome adjustments to my everyday routines lately, such as what shows to stream, how to maneuver better during conversations and the best dishes to make for mealplanning.

Now I’ve tapped into my AI chatbot to assist me in creating 10-song playlists for four different moods. And for the most part, ChatGPT gave me a bunch of popular and lesser-known tracks that are perfect for those changing attitudes. Some of its other picks proved to be a bit…ignorable.

I was given a playlist that was perfect for a joyful mood

Since my part of the world is knee deep in snow at the moment, I figured it’d make sense to ask ChatGPT to make a playlist for me that will lift my mood.

My prompt (“Build me a 10 song playlist for whenever I'm in a joyful mood and want to stay happy”) put my AI playlist builder to work, which caused it to respond in a manner in which it remembered my preferences: “Love this prompt — we’re curating joy maintenance music. Since you’re into games, anime and wrestling, I’m mixing feel-good pop, high-energy bangers, and a couple anthemic “main character” tracks.”

Here’s the cheerful playlist of songs it managed to put together:

• “September” – Earth, Wind & Fire
• “Good as Hell” – Lizzo
• “Can’t Stop the Feeling!” – Justin Timberlake
• “Don’t Stop Me Now” – Queen
• “Shut Up and Dance” – Walk the Moon
• “Happy” – Pharrell Williams
• “Dynamite” – BTS
• “Good Life” – Kanye West
• “On Top of the World” – Imagine Dragons
• “Livin’ on a Prayer” – Bon Jovi

I have to hand it to ChatGPT — it produced several songs that are certainly uplifting and would easily make me sing at an insanely high volume in a dive bar. The songs by Earth, Wind & Fire, Justin Timberlake, Queen, Kanye West and Bon Jovi stood out as the best picks, while the other tracks got omitted by me for personal reasons. That Pharrell Williams song is a bop, but I never want to hear it again because it was over-played during its debut period. And I’m simply not a huge fan of Lizzo, Walk the Moon, BTS and Imagine Dragons.

I asked ChatGPT to build another one that could uplift me during a moment of sadness

I know the feeling will hit eventually — that slow, heavy cloud that rolls in and pulls everything a shade darker. When it does, I reach for whatever music app is closest and press play on something that can pull me back to the surface. This time, ChatGPT put together a 10-song playlist designed to move from a gentle lift to a steady build and, finally, an emotional reset.

What stood out most wasn’t the arc itself, but one familiar track that showed up yet again:

• “Fix You” – Coldplay
• “Vienna” – Billy Joel
• “Breathe Me” – Sia
• “Rise Up” – Andra Day
• “Unwritten” – Natasha Bedingfield
• “Dog Days Are Over” – Florence + the Machine
• “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” – Kelly Clarkson
• “Titanium” – David Guetta
• “Walking on Sunshine” – Katrina and the Waves
• “Don’t Stop Me Now” – Queen

I love the fact that ChatGPT put these songs together to slowly help me escape my latest bout of sorrow and made sure to mention one of Queen’s greatest songs again.

As a massive fan of Coldplay and Billy Joel, I was more than happy to add the two songs from those artists to my “get rid of the sadness” playlist. As for the rest? All respect due to those artists, but those songs didn’t really speak to me one bit.

Then my final AI-made playlist reflected a high-energy mood for workouts

Since I’m in a workout mood (indoors, mind you!), I figured it was time for ChatGPT to get me in the perfect mood to sweat it out. And this time, I tasked it with focusing on the genre of rap to produce a playlist that would push me over the edge to knock out that last set of pushups.

Here are the 10 songs ChatGPT put together for my “Beast Mode Activated” playlist:

• “POWER” – Kanye West
• “HUMBLE.” – Kendrick Lamar
• “X Gon' Give It to Ya” – DMX
• “Till I Collapse” – Eminem
• “No Hands” – Waka Flocka Flame
• “Dreams and Nightmares (Intro)” – Meek Mill
• “DNA.” – Kendrick Lamar
• Sicko Mode – Travis Scott
• “All the Way Up” – Fat Joe
• “Black Skinhead” – Kanye West

ChatGPT is clearly a fan of Kanye West and Kendrick Lamar just as much as me. And I was pleased to see it offer me some equally great songs from hip-hop luminaries such as DMX, Eminem, Fat Joe and Meek Mill. And while I find Waka Flocka Flame’s energetic music to be a guilty pleasure of mine, I found it funny how ChatGPT suggested the one song from him that’s more suited to getting a party started. I decided to swap that song out for “O Let’s Do It” to make this workout playlist feel truly complete.

Creating a Spotify playlist with my new lists

ChatGPT offers an app store and can connect to a variety of useful apps within the platform. Here's how it works:

• Step 1: Connect Spotify. Simply open the Apps panel in ChatGPT.
• Tap Spotify. Select Connect or Sign in.
• Log in to your Spotify account.
• Grant permissions when prompted.
• Once connected, ChatGPT can interact with your Spotify library and playlists. Once you've confirmed it's working, return to chat and try:
• “Create a Spotify playlist with these songs.”
• Step 4: Save and open in Spotify
• Check Your Library → Playlists
• Your new playlist should appear

The takeaway

I have to have it to ChatGPT for giving me three mood-based playlists I could comfortably rely on to keep me happy, snap me out of a moment of unhappiness, and rev me up enough to knock out a daily workout.

Most of the songs it gave me were valid picks, while the other ones proved to be less than desirable additions to my playlists. If you’re like me, take the good ones, replace the ones you’re not all that fond of, and go from there.

ChatGPT’s musical suggestions proved to be beneficial, so I’ll keep going to it to help me in the mood playlist department every time.

More from Tom’s Guide

• I tried Gemini’s new Lyria 3 in-app AI song generator — and it turned my to-do list into a punk rock anthem
• Google's Lyria 3 is the 'Nano Banana' of music — here’s why I’m hooked
• The first brands advertising in ChatGPT reveal exactly who OpenAI thinks you are — and it’s surprisingly specific

Spotify just announced a trio of upgrades for song lyrics, two of which are coming to everyone, while one is only for premium subscribers. The updates are meant to make it easier to understand or access lyrics, including translations, previews, and offline lyrics.

Lyric translations have been around since 2022, but were limited to certain regions. Now Spotify is taking the feature global for both free and premium users. You should now see a translations icon in the lyrics section. Tapping the icon will bring up translations "based on your device’s language, and you can easily switch back to the original lyrics at any time," according to Spotify.

The second feature available for everyone is lyric previews, where the words for songs will now appear directly beneath album artwork or as a "short Canvas clip" while the song plays. Previews are rolling out now and can be turned off in the action menu by selecting "Lyrics Off."

Finally, premium subscribers can already download tracks for offline listening. The lyrics will be automatically downloaded as well. This feature is rolling out worldwide now.

Offline listening has existed for years, but this is a new feature to make it even better for premium subscribers.

Spotify wants you to stick around

Between unwanted AI and several price hikes, Spotify is fighting to keep users. Trust us, we've ditched Spotify a few times for some of the other best music streaming services. But the company is clearly trying to make the premium experience worthwhile, while also throwing a few bones to free users.

Still, Spotify is currently the most expensive option when it comes to music streaming. If you're looking for an alternative, we've recently enjoyed the hi-res quality of Qobuz.

More from Tom's Guide

• The best noise-canceling headphones: Tested and reviewed
• Alexa+ now available for everyone — and there's even a free tier for non-Prime members
• I tested the newest earbuds from an ‘underdog’ audio brand — and they’re ‘coming for Bose’s crown’

Napster — yes, that Napster — has launched a redesigned mobile app for iOS and Android, and it looks nothing like a traditional music streaming service.

Instead of offering licensed catalogs from record labels, the new Napster app is built entirely around AI-generated content. That includes music, podcasts, wellness audio and what the company calls “AI Companions” — conversational video agents designed to collaborate with users in real time.

The shift marks a sharp break from the streaming model most listeners are used to. There are no top 100 charts, no major-label releases and no passive listening queues. Napster says the goal is to turn listeners into creators, letting users co-create music and audio experiences directly inside the app rather than just press play.

At the center of the experience are interactive tools that let users shape sound, experiment with genres and engage with AI agents that respond, adapt and build alongside them. In Napster’s framing, the app isn’t meant to replace Spotify or Apple Music — it’s trying to redefine what a music app can be in the age of generative AI.

It’s a bold reinvention for a brand once synonymous with digital disruption. Two decades after helping upend the music industry, Napster is betting that AI-powered creation — not licensed streaming — is the next frontier.

What’s different about the new Napster app

At its core, the new Napster app is an AI creation platform rather than a streaming service. Users can interact with AI artists, experiment with original music generation and publish finished tracks without needing production software or technical expertise.

According to the company, features in the app include:

• AI-generated music across multiple genres and moods, composed dynamically rather than selected from a fixed catalog
• AI-hosted podcasts that adapt over time based on listener feedback
• Wellness experiences, including generative ambient music, sleep soundscapes and adaptive meditation audio
• AI artist collaboration tools that let users co-write, co-produce and perform music with AI personalities, generating mixed and mastered tracks that can be shared or published instantly

Rather than playlists or artist pages, the app presents a collection of interactive experiences that evolve as users engage with them.

All AI, all the time

One of the most notable aspects of Napster’s new approach is what’s missing: human artists. The app does not license music from record labels or host traditional artist catalogs. Every piece of content is generated through AI models and user prompts.

Napster CTO Edo Segal says this model allows content to adapt continuously to each listener. Instead of replaying the same track, each interaction is meant to produce a slightly different result.

The company positions this as a fundamental shift in how music and audio are created — one where listeners can step into the role of producer or performer without upfront costs or technical barriers.

AI Companions and a broader platform push

The mobile app also connects to Napster’s broader ecosystem of AI tools and hardware. Users can interact with AI video Companions designed to offer specialized collaboration or guidance, and the app supports web access and a macOS version.

Napster says the app integrates with its previously announced Napster View hardware and follows the launch of Napster Station, which debuted at CES in Las Vegas.

CEO John Acunto framed the app as part of a larger shift away from traditional media consumption, positioning AI as a creative partner rather than a recommendation engine.

The takeaway

For consumers, the new Napster app represents a different bet than Spotify, Apple Music or YouTube Music. There are no familiar artists to search for and no static playlists to follow. Instead, the value proposition is experimentation — generating music on demand, shaping AI personas and collaborating with synthetic artists.

Whether that model appeals to mainstream listeners remains an open question. But it highlights a growing trend in consumer AI: platforms that prioritize creation and interaction over discovery and playback.

The new Napster app is available now worldwide on iOS and Android, with sign-ups also open via the web.

More from Tom's Guide

• The ‘glitch’ prompt instantly makes ChatGPT smarter — I use it every day
• I let ChatGPT plan what I watch every night — and it ended my streaming scroll
• I thought my ChatGPT chats were gone — here’s how I found them instantly

If you needed proof of the ever-growing Hollywood legitimacy of podcasts, a Golden Globes win should do it. Along with its usual tributes to excellence in film and television, this year's Golden Globes ceremony expanded for the first time into the audio space via its newest category, Best Podcast.

In case you missed it, "Good Hang with Amy Poehler" claimed that inaugural award, cementing the not-even-a-year-old series as a formidable player in the entertainment world. This historic win highlights a broader trend: podcasts are no longer just a side project for stars, but a primary destination for raw interviews and cultural commentary.

Along with Poehler's award-winning show, here are five great pop culture podcasts you should add to your rotation.

'Good Hang with Amy Poehler'

Amy Poehler, the beloved comedienne from "Saturday Night Live," "Parks and Recreation" and funny flicks like "Mean Girls," "Baby Mama" and the "Inside Out" franchise, launched her sweet interview series "Good Hang" in March 2025, inviting close pals — who just happen to be some of Hollywood's biggest comedic power players — like Tina Fey, Martin Short, Jack Black and Kathryn Hahn to appear in the show's early episodes.

In the past year, Poehler has expanded that subject pool to politics (Michelle Obama), cooking (Ina Garten), music (The Jonas Brothers), directing (Ryan Coogler) and more, but through it all, the lighthearted yet insightful format has remained, with engaging sit-downs about her interviewee's professional wit.

Listen to "Good Hang with Amy Poehler" on Spotify now

'SmartLess'

There's not one but three big-name celebrities at the helm of "SmartLess": actors and longtime buddies Jason Bateman, Sean Hayes and Will Arnett. Every week since the show debuted on July 20, 2020, one of the fellas invites a surprise celebrity guest to the program and reveals their identity at the top of the episode to the other two hosts before kicking off their characteristically disarming and humorous conversations about personal life, professional career and more.

“We don’t have any format, there’s no preamble,” Arnett declared during a 2021 installment of the show. There’s no theme, there’s no goal. I’ve been winging it since 1970, why would I start now?"

The trio had produced more than 300 episodes over the past half-decade, with illustrious interviewees like George Clooney, Kamala Harris, Paul McCartney, Jennifer Aniston, Steven Spielberg, Billie Eilish and more.

Listen to "SmartLess" on Apple Podcasts now

'The Basement Yard'

"The Basement Yard" differs from other pop culture podcasts on this list as its hosts aren't of the traditional celebrity mold — rather, the weekly comedy podcast is emceed by YouTube vlogger Joe Santagato and his childhood BFF Frank Alvarez — and it's less of an interview show and more a chance for the two lifelong friends to engage with pop culture through viral clips, spirited debates, nostalgic discussions and other funny segments.

The podcast has grown and shifted in the decade since Santagato first started it as a solo show. Its most recent iteration was a live tour that sold out notable venues like Madison Square Garden and Radio City Music Hall in their native New York City.

Listen to "The Basement Yard" on Apple Podcasts now

"Call Her Daddy"

Alex Cooper has become podcast powerhouse via "Call Her Daddy," the Golden Globe-nominated sex, relationship and entertainment series she launched in 2018 with then-co-host Sofia Franklyn. Franklyn departed the project in 2020, prior to Cooper's $60 million deal to exclusively present the podcast on Spotify in 2021, which she more than doubled in a $125 million distribution and advertising deal with Sirius XM three years later.

Via her raw, unfiltered discussions with celebrities like Kim Kardashian, Miley Cyrus, Gwyneth Paltrow, Charlize Theron and Chappell Roan, among many others, Cooper's podcast manages to get intimate insights into these mega-stars' personal lives, delving into everything from toxic relationships to sexual identity to mental health struggles and more.

Listen to "Call Her Daddy" on SiriusXM now

'Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend'

Thanks to his lengthy late-night career, Conan O'Brien certainly knows how to conduct a fun interview with a celebrity guest, but his weekly podcast "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend" allows him to get "deeper, unboundedly playful, and free from FCC regulations" in trying to establish "real and lasting friendship" with his famous subjects.

Co-hosted by O'Brien's longtime assistant-turned-friend Sona Movsesian and producer Matt Gourley, the podcast has seen Conan pal around with Matt Damon, Ben Stiller, Rose Byrne, Janelle James, Ted Danson, Leanne Morgan and Will Ferrell, his first-ever guest when the series premiered back in 2018.

Listen to "Conan O'Brien Needs a Friend" on Spotify now

More from Tom's Guide

• Best wireless earbuds 2026 — tested and rated
• I've spent 300 hours testing the best portable Bluetooth speakers — these are the 11 that are worth your money
• Hidden AirPods features — 5 things you didn't know your Apple earbuds could do

Contrary to popular belief, I don't just use music as a testing medium for new audio gadgets. I could not exist without it, as it fills my every waking moment of my life. So what does someone who literally gets paid to listen to music (and write about it) listen to on a weekly basis? I'm glad you asked.

As great as Led Zeppelin IV is, one of the joys of music is discovering new artists and tracks. I’ve found that one of the best ways to discover new music is to check out the ‘what’s new playlists’ on different streaming platforms. That way, you can get an idea of what’s new at a glance, and give stuff a go without investing loads of time into entire albums' worth of tracks.

It’s super fun because it's not only completely unexpected, but some months are much better than others. Case in point: Spotify’s New Music Friday playlist, whose tracks can be hit-or-miss.

So, how was it this week? Not great — 70% of the tracks in the top ten new tracks are (in my eyes at least) bad. Still, there’s a highlight in Arlo Parks, an artist I’ve not heard much before, along with some strong spots from Madison Beer and Baby Nova. I’ve got some new artists in my repertoire, and tracks in my playlists.

While A$AP Rocky’s Air Force, Charli's Wall of Sound and Where’s My Phone? weren't my cup of tea, 2Sided from Arlo Parks is a banger. Those fuzzy synths and slick vocal lines make for an atmospheric experience — like a darkroom at 3 a.m. music — great.

As for the rest, Jogodo is a Nigerian brand of R&B that I can’t get into — there are almost certainly fans of this, but I am not one. Baby Nova’s Dodge is an interesting track. However, as much as I don’t hate listening to it, I struggle to find anything to like. Como Es Que Se Hace, Yandel and LATIN MAFIA’s latest, isn't really for me, either.

On heavy rotation: Edge of the Abyss, Calva Louise

But what have I been listening to non-stop for the last week? I’ve had London’s Calva Louise on repeat pretty much constantly after discovering their blend of electronica, heavy metal, and, like punk. Or something. It’s almost impossible to nail down Calva Louise, as each track brings something new to the table — especially their latest, Edge of the Abyss.

It’s a more musically mature outing than prior albums, but it’s still frenetic and exciting the whole way through. The way that lead singer Jess Allanic instantly switches between guitar and keyboard, the whole time singing in at least three different vocal styles, has to be heard to be believed. It’s deliciously heavy and delectably meaty, with glorious synths and distorted guitars. The drumming is rock solid as well, and the production is very tasty.

Highlights include W.T.F, Impeccable, and La Corriente. The whole album is beginning to end banger, though, so no matter where you start, you’ll find something to love.

New audio gear: Three wired headphones and a turntable made in the U.K.

So what have I got on the testing table right now, and what do I think so far?

I’m blessed to have some of the most well-regarded wired headphones around in my collection, but there’s been an upstart recently that might just have made some of my favorite headphones for a long time.

The Sivga Peng are the more “affordable” pair. They’re still $449, mind you. But they’re stunning, with the closed-back wood paneled earcups, sculpted ear padding and leather adjusting headband. They sound warm and inviting, but there’s still plenty of detail to get your teeth into.

The Sendy Audio Aiva 2 (pictured above) are more expensive, landing on my desk with a $599 price point. They’re a true sight to behold, with a gorgeous metal panel for their open earcups, surrounded by a sumptuous wooden band. They’re Planar Magnetic, so they’re a bit weighty, but the sound is effortlessly detailed and impactful in equal measure.

Finally, the Egret bring an even more premium build (and $799 price) to the table. They’re almost Meze-like in their build and sound, although they cost a lot less than the Romanian brand. They look like the Aiva 2, albeit with a more curved look to the earcups. They’re comfortable and sound unreal with a very wide soundstage.

I’m still going in-depth with my testing of all three models, but they’ll all be getting reviews soon to see how they rank amongst the best headphones.

It’s been a while since Goldring made a turntable, so its return to the fold last year was both a pleasant surprise and a treat. The resulting model, the $999 Goldring GR3, is a stunning-looking turntable that doesn’t require any extra devices to work. Apart from, you know. An amplifier, or some powered speakers.

It’s a fully manual turntable, so you won’t find any automatic mechanisms to play tracks or find time stamps. Instead, you lift the aluminum tone arm over your records, drop the needle, and listen to your favorite tunes.

I’ve been having a blast with the GR3, and I appreciate how beginner-friendly it is. The built-in pre-amp means that you don’t need an extra device on top of your powered speakers or HiFi amplifier to get started, for one. It also happens to look really lovely, thanks to a glossy plinth and matching phenolic resin platter.

There’ll be a review soon so we can see how it ranks amongst the best turntables.

More from Tom's Guide

• I had no idea my AirPods could do this — and it's perfect for group photos
• 5 Bose headphone and earbuds settings you need to change right now for better sound and more features
• 5 AirPods features we want to see on other wireless earbuds

Spotify may have a pair of new CEOs after former head honcho Daniel Ek stepped down, but the streaming music provider is keeping with its now annual tradition of raising prices.

The music streamer announced that subscribers in the US, Estonia and Latvia will be seeing a higher price for Spotify Premium later this month. It's the third price hike since 2023 and the fourth since 2021.

Every premium plan is getting an increase from $1 to $2. Individual plans will bump up from $11.99 to $12.99 while Student plans are going from $5.99 to $6.99. The Duo plans are getting a bigger bump from $16.99 to $18.99, and Family plans are increasing from $19.99 to $21.99.

Those prices are specific to the U.S. If you're Estonian or Latvian check your emails for information from Spotify.

"Occasional updates to pricing across our markets reflect the value that Spotify delivers, enabling us to continue offering the best possible experience and benefit artists," a blog post announcing the changes reads.

Not a cheap date

It was rumored that Spotify was planning to raise prices last November, but we didn't know by how much. Since the last hike in August 2025, Spotify has added a number of AI features and the long delayed lossless audio program.

This price increase makes Spotify the most expensive streaming service. That's more than some of the other best streaming services including Apple Music ($10.99), Tidal ($10.99), and the niche hi-res streamer Qobuz ($12.99).

Benefiting artists?

Spotify said that the price hike is meant to keep providing a great experience and benefit artists. However, it's not clear how much, if any money from the hike will actually go to artists.

Spotify is often criticized as very anti-artist due to its streaming revenue payouts. The most recent estimate I could find from Route Note suggested that Spotify pays between $0.003 and $0.005 per stream on the platform.

To be fair to Spotify, other music services also have low payouts for artists. Apple Music and Tidal only pay out $0.01 and $0.013 per stream, respectively. Qobuz allegedly pays $0.04 per stream.

Big artists from Massive Attack to Sylvan Esso have boycotted Spotify over everything from meagre payouts to former CEO Daniel Ek's investment in military hardware companies to ICE recruitment ads being run on the platform.

Despite such issues and ever increasing prices, Spotify remains the most popular streaming service. According to Exploding Topics, Spotify has more than 281 million paid subscribers, more than double the 125 million Apple Music subs.

More from Tom's Guide

• I ditched Spotify three months ago — here's what I switched to and why
• I just ditched Spotify for Apple Music — these 3 unique features have me hooked
• I ditched Spotify for this niche audiophile streaming service for a month — and I might be ready to go back

It looks like Spotify may have experienced some downtime, as users have flocked to Downdetector to report issues with the popular music streaming service. For anyone who had issues with Spotify being down, you were most definitely not alone.

Spotify never acknowledged the outage, with the company's SpotifyStatus X account last mentioning downtime on December 15, 2025. If the outage had lasted longer, we would have expected Spotify to say something, but since it was so brief, the company didn't have a chance to post.

Spotify outage — live updates

Outage reports pour in

Users have started flocking to Downdetector to report that Spotify is down for them. In just moments, the number of reports rose to more than 1,000, a strong indication that something isn't working for the music streaming service.

As always, we'll continue to monitor the outage as it develops, but it definitely looks like something isn't right with Spotify.

Social posts starting to come in

Whenever there's an outage to a major service like Spotify, the first place I usually go to learn more is X, as people are quick to complain when something is off.

In this case, there are plenty of posts from users talking about an inability to stream their music and podcasts.

Slow climb

The reports haven't exploded like they typically do with a widespread outage, but they have climbed by a couple of hundred since the Spotify outage first started.

Spotify on X

The official SpotifyStatus X account hasn't said anything about the outage yet, and Spotify Cares isn't much more helpful. A user reported the issues to the account, and the company asked for more information, but didn't go into specifics about what could be causing the problem.

This isn't too surprising, as the Cares account is meant for individual issues, not widespread outages. Since we haven't heard anything official, it's worth checking.

Spotify reports slowly rising

We're slowly creeping towards 2,000 reports on Downdetector, but the rise is much slower than expected. Typically, when a big service like Spotify goes down, the reports explode into the tens of thousands rather quickly. That tells me that this outage is probably contained to a certain portion of the world or isolated to certain features.

Still working for me

Spotify is currently working fine for me, with both music and podcasts playing through the iOS version of the app. Search is also working for me.

All over?

Reports have taken a nose dive down to around 300, which is an indication that outage is over before it ever really got going. It peaked at around 1,800 reports, which is a decent amount, but not enough to be too much of a cause for concern.

When you first unbox your new Android smartwatch, the Google Play Store offers hundreds of apps to choose from. It's tempting to start downloading everything that looks interesting, but even the best Android smartwatches need the right apps to unlock their full potential.

Instead of overwhelming yourself with options, start with these three essential apps that cover the core functions most people actually use their smartwatch for: staying organized, tracking fitness and controlling music. These apps give you a strong foundation before you start exploring more specialized options.

Here's why these are the most essential Android smartwatch apps to install first.

More from Tom's Guide

• How to hit your daily step goal without going outside
• I'm obsessed with the free offline navigational tools on this smartwatch
• 7 best Apple Watch features you're probably not using

Like many people, I've used Spotify for as long as I can remember. In fact, longer than I can remember. I know roughly when I started using the music streaming service, but I struggle to recount the exact timings or the moment I first signed up to Premium.

The earliest memory I have of using Spotify is of my friend filtering through (and probably scoffing at) my Drum & Bass playlist while I was driving my Honda Civic: bass pumping, wheels screeching, smoke billowing from the car's windows. That basically describes my entire late teens and early twenties, so I'm still at a loss. I'm now 33, though, so suffice to say it's been a while.

For years, Spotify came bundled with my phone plan, giving me a hearty discount. I've used wireless earbuds or wireless headphones (so no need for hi-res). And I've had a decade of my own and other playlists to leverage. Although I'm slightly ashamed to admit it, I'm not altogether that moralistic about artists' rights either. So I've seen no reason to leave.

Then, a couple of years ago, I became the head of Tom's Guide's in-house reviews team. My team and I test a lot of audio gear; a lot of premium, high quality earbuds, headphones and Bluetooth speakers; a lot of stuff with "Hi-Res" branding plastered all over it.

Given the last two aren't necessarily synonymous, it's our job to put "Hi-Res" products through their paces with high-resolution playback — until recently, of course, that was something Spotify couldn't do.

I bandied around with Apple Music, Tidal and Deezer for testing purposes, but none of them pulled me away from ol' Spotty. Then we shifted all our high-res testing to Qobuz, and the wheels started to move — this time, perhaps, for good.

Why? Well, it has nothing to do with audio quality.

"But, but, but SPOTIFY LOSSLESS — yada yada"

I'll get it out of the way early. I'm really far from fussed about hi-res playback here.

Now, I can tell the difference between hi-res and lower-res playback on premium headphones and the like, but typically I only actually stream in high-resolution when testing audio gear. In day-to-day use, I'm almost always enjoying the benefits of wireless, listening to my music over Bluetooth from my iPhone 17 Pro Max and getting no benefit from Qobuz's higher-res playback. So I'm not really too concerned about the Spotify lossless vs Qobuz high-res topic (Spotify offers 24-bit 44.1 kHz lossless, which isn't as "good" as Qobuz's 24-bit 192 kHz playback).

Rather, this opinion piece is all about curation and recommendations...

The human touch

I dipped in and out of Qobuz for a while (primarily for testing purposes) without delving too deep or paying much attention, before really getting it. One morning, when listening to one of Qobuz's albums of the week, Sad And Beautiful World by Mavis Staples, I noticed some blurb — 'copy' as well call it in the media industry — beneath her album info.

This is nothing new. Spotify has artist and album info. But upon clicking the "Read More" button, I was pleasantly surprised. Out spread a page of copy, clearly written by a person (and not the artist themselves), extrapolating on the album's background, composition and merits, helping contextualize why it made album of the week.

A human, who clearly cares a lot about the subject, wrote that. And as a journalist, that strikes a chord with me.

This deeper level of humanity is a key theme of Qobuz. The albums of the week are chosen by people, based on individual expertise and, indeed, preference (but that's okay). Playlists are curated, not software generated. And the whole lot is written about and explained to help you understand why.

Having spent years with the automation of music's end-user globocorp, the human element of Qobuz feels so refreshing.

Just tell me what to do

The human touch is also extremely beneficial for exploration. Spotify typically does two things: suggest music algorithmically based on what you and similar people have already listened to; or leave you to browse everything.

There's nothing inherently wrong with those two things, but I find it stifles my breadth of listening. With Spotify, I tend to just stick to what I already know because that's all that I'm being shown during automated playback. Discover tends to show me a few new things, but plenty of stuff I'm already familiar with pops up, too.

Browse sections, meanwhile, are simply too broad to be of much use to me. There's too much choice. You're already familiar with this concept, I'm sure: it's the same reason you find yourself endlessly scrolling Netflix at a loss for what to watch. Water, water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.

In short, to properly discover new stuff, I need to be told "this is good, listen to it lest ye be considered an ignoramus!" And that's what Qobuz does. Obviously, it doesn't ever call anyone an ignoramus, or come across snobbish at all for that matter — but that's the way I want it to make me feel. I need to feel as though I know nothing and must be shown new things; be shown how to be a music connoisseur by experts in the know.

Case in point: Jazz. Until recently, I was a staunch Anti-Jazzer. As I saw it, society's prolific ingestion of jazz is the reason we have so many auto-immune diseases and gluten intolerances these days. We shouldn't give jazz to our kids, I thought — it isn't good for them. Does anyone, I asked, really know what Big Trumpet is putting into the jazz?

I never listened to jazz, nor would I have searched it out, so Spotify would've therefore never shown me it. Qobuz, on the other hand, did dare to show me. Little did I know, there's a genre called "West Coast" or "Cool" jazz — slower tempo, more loungy, less avant-garde, all the opposite of the things I dislike about typical (East Coast, I guess?) jazz. One day, on my home page sat a West Coast Jazz playlist, with a calming beach in the image to highlight the collection's relaxing nature. Qobuz told me: this jazz is good for you, listen to it. And I did. And I fell in love.

Actual randomization

Another gripe with Spotify I only discovered after leaving is in regards to proper randomization, or lack thereof. When I say randomization, I mean the random suggestions after a playlist ends.

Let's head back to my jazzy example from above. Based on a hunch (influenced, of course, by years of experience using Spotify), I did a little experiment. I headed to Spotify, added some neo-jazz songs I liked to a playlist and let it run out. Perhaps unsurprisingly to anyone who uses Spotify, the randomized recommendations were fairly lackluster. Spotify played songs I hadn't heard, but only from the same two artists. Over and over again. Not awful, but I want more than just two artists.

Anecdotally, at least, I've found Qobuz's algorithmic post-playlist recommendations much better. I tend to get a broader array of artists suggested, which helps me find more new music to enjoy.

So what's your point?

All the above results in a deeper delve into and understanding of music. At least on my part. With Qobuz, I feel like I'm getting into the nitty gritty; the undiscovered (to me) and slightly niche areas of music. I feel like I'm a renaissance man, listening to stuff I could reference during an intellectual conversation over a Scotch at some fancy party, impressing everyone.

Of course, my life isn't ever that romantic, and I've never been to such a party. But hopefully you get what I mean — with Qobuz I feel like I'm discovering sophisticated, adult music that I enjoy, rather than repeating my emo playlist for the 600th time this year. And it mostly comes down to the human element, which is a much bigger part of Qobuz than it is of Spotify.

It's counter-intuitive in a way. How can a few handmade recommendations deliver better results than an algorithm with the whole of Spotify's data at its disposal? I don't know, but it works. That's the power of proper curation, I guess.

More from Tom's Guide

• As a guitarist and an audiophile, this is the all-in-one speaker I’ve been waiting for
• I ditched my smartphone to listen to music on my decade-old iPod — 3 things I liked and 2 I didn't
• Looking for your first pair of wired audiophile headphones? I've got a great recommendation that won't break the bank

The internet and the structures that uphold it prove surprisingly fickle when an app, service or platform you regularly use suddenly goes down. Throughout 2025, Tom’s Guide tracked 75 outages across nearly 50 different services and companies.

Looking back through the various blackouts, some were more impactful than others, with most lasting only an hour or two. To judge how staggering the interruptions were this year, we looked at how many other services were impacted or how often a service went down.

AWS, for example, went down in October and took out a significant chunk of the internet. That blackout affected everything from Snapchat to HBO Max and Delta Airlines.

Meanwhile, OpenAI suffered more than 11 outages this year, bringing down ChatGPT, Sora and its other AI products. It was a nearly monthly occurrence.

Here are the 10 largest outages of 2025:

AWS — October 21

One of the largest outages this year took down Amazon Web Services, a cloud platform that acts as infrastructure for apps and websites. Think of it as a crucial backbone of the internet.

The more than 12-hour outage specifically hit the US-East-1 hub, affecting people on the East Coast of the United States and any services based on the infrastructure in that region. In all, more than 1,000 different apps or services were potentially affected. Between first-hand experience and Down Detector reports, we found 48 major services impacted from Amazon itself to Fortnite, Snapchat, Venmo, and Xbox.

In our reporting, we found that a DNS issue inside AWS’ DynamoDB service caused a chain reaction that rippled across the internet. Simply put, one of the internet’s address books forgot where critical servers were located.

ChatGPT — multiple outages

Of all the services we tracked this year, ChatGPT suffered the most interruptions. From minor hour-long drops that we didn’t formally track to longer outages that knocked multiple aspects of OpenAI’s models out. In general, ChatGPT was prone to going down at least once a month for an hour to an hour and a half at a time.

In all, from January to October this year, we tracked 11 outages, two of which were specifically located in the United Kingdom.

The worst one was a global blackout that caused ChatGPT to go offline for over 10 hours on June 10. That outage affected ChatGPT’s free and subscription tiers as well as the image generator Sora. OpenAI confirmed the outage, but we never received an explanation for what caused the severe interruption.

Cloudflare — November 18 and December 5

Like AWS, Cloudflare is a considerable backbone of the internet. When the company experienced a global outage in mid-November, it took down nearly a quarter of all websites.

Cloudflare is a global cloud network that operates multiple websites. The November outage lasted nearly six hours and was reminiscent of the CrowdStrike issue that took down multiple airline and government systems in 2024.

Everything went down from X to Uber Eats, and even the outage tracking site DownDetector crashed.

Cloudflare claims the outage was not caused by a cyber attack or hack. Instead, a blog post said a change to one of the firm’s databases altered permissions that accidentally doubled a file size so much that it caused internal software to fail.

For the second outage, according to Cloudflare’s CTO, the company attempted to fix a security vulnerability in the early morning hours of December 5. Implementing that fix required shutting down some Cloudflare features, which caused the brief outage.

Garmin — January 28

Early in the year, a strange bug affected several Garmin smartwatches that prevented users from accessing GPS, showing only a blue triangle or the Garmin logo. It’s a core feature of many of the best smartwatches, especially for Garmin users who use it to track workouts.

Reports were widespread on January 28, but Garmin managed to issue a fix for most people by the end of the day. However, there were still reports of a blue triangle on January 29.

The bug was so bad that Garmin had to release a support page instructing users on how to reset their Garmin watch. Some devices required a hard reset, while a few could get away with soft resets. We did find that in some cases, just resyncing with the Garmin Connect app was enough. It’s not quite the longest outage we covered this year, but it’s up there.

Google — multiple

A variety of Google services suffered outages this year. Separately, both Google Cloud and its Gemini AI went down for three hours and just about two hours, respectively.

The Cloud outage affected Nest thermostats alongside YouTube and Google Drive, though Nest devices seemed to take the brunt of the interruption, lasting well past the company’s restoration of service.

However, the bigger impacts were felt when Google Drive and Google Workspace went down twice this year. The larger interruption lasted nearly six hours, making services like Sheets, Search, and more unavailable for much of the workday. We never saw an explanation for why, but at one point, Google engineers suggested rebooting routers as a workaround, which seemed to work.

PlayStation Network — February 2 to February 3

Of all the outages we covered in 2025, the PlayStation Network blackout from February 2 was the longest, lasting just over 24 hours in total. The outage started around 6 p.m. ET on Friday and didn’t return to normal until the next Saturday.

Sony blamed an “operational issue” for the second-longest PSN outage ever. It’s not clear exactly what happened, but The Verge’s Tom Warren suspected it was a massive DDoS attack similar to one that hit Xbox over the 2024 holidays.

Sony offered subscribers an “additional 5 days of service.” The outage even affected a Capcom beta test for ‘Monster Hunter Wilds’, though the company extended it by a day for PlayStation players.

Reddit — multiple

After ChatGPT, Reddit and X tied for the second most outages that we covered this year. Reddit went down at least five notable times this year with the most recent kicking off in November.

Most Reddit interruptions only lasted a couple of hours, but the social platform was spotty in April, suffering two outages in quick succession. The larger of the two started on April 21 suddenly crashing around the globe with over 110,000 reports flooding Down Detector in a matter of minutes.

According to a Reddit spokesperson, the outage was caused by a brief inability to connect to one of the platform’s databases. At the same time, we saw an uptick in outage reports for AWS and CrowdStrike, but it’s not clear if those issues were related. The second outage occurred on April 29 but barely reached an hour.

Spotify — multiple

While Spotify’s several outages didn’t last nearly as long as some others, what made the music streamer stand out this year was the amount of reports we saw. Two different outages spiked nearly 50,000 reports. Nothing comes close to the amount that Reddit received, and even the 24-hour PSN outage never saw numbers that high.

To be fair, one of the four outages we covered was related to the Cloudflare blackout. Obviously, people care very deeply about having access to their music.

The next time Spotify takes a set break, why not check out the best music streaming services that aren’t the green and black.

X (nee Twitter) — multiple

As mentioned, X tied with Reddit for the second most outages we covered in 2025, with five total. The most recent knocked the former bird site down in November, but it was related to another Cloudflare issue.

The biggest outage occurred in May, when a data center in Oregon caught fire and knocked portions of the platform offline for multiple days. Unlike the 24-hour PSN outage, which affected every PlayStation user, service for X was intermittently interrupted, so not everyone felt the effects of the blackout. However, for some, the outage lasted from Thursday, May 22, all the way through Saturday, May 24.

Twitter is usually extremely opaque when it comes to reporting on its service or what may be causing issues. So it was a surprise that the company even acknowledged the data center fire. As we covered the outage, the X engineering account made one tweet acknowledging people were facing issues, and only one other tweet about the incident afterwards.

Payment services — multiple

It’s not exactly a singular service, but throughout 2025, we covered outages that hit multiple different payment services including Apple Pay, PayPal, Venmo and Zelle.

I’ve included the payment services here because of their impact. Many people have transitioned to sending and receiving money and making payments via services like Zelle or Apple Pay. Digital banking is on the rise but if you can’t access your funds, it becomes extremely frustrating.

As one of the more family-friendly comments read during one of the PayPal outages, “PayPal needs to figure this out, it's BS quite literally manipulating people's money and their lives.”

Most of the outages lasted only a couple of hours, but Zelle took a huge hit in May when a third-party payment infrastructure company, FiServ, suffered an “internal error” that broke online transactions for several banks, including Bank of America and Ally. Functionally that meant Zelle transfers couldn’t be made in or out of accounts connected to affected banks.

That outage lasted multiple hours and wasn’t truly resolved until the next day when it appears backlogged payments finally went through.

As the world grows ever more connected, especially via AI services, expect outages to continue. Tom’s Guide will be there to keep track and help keep you abreast of what services are down and how you can find alternatives and workarounds to go about your digital life.

More from Tom's Guide

• Why I don't use Spotify — and the alternative I use instead
• Tired of Google Maps and Apple Maps? Here are your best alternatives
• I ditched the iPad mini for an Android alternative — and this one feature means I might not go back

It's early in the day, which is the perfect time to hop on Spotify to listen to music and podcasts. But for a large portion of the internet, Spotify stopped working, as the popular service was down.

Downdetector reports exploded in a matter of minutes, indicating that Spotify was experiencing an issue, though we never learned exactly what caused the popular music streamer to fail.

The Spotify Status X account, which is usually the first to officially acknowledge an outage, finally posted that it was having some issues.

From there, the account posted a link to a community page and said, "All clear! Thanks for your patience. If you're still having issues, you can find out more on this issue on our Community support thread."

Spotify was down — live updates

Reports coming in fast

What started with a few hundred reports has since exploded to more than 3,000. It's clear that a large portion of Spotify's massive listener base is experiencing some kind of problem with the service, though it's far too early in the outage to say for sure what is happening.

As always, we'll continue to investigate and bring you any new developments in the Spotify outage as they come in.

Spiking even harder

This potential outage is quickly on the verge of losing the "potential" moniker, as it's now exploded to more than 13,000 reports on Down Detector. For an outage to reach that many reports in a matter of a few minutes is a very clear sign that something is happening with Spotify that's preventing thousands of people from gaining access to the music streamer.

Stauts Gator agrees

Over on Status Gator, another reliable service to keep tabs on outages, an outage seems likely.

"Based on our analysis, Spotify might be experiencing or have recently experienced an outage even though there is no official acknowledgment of the issue. This chart represents Spotify service health over the last 24 hours, with data points collected every 15 minutes based on issue reports, page visits, and signal strength. Sign up for free to see more Spotify status data," reads the Status Gator Spotify page.

It's definitely not working for me

While I'm only one person experiencing Spotify issues, I can definitely say that it's not working for me. I tried to load music and podcasts and neither is working.

If you're one of the lucky people still able to play their content, don't pause or stop, as you might not be able to load it up again.

Spotify users comments

Users are taking to the Downdetector comments to voice their frustrations with the current Spotify outage. Mostly, it's users being upset that they can't enjoy their favorite music, audiobooks and podcasts.

Spotify all quiet

Spotify still hasn't acknowledged the ongoing issues with its streaming service, so at this point, we only have user reports to go on.

We've hit 30,000

Spotify has hit 30,000 reports on Downdetector, which is among the highest I've ever seen in my time covering outages. (And I've covered many, many outages.)

Spotify Cares account not helpful

Lots of people are reaching out to the Spotify Cares X account, but the team there isn't offering much help. Instead, it's simply referring them to the standard help articles.

Moral of the story: if you're looking for more information about the ongoing Spotify outage, this account probably isn't where you want to look.

Spotify finally acknowledges the outage

The Spotify Status X account has acknowledged the outage, though it didn't say much:

"We’re aware of some issues right now and are checking them out!" reads the X post.

Spotify alternatives

If you're in dire need of music, podcasts and audiobooks, there are plenty of Spotify alternatives out there. Of course, most of the services cost money, which might not be ideal if you're just looking for something to fill in the blanks until Spotify comes back online (let's be real, while this outage is no fun, Spotify will be back at some point soon).

Here's a quick list of Spotify alternatives you can try:

• Apple Music
• Tidal
• Qubuz
• Amazon Music Unlimited
• Deezer

For a more detailed rundown, check out our best music streaming service guide.

A slight downturn

Spotify reports its first downturn since this outage began. Still sitting at around 27,000, Spotify reports are down from the 30,000+ they reached before.

Clearly, this is still happening, but we might be seeing the beginning of the end. But we'll continue to monitor the outage closely to bring you the latest developments as they happen.

A positive turn

Spotify users are taking to Downdetector's comments section to say the service is working for them.

I will say that it's currently working for me. I was able to search for music, play songs, load my podcast feeds and get a podcast to play. I can't say the outage is over yet. However, based on my personal experience and user comments on Downdetector, I am confident it will end soon.

Around 5,000 reports

We've seen the reports drop precipitously in the last few minutes. Now, it's down to around 5,800 reports, a far cry from the 32,000 it reached at its peak.

We can't say we're out of the woods until Spotify posts something official, but we're confident that things will return to normal shortly.

Spotify almost back?

Spotify might still be down, but with 1,600 Downdetector reports, most people seem to be able to access the music streaming service without issue.

Service likely up on StatusGator

Over on the outage reporting service StatusGator, things seem to be back to normal, with its outage chart showing Spotify as green (Service is up). Again, this isn't an official word from Spotify, but it's another good sign that the outage is over.

About to go below 1,000

We're getting close to dropping below 1,000 reports on Downdetector. As of this post, it's at 1,056. Generally, a huge outage sees straggler reports come in throughout the day, but once it drops below 1,000, we can safely call the outage just about over.

Still hanging on

The outage appears to be hanging on for some users, but they're few and far between, as Downdetector reports have now dropped into the 700 range.

YouTube who? Hot on the heels of Wrapped 2025 and adding lossless audio before that, Spotify has finally started to bring music videos to subscribers in the U.S. and Canada.

The streaming service has been beta testing the feature in various territories like the U.K., but until now it hasn't been available in North America.

The feature is still currently in beta and only available to users with a Premium subscription. While the feature remains in beta, only a limited amount of videos will be available — but Spotify says it has plans to expand the catalog in time.

"This expansion gives millions more listeners access to a catalog of official music videos, from studio versions to live performances and covers," the company confirmed in a blog post.

Spotify cites a Burson survey of 8,400 listeners that found over 70% felt more video content would enhance their experience on the app.

"Music videos are a proven way to help build fandom. After a fan engages with an artist’s music video, they’re more likely to dive deeper into their artistry," Spotify said.

"We’ve seen that when fans discover a track with a music video on Spotify, they’re 34% more likely to stream it again and 24% more likely to save or share it in the following week. This is especially true for super listeners, who go on to actively stream the artist 85% more in the next month, on average."

More from Tom's Guide

• 5 iPhone features Apple buried in Settings
• Your lost or stolen iPhone can be found even if it's turned off
• 3 battery-draining iPhone settings you need to disable

I've been trying to find a Spotify alternative for months. I've tried Tidal, Qobuz, and I'm now on my trial of Apple Music. But there's one major reason why I can't cut the cord and break up with Spotify: Wrapped.

Spotify Wrapped is the best year-end roundup on this planet. Qobuz doesn't even do one, which is majorly disappointing. Both Apple Music and Tidal offer a monthly/yearly recap you can access at any time. This approach makes your end-of-year stats feel less special.

Even though I'm trying to leave Spotify, I can't deny that the Swedish streaming giant has its claws deep in me. This is why Spotify Wrapped is the beast that makes Spotify so hard to quit.

What makes Spotify Wrapped so addictive?

Humans are naturally obsessed with themselves, and Spotify Wrapped taps into that suppressed narcissism just right. As with pretty much every social media platform, there's no alchemy or wizardry happening here: it's simple psychology.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that all humans are selfish. Being selfish and being interested in one's musical stats are not the same. Put simply, Spotify Wrapped makes it so much easier for us to show the world who we are, and isn't that what everyone wants? It's the perfect combination of social trends and personal interests.

Many people loathe the trend of sharing Wrappeds on social media, but I love it. What is that random girl I met on vacation in 2019 listening to now? Well, I don't have to wonder anymore. I can see it in full color on her Instagram story.

I adore judging people's music tastes with the same voracity with which they judge mine. I know everyone who sees my Spotify Wrapped is analyzing every artist, every track, and every sub-genre, and that's fine. I welcome it. I'm just as guilty of it as the next person.

Why is Spotify Wrapped so much better than the alternatives?

So, now we know that Spotify Wrapped is so addictive because it taps into our inherent narcissism in a shareable, consumable way. I'll talk about why no other streaming service comes close.

Spotify feels like a friend. Apple Music's yearly breakdown — called Replay — is less personable, more corporate. Replay has less of a focus on pinpointing niche genres and analyzing your listening habits with depth. Wrapped, on the other hand, breaks down your listening by the day, hour, and time. In short, Wrapped feels more thorough.

Let's take a look at some screenshots from 2025's Apple Music Replay and Spotify Wrapped. Obviously, the results will be different from Spotify and Apple Music as I wasn't using both services simultaneously. I only got Apple Music in October, so my Replay is based on less data. However, that doesn't excuse the fact that Apple Music's overall end-of-year report has less depth than Spotify's.

On top of being inherently less shareable, Apple Music's Replay lacks the statistical intrigue of Spotify Wrapped. My top artists are displayed in a list (that I had to click through another menu to find) rather than being shown to me with digital fireworks and glitter.

There's no top artist image or top song image. This is a major reason why Spotify Wrapped is so excellent — bite-sized data nuggets — and a huge part of the appeal.

It makes me wonder if Spotify's somehow patented its five-song and five-artist graphic. How has Apple Music not adopted this design yet? I feel like it's the key thing missing from Apple's version.

Graphics aren't the only thing missing from Replay, though. Spotify has some unique features that no other streaming service can compete with.

These are some listening "clubs". Basically, Spotify analyzes your music taste and sorts you into houses. Imagine Hogwarts houses, but for music listening. Again, this is psychology — it makes you feel like you're in a secret society. A community of fellow music lovers.

Replay lacks that. I don't know what style of listener Apple Music thinks I am, and I want to know so bad. I want to compare my results with my friends and chat about why John from that one college class is in the "Soft Hearts Club" when he was definitely more of a death metal fan ten years ago.

Finally, I want to talk about Spotify's new feature for 2025: listening age. This is such an intelligent move. It's so shareable, and can definitely spark frenzied discussions within friend groups. I've already had two conversations about listening ages with my colleagues and in my family group chat.

This screenshot shows my listening age, my colleague Nikita's listening age, and my colleague Ashley's listening age. I predict this age rating is based on the age of your most-listened-to tracks rather than a robust comparative analysis of your age bracket's listening habits versus older and younger generations, but it's still fun to talk about.

Many jibes, such as "mythical unc" and shocked-face-emoji, have been thrown around since the sharing of our listening ages.

Apple Music can't even come close to this. The most shareable thing on my Replay is my list of top artists. And it's not even that shareable.

Although I'm on a mission to quit Spotify, I can't help but imagine next year's Wrapped day. What if I do succeed in completely switching to Apple Music, and I don't get any Instagrammable data next year? I can already envision myself swiping through my friends' Stories with barely concealed jealousy.

Could Spotify Wrapped be the one thing holding me back from committing to Apple Music full-time? Is Replay enough for me to make the switch?

I suppose only time will tell. In the meantime, I'm going to go back through my Spotify Wrapped and watch it all again.

More from Tom's Guide

• Your Spotify Wrapped 2025 is here — here's how to find it
• These are the best noise canceling earbuds that are actually worth your money right now
• I've tested a ton of earbuds in the last year — here's my top picks under $50, $150 and $300

It's been a big year for Spotify. Spotify Lossless became a reality, and after all of the backlash the brand got for its yearly roundup last year, it has learned its lesson and delivered a better experience this time around. That's right. Spotify Wrapped 2025 dropped yesterday (December 3), and our social media feeds are flooded with friends and acquaintances sharing their stats.

I must confess. I used to love Spotify Wrapped a few years ago. I'd eagerly look forward to it to find out who my top artists were going to be. But as the years have gone by, the excitement has worn off — for a few reasons, which I wrote about a while back. I called Spotify Wrapped a popularity contest, and one to see who loves music the most.

That's partly one of the reasons why Spotify Wrapped is no longer is something I actively look forward to. Another reason? Because my Wrapped is exactly what I expect every single year. I don't know how many other people feel the same way, but I'm sure there's at least one person in your life who pretends to be shocked at their Wrapped.

Gasp! My predictions have come true!

Look, I listen to music every single day. I know the artists I love, I know the songs I listen to on repeat (thanks to the On Repeat playlist), and I dabble in third-party apps that show you your listening stats throughout the year (like Superfan and Receiptify). It was easy for me to predict what would be in my Wrapped months ago.

Our Audio Editor, Tammy Rogers, asked the Tom's Guide team to predict our Wrapped results. I said my top artists would include Lorien Testard, the man (the legend) who composed the soundtrack for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Kathryn Hahn (singing "Ballad of the Witches' Road"), 070 Shake, Linkin Park, and Twenty One Pilots.

Was I wrong? Not one bit. I accurately predicted the results, and I could even tell you the exact month I was listening to these artists day in and day out. You can see the results above. Though I am surprised that Lorien Testard didn't take the number one spot, it's not a shocker that he is on there. But considering I went to see Twenty One Pilots play in Manchester, U.K., it checks out, given that I listened to their album Clancy a lot.

I also saw 070 Shake live, twice, and streamed her album Petrichor repeatedly, and because she's my partner's favorite artist (and top artist this year), we listened to her while cooking and playing games. I will say, though, that Scaled and Icy being in my top albums is the only thing I did not predict correctly — but it was a pleasant surprise!

It's all in the algorithm... but it's also magical

Spotify Wrapped seems like magic, but it's all a numbers game at the end of the day. Throughout the year (and up until some point in November), Spotify tracks your listening activity. It knows exactly what you're playing, when you're playing it, and so on. It's how we get curated Daylists which tell us what we typically listen to on a particular day.

I don't want to rain on anyone's parade, of course. I too would like to believe that Wrapped is a magical phenomenon and that it knows you inside and out. Even though I accurately predicted my Wrapped stats, I will say that flicking through my yearly stats does put a small smile on my face.

Anyone who knows me or is close to me, knows that I'm a massive nerd. I've got tattoos dedicated to video games and TV shows I love, and my listening activity reflects that. I mean, I listened to "Ballad of the Witches' Road" 332 times, as you can see above. One thing I like about my Wrapped this year is that it has proven that I am an even bigger geek than I thought I was — and I'm proud of that.

In-depth analysis that actually provides insight

Spotify Wrapped 2024 felt a little lackluster as its "AI-powered" stats felt gimmicky and pretentious, and I'm glad the 2025 version has rectified that. I actually enjoyed the interactive bit of Wrapped 2025, where it gave me (and all of us) details about my "Biggest Twenty One Pilots Day" and "Biggest Music Listening Day."

Though I was aware that I listened to particular albums and songs on repeat, it was nice seeing a breakdown of the songs I streamed the most from an album, mixed with another song I loved. Apparently I listened to "Ballad of the Witches' Road" for... two hours straight? That's got to be some kind of world record, right? Sadly, I didn't get a thank you message from Kathryn Hahn at the end of my Wrapped, but we move on.

The other interactive elements worked well, too, with Spotify asking me to guess my top song and then telling me that failure builds character. This year's rendition is much improved, that's for certain.

Are we past comparing our stats in an unhealthy way?

Spotify Wrapped is a novel idea, just like every other music streaming service with its yearly roundup. This year's version prompts you to start a party with your friends to compare stats, which sounds harmless — and for most people, it is. But the problem arises when people start taking these stats way too seriously.

I've already had someone ask me how many listening minutes I accumulated in 2025, and when I told them I had just under 40,000, they told me they had more than 100,000 which, apparently, proved that they "love music more." It should never be about who enjoys music more. Music, like every other form of art, is meant to be enjoyed. For me, music and my favorite artists are my safe space, not an arbitrary number that's meant to either lift my mood or dampen it.

Whether you enjoy Wrapped or think it's a waste of time, there's no denying that it's a big day for Spotify users and music lovers. While I might not be Wrapped's biggest fan, I've still enjoyed going through it without overanalyzing it. Well, that's the end of that. Let's run back to Spotify and racking those minutes already!

More from Tom's Guide

• The Tom's Guide team predicts our Spotify Wrapped playlists — from Taylor Swift to Cannibal Corpse
• Your Spotify Wrapped 2025 is here — here's how to find it
• Spotify Wrapped 2025 has landed — now with more stats, more fun and additional social features

I’m a self-proclaimed data nerd. I find it super fun to gather as many metrics as I can, as I think it gives a perfect picture of how I spend my time, but also how I’ve changed over time. That’s why I look forward to Spotify Wrapped every year.

This year, Spotify Wrapped 2025 has given us our usual top artists, top tracks, and top songs, but this year, we find out about our listening ages and top albums too. Every year, they seem to come up with new ways to show us all of the data they have collected over the year, and 2025 may be one of my favorites.

If you haven't seen yours yet, here's where to find Spotify Wrapped. And if you've looked in all the right places but can't see it, this is how you can make Spotify Wrapped appear.

Show me the data

This year, it felt like we got more data than ever in Spotify Wrapped, even down to the specific listening age. It called me old — God forbid a girl has taste! I’ve more than doubled my age and am 56 years old, according to my music listening.

Spotify spends the entire year collecting our data from listening minutes to most played songs, and I, for one, am glad of this. For me at least, the attraction of Spotify Wrapped is the shareability.

The graphics each year are the most exciting part for me, because, as I said, having data in one place is my idea of heaven. While Spotify has gone a bit more minimal with its look this year, it has the same popping graphics with metrics to share around.

The data we are shown by Spotify is also presented in a totally easily digestible way, and having pretty graphics to share around is the icing on the cake for me. Last year, we were met with niche names for the genres of music we love, which I’ll admit was a little weird, but still, I shared it on my Instagram stories so everyone knew what I listened to. It’s a communal experience.

Music is such an intimate thing that we can’t help but want to share it with the people in our lives. It can bring people together or totally divide us through questionable music taste. I actually love it when people reply and let you know if they agree with your music taste, it’s one of the best ways to bond with people!

Nostalgia aplenty

I have been using Spotify as my music streaming service for as long as I can remember, and I regularly look back on the playlists I created every year when Wrapped is released.

It takes you through everything that went on in your year and makes you remember why you listened to that particular song 60 times on a random Wednesday. Music holds memories, and Wrapped is the perfect way to feel why we love these songs so much.

Your top songs

I listened to 59,333 minutes of music this year, so Spotify has a lot of information to go off. And one of the best things you get from Spotify Wrapped is the playlists. In my library, I have my ‘Your Top Songs’ playlist saved from every year since it started, and I regularly go back and listen to them. It’s that hit of nostalgia all over again.

My 2017 playlist features artists including The Arctic Monkeys, Paramore, The 1975, and Lorde… I think I spent too much time on Tumblr. Fast forward to last year, and my 2024 playlist includes Noah Kahan, The Killers, Role Model, and The Kooks.

That’s a pretty noticeable change of pace over seven years, but some of the songs on there are the same, such as Hard Times by Paramore — a song I will never let go of. But this year, the 2025 playlist is full to the brim with Wolf Alice, Fontaines D.C. and Role Model.

When I look at these specially curated playlists, it takes me right back to a certain time in my life and holds so much nostalgia. It’s so interesting to see how my taste in music has changed over the years, but also the changes in the music my friends are listening to.

Having these playlists to look back on creates a time capsule (like Spotify actually forced us to do one time) and is the perfect way to reminisce on your year. Music soundtracks our lives, and I love the way Wrapped makes me relive all of the best moments.

After all the guessing and hoping, Spotify Wrapped 2025 is now official. The annual roundup of listening stats you can share with your friends is here, and I'll bet you're itching to let your friends know how many minutes you've been listening to your favorite artists.

There are new features, even more stats, scores and funky graphics, along with some new social stuff that's going to make or break dinner-time banter. It's a big one this year.

What's new?

There's plenty of new stuff to enjoy. First is the new design, which Spotify says is supposed to feel like "flicking through a magazine." There's a new black and white color scheme, with bold colors to highlight artist headshots, album covers, and other important stuff.

It looks super slick and, as always, it's an engaging way to interact with your stats. On top of the new design, there are extra statistics, some of which have been requested for a while.

Most-streamed album and other album-based numbers are now in Wrapped, so you can see which record you span the most. There are now minutes listed for artists, tracks, and albums for a more in-depth view of your listening habits.

Then there's the new listening age feature, which compares your listening stats to those of other users of the platform. Mine is 67, if you're interested, apparently thanks to Metallica.

There are also inclusions for audiobooks, a feature Spotify added two years ago. You can find out which audiobook you listened to the most, and you might even get a message from the author. You can also see what genre you like the most.

There are also stats around which podcast you had on repeat — good fun for those who like listening to something a bit more talky than tuneful.

We've also got more social features this time around, so that you can see how you compare to other Spotify users. There are Fan lists that pit artists' fans and their listening minutes against each other, which is quite fun.

Top Song Quiz makes a return, although Listening Archive is new. That gives you personalized information about specific days of the year, using AI to report on how much you discovered on up to five days.

There's something new called Clubs. You'll be put in a club based on your listening habits, and then given a role within that club. You might be a scout, for example, finding new tracks and adding them to your playlists.

Finally, there's Wrapped Party. This is a new feature that you can bring your friends around for, so that you can compare your stats directly. Think you listen to more music than your chums? Grab up to nine of them and create a wrapped party to see who really likes music.

There are loads of different rankings that you might get shown, and apparently, no two are the same. So if you lose, just offer them a redo!

How do I find it?

It's super easy to find wrapped. If you haven't already found the notification from Spotify in your phone, then you'll find Wrapped onn the home screen. If it's still not there, make sure you update your app.

Is there any AI this time around?

Well, there's no bizarre AI podcast if that's what you're thinking. There is a little AI, but it's tastefully sprinkled around to enhance the Wrapped experience. You'll find it in the Listening Archive for some storytelling and other spots. Nothing too invasive this time around, although I still wish these things were human-made. But that's just me.

How's your Spotify Wrapped looking? Let us know below!

More from Tom's Guide

• Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold: 3 reasons to buy (and 2 reasons to skip)
• 15 minutes, 4 moves: This kettlebell workout builds power, strength and endurance
• I just tried the new OpenAI x NORAD holiday tools with my kids — here’s everything ChatGPT can do now

Spotify Wrapped is always exciting. You get to compare the music you listen to (and how much of it you've devoured) with your nearest and dearest. It could well be coming soon, so we at Tom's Guide got together and had a good think about what could appear on our own Wrapped playlists this year.

There's a load of different artists, albums and songs here, with some fun curveballs. Here's all the music we think will appear in Wrapped 2025. Don't worry, we'll update you with our results when it goes live!

Erin Bashford, Senior Writer, Reviews

As someone whose number one artist has been Muse since the very first Wrapped, I have no doubt that 2025’s Wrapped will also be topped by the alt-rock trio. I have been dabbling in the world of YouTube DJing this year, so I predict that the rest of my top artists and tracks might be a mishmash of random electronic songs. Hopefully, there’ll be some sprinklings of other new music, like the Wet Leg and Tame Impala albums I’ve been listening to, but only time will tell.

Nikita Achanta, Senior Writer, Reviews

This year’s Wrapped is going to prove I’m a bigger nerd than I originally thought I was. I think my top artist is going to be Lorien Testard, the man (the legend) who composed the soundtrack for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. He’ll probably be followed by — something I never expected — Kathryn Hahn (yes, the actress) who sang "Ballad of the Witches’ Road," which I obsessively listened to. 070 Shake, Linkin Park and Twenty One Pilots will most probably make appearances in my top five too. It’s been a great year for music (and a fantastic year for a nerd such as myself).

Alex Hughes, Editor, AI

I have built my Spotify algorithm brick by brick… that is if those bricks were heavy metal and bubblegum pop. I have spent the year jumping between the two genres, throwing in the occasional Lo-Fi study playlist when my brain needs a break. The last couple of months for me have been heavily dominated by new albums from The Beaches, Greyhaven, Guilt Trip and Suki Waterhouse. It’s been a year of competing genres, and a theme I hope Spotify’s Wrapped notices (unlike last year’s AI confusion).

Jeff Parsons, EIC, UK

My Spotify listening habits have been disrupted this year as I had a brief (but memorable) fling with Apple Music for several months. That fling included a deep dive into NIN after I caught the latest “Tron” movie at the theater. But regardless, I expect my Spotify Wrapped to be a menagerie of rock favorites from AC/DC, Airbourne, Godsmack and Royal Republic. Plus the requisite helping of synthwave from the likes of Gunship for background focus and nursery rhymes to keep the kids entertained.

Dave LeClair, Senior News Editor

This was the year of Dance Gavin Dance in my musical journey. After seeing them open for Falling in Reverse early in the year, I went down a rabbit hole so deep I feel like I know Jonny Craig, Kurt Travis, Tilian Pearson, Andrew Wells and Jon Mess (the extensive list of DGD vocalists) better than my real-life friends. I also furthered my descent into Deathcore with Lorna Shore and Chelsea Grin leading the charge. I'd also expect to see some Knocked Loose floating around, along with a medley of random nu-metal bands like Korn, Slipknot, Disturbed and others.

Ashley Thieme, Staff Writer, Reviews

I await Spotify Wrapped with anticipation each year because, as anyone who knows me will tell you, my taste in music is something of a confused mess. But it’s my confused mess. I have playlists that jump from death metal to airy folk music and all the way to Welsh indie rock. With that in mind, I expect to see appearances from Bring Me The Horizon, Twenty One Pilots, Wolf Alice, and almost certainly Hayley Williams of Paramore. That said, I wouldn’t be shocked by an appearance from the Wicked soundtrack.

Tony Polanco, Senior Writer, Computing

I mostly listened to my favorite shows on Apple Podcasts this year, but I returned to Spotify with a vengeance after Ozzy Osbourne passed away this summer. Because of that, I suspect a good chunk of my Spotify Wrapped this year will consist of music from the Prince of Darkness. Listening to Ozzy also sparked an ‘80s revival for me, so I also expect some Def Leppard, Dio, Whitesnake, and others. As for non-classic bands, I (re)listened to a lot of Dethklok because I needed some brutality, and I recently got into an all-female Japanese power metal band called Lovebites that will also likely appear on my Wrapped.

Jessica Downey, Senior Writer, Fitness

Every year, I accuse Spotify of a technical blip when they share my Wrapped, and this year, I’m starting to think I should be more accepting of my most-played songs and artists. I have no shame in professing my love for every Olivia Dean release. But I’ve also fallen hard for country from the likes of Tyler Childers, embraced folk thanks to Kingfishr and Noah Kahan, leaned into my Celtic roots through Talisk, and added a healthy streak of surf rock courtesy of Spacey Jane. Through it all, my right-hand man has been Van Morrison, whether I’m in the kitchen or on the road.

James Frew, Editor, Buying Guides

I, er, don’t use Spotify because I have an Apple Music account instead. Apple has a similar feature called Replay — it’s not as good. Still, I have fun at the end of the year looking back at what filtered through my ears over the past 12 months. In 2025, that looked like a mix of old and new. I plugged back into Killswitch Engage’s immortal mid-2000s classics ("The End of Heartache," "As Daylight Dies") and those will feature heavily. But this was the year that new music really took hold of me. There were the big hitters like Sabrina Carpenter (I got very into Juno), Taylor Swift, along with Sleep Token (Caramel is so delicious), and Fickle Friends, one of the most joyful bands to come from the shores of the U.K.

Tammy Rogers, Editor, Audio

I, too, do not use Spotify, so my Wrapped is going to look pretty boring. Instead, I’m fed data from my streaming system called Roon, which uses music from Tidal and Qobuz. It gives me a detailed, but incomplete look at my year’s listening stats, as I'm constantly moving between streaming services for work. At the moment, I’m told I’ve listened to 439 hours of heavy metal, 70 hours of hard rock, 45 hours of jazz, and more. My top artist is a fun one — Ghost. There are appearances from Arch Enemy, Cannibal Corpse, and Amon Amarth, along with some really niche esoteric stuff. So I don’t have to guess! I already know.

Kelly Woo, Managing Editor, Streaming

My top artist this year will be Taylor Swift, like she has been for the last five years. The only real questions are: 1. Which of her songs will take the No. 1 spot (probably either “Fate of Ophelia” or “Opalite”); and 2. How highly I'm ranked among Swifties (guessing in the top 1-2% range). Rounding out my top five artists, the most likely names are Chappell Roan, Stevie Nicks, Lucy Dacus and the Dead South.

More from Tom's Guide

• HBO Max just added 67 new shows and movies — here's the 5 to stream first
• This spyware campaign can turn your browser extensions into malware — how to stay safe
• Netflix is getting 16 Christmas movies and shows this month — here are the 5 I'm definitely streaming

It’s here, it’s finally here! Spotify Wrapped 2025 is live, and we’re spending all of our time swiping through our listening stats. There are loads of new features on board as well, so it looks like we’re in for an exciting year.

Despite some issues this year, it’s overall been a positive one for Spotify thanks to the firm's newfound rigor around restricting AI music, and the launch of Spotify Lossless. To round things out, Spotify Wrapped 2025 is a graphical memory to hit it home with users.

There are new social features in the form of Wrapped Party, which compares your stats with your friends and family to make dinner time really interesting. There are the returns of old favorites, as well as minutes listened to albums and songs.

We’re having loads of fun — here’s all the latest on Spotify Wrapped 2025.

How do I find my Wrapped?

It's simple to find your Spotify Wrapped and we'll give you a quick rundown before we get into the live updates.

If you haven't already found the notification from Spotify in your phone, then you'll find Wrapped on the home screen where it says All, Music, Podcasts, etc. If it's still not there, make sure to update your app and force quit it.

Are you excited for Spotify Wrapped 2025?

We’re excited about Spotify Wrapped, but what about you? Are you looking forward to seeing what kind of music you’ve been listening to this year, or do you not care at all about your listening habits? If past years are anything to go by, there are plenty of people who love Spotify Wrapped, so it’ll be interesting to see what this year looks like.

When did Spotify Wrapped drop last year?

We saw Spotify Wrapped launch on December 4th last year, so we think it's going to be any day now that it drops. You’ll get a notification when it does, likely on your phone. Keep checking back here, of course.

We’re on the clock all day to bring you the latest — and some fun extras. While we wait for Spotify Wrapped, why don’t you have a read of some of our other music streaming content:

• Qobuz review
• Tidal review
• Apple Music review

It’s been a big year for Spotify

A whole load of stuff has happened for Spotify this year — some of it better than others. There have been price hikes in some territories, which have made an expensive service even more costly.

Some artists have left the service over links to conflict around the world, boycotting Spotify and removing their music. That’s not to mention the ongoing fight with AI, as the service pledges to make things better for hard-working artists who view AI as a threat.

But then there was the lossless launch, which brought a whole new way to listen for users. It’s not been all bad then — and with some luck, Wrapped 2025 is also going to be a highlight.

What about podcasts and audiobooks?

Spotify isn’t just about music anymore — there’s loads of content on the service to devour. We’ve got podcasts with some of the biggest names in the game, like the Joe Rogan Experience, along with audiobooks you can listen to.

Both have made appearances in Wrapped's past, but will there be anything new for listeners of non-music content? With a little luck, we’ll be seeing lists of audiobooks and podcast stats so that we can compare those alongside our music listening habits.

Look out for YouTube recapped!

Music isn’t the only thing you can get a look back on, as YouTube has rolled out a video version that lets you look back on what you watched throughout 2025.

You can see if it’s available for you at YouTube.com/recap or on the YouTube app on your Android or iOS device (make sure the app is updated). It’s a fun way to see what kept you entertained this year from a video perspective, but I still think Spotify Wrapped is more fun.

Are there other musical wrap-ups?

You know, it’s funny you ask. There certainly are other musical wrap-ups, found on alternative streaming services. Apple Music has Replay, which might not be as colorful or in-depth as Spotify Wrapped, but it still gives you plenty of interesting information about your listening.

Amazon Music has Delivered, which this year looks pretty interesting with its personalized music festival feature. Deezer and HiFi Streaming platform Tidal also have similar — so there are plenty of ways for everyone to see what they’ve been listening to this year.

Replay and Delivered went live yesterday (Dec 2nd) so if you use Amazon or Apple Music, then you can already dig into your yearly stats right now.

Wrapped has taken over… everything

I don’t wanna see your Spotify Wrapped. I wanna see your Wikipedia Wrapped

— @thesteffie.bsky.social (@thesteffie.bsky.social.bsky.social) 2025-12-03T10:09:56.781Z

So we know that most music streaming apps now do a Wrapped-style event, but the influence of this feature has really escaped the streaming realm. Yesterday, I got an email from my local theater telling me how many movies I’d been to in 2025.

And, according to a post by @thesteffie on Bluesky, even Wikipedia also now has its own year in review, with your total minutes read and most read stories.

Why was Spotify Wrapped controversial last year?

There was a great deal of talk last year about how Spotify Wrapped 2024 felt underbaked. The artwork looked like it had been totally AI-generated, the stats weren’t as revealing as previous, and the headline feature, the AI podcast, felt strangely impersonal.

Users were quick to voice their frustrations on social media. It’s perhaps a Wrapped for Spotify to forget, and start afresh with Wrapped 2025. We’re looking forward to seeing what Spotify does with the format this year, and whether there’s anything fresh and new. Here's hoping!

What do you think will be in your Wrapped?

The Tom’s Guide Team has already guessed what we think we’re going to see — and there are some surprises in there. Interestingly, there are quite a few metal heads at Tom’s Guide, but there are plenty of Taylor Swift fans. We’ll be waiting with bated breath to see if our predictions come true, or whether we’re in for a Spotify-surprise when Wrapped launches.

When does Spotify read my listening habits?

This was previously a murky pool of “maybe don’t listen to music you’re embarrassed about in February,” but now we know when Spotify sucks up all your listening data for Wrapped. It’s from January to November, so just know that you’re safe from everyone finding out about those Chris Rhea binges you get up to over the Holiday period. Don’t worry. You’re at least safe with us. Your friends? I wouldn’t say for certain, but Dan has a glint in his eye that tells us he can’t wait to judge you for your musical sins…

How many minutes did you listen to?

We’re in no way trying to judge here, but we’re just curious how many minutes of Spotify do you think you listened to this year? Are you a hardcore listener who spends almost every waking hour blasting your favorite tunes, or do you just throw Spotify on when the mood really strikes? Sound off in the poll.

Think you know Spotify? Test your knowledge!

Think you know everything there is to know about Spotify? Let’s test your knowledge with a quick quiz. There’s no prize for getting them all right, and we’ll never know if you cheated and looked at Google — but you’ll almost certainly feel an immense sense of pride if you get them all right legitimately. Know that you have my utmost respect, that’s for sure.

Get 4 months for free!

If you’re yet to sign up to Spotify Premium, then you’ll be pleased to know the service is currently offering a 4-month free trial for new subscribers. Which means you won’t need to start paying anything until April and can get a head start on 2026’s Spotify Unwrapped. Better yet, here’s how to use this offer to pay just $6 a month for Spotify Premium for the next 16 months.

Users just wanna have fun

In our story looking at when Spotify Wrapped might launch this year, our Audio Editor Tammy wrote that "It's loads of fun."

The tech news is often quite bleak and anxiety-inducing, so it's actually just quite nice to find a feature that pretty much everyone loves, it's not problematic (in itself, I know people have mixed feelings about Spotify) and is just there to share music with your friends.

Algorithms drive so much now, but when people start sharing their Wrapped overviews, it's essentially a modern form of mixtapes; these are the artists I like and the songs I enjoy. This is the aural universe I spend my time in.

Sometimes, you can just have nice things.

My year in review

Shh, don't tell anyone, but I mainly use... Apple Music for my streaming. So with Apple's yearly Replay roundup already live, I had a lot of fun poking around in my stats yesterday. I spent almost 1,500 minutes listening to my top artist (Sleep Token), and played my top track (Swoon by Fickle Friends) 61 times.

The data nerd in me was interested to spot that I've listened for more minutes this year, but the time was more spread between artists. Last year, I listened to Taylor Swift for almost 3,000 minutes (so twice Sleep Token in 2025).

Do you ever listen to last year's playlist?

Wrapped is (mostly) about all the fun ways to see who and what you enjoyed in the year. And it kinda makes sense that Spotify puts all your top tracks into a single playlist. But do you ever actually go back to previous Wrapped playlists?

For me, those songs became my top tracks because I really liked them, so I listened over and over again. But why would I want a playlist of what I used to be obsessed with, when I could spend my time discovering my new favorites?

Spotify Wrapped is here!

Spotify Wrapped has just dropped with loads of new features and a snazzy new look. We’ll be swiping through our results to find out which artists we listened to most this year — and what listening age we’re going to be given.

Don’t forget to get the whole family together so that you can share all your listening stats in person with Wrapped Party, the latest social feature from the service! As I said earlier, Wrapped is the new mixtapes, and I'm so excited to see the bands, podcasts and audiobooks people loved this year.

There's a friend's battle!

Spotify rolled out a new way to use its Party feature that lets you compare your Wrapped with up to 9 friends to see who listens to what the most.

Forgotten chart toppers

Going in Wrapped, I think we all have certain bands in mind that will top our Wrapped, but it seems like there's always that one song from an expected band that creeps its way into your top tracks.

We want to hear from you in the following poll: Did any surprises make their way into your top songs? For me, it was "If I'm James Dean, You're Audrey Hepburn" by Sleeping with Sirens. I completely forgot how much I jammed to that song throughout the year.

Your minute guesses

Earlier, we put out a poll asking you how many minutes you think you listened to this year.

The most popular answer was 50,001-100,000, which took home 31% of the votes. Second was 10,001-50,000 with 27%. A shocking 13% thought they listened to 100,001-200,000 minutes, and 10% listened to more than 200,000 minutes.

The least popular option was 0-1000, which only had 2% of the votes.

Join the club

Spotify Wrapped introduced Clubs, and I'm a member of the Grit Collective, along with 9% of the Spotify listening community.

Which Club are you?

Club roles...

The Club system is quite fun to bring people with similar tastes together. Within each club, Spotify assigns you a role within the team.

If you're curious what the roles are and what each one means, here's a rundown:

• Leader: Your listening is strongly aligned with club values, making you a perfect role model.
• Scout: You listen to the freshest releases, always pushing your club forward.
• Archivist: Your listening delves into past eras, ensuring club history never fades.
• Curator: You’re a focused playlist creator, combining the best of your club into mixes.
• Collector: You often save music to your library, building a large club collection.
• Recruiter: You share music far and wide, bringing in frequent new club members.
• Loyalist: You rarely skip tracks, confirming your unwavering dedication to the club.
• Supporter: Your listening favors one artist, ensuring they’re heard around your club.
• Broadcaster: You listen to podcasts more than others, keeping club conversation alive.
• Specialist: You explore experimental sounds, refining your club’s sonic boundaries.

Have you tried the Spotify iceberg?

If you want to do more with your Spotify listening data, you can turn to a tool called icebergify to see where your most listened to music falls on the popularity scale. Are you a deep cut listener, or do you like the popular stuff? This tool will tell you.

Is your Wrapped missing?

If you're having trouble finding your Spotify Wrapped, we can help!

We have a full rundown of everything you can do to make Spotify Wrapped show up if it hasn't for you.

A more social experience

Spotify Wrapped has always been a social experience with people sharing their music with friends and loved ones, but this year, Spotify has taken steps to make it more social.

"We’re also bringing fans together with interactive features that transform your listening data into playful, shareable moments, and we’ve added new controls that let you adjust the speed of your experience and revisit specific moments without starting from the beginning," said Spotify in a blog post.

"As you explore your Wrapped, you’ll see share cards for your data stories. Simply click “share” to send them directly to your friends using Spotify Messages, or post them to your favorite social channels and let the world know what you’ve been listening to."

Wondering what other's got?

If you want a good place to check out other Spotify users' Wrapped, you can head to the Spotify Subreddit and this particular thread to see tons of people sharing theirs. It's amazing to see how much music is out there that you've never even heard of, but is beloved by some enough to be at the top of their list.

Spotify Wrapped impressions

Personally, I think this year's Wrapped is the best yet. Visually, it looks fantastic, and the deeper social integrations make it even more fun to share your music taste with your friends (and perhaps mock theirs).

With the competition feature, it's more fun to get with your friends than ever. Sure, you've always been able to share your Wrapped, and that's fun enough, but with Friend's Battle, it gets even crazier.

While we wait for Spotify Wrapped 2025, it looks like two other streaming services have already dropped their annual stats wrap-ups: Amazon Music has just launched "Delivered," while Apple Music's "Replay" has landed on users' devices.

There's even another entrant from Deezer — "My Deezer Year."

So how do you find them, and what do they tell you? Let's break it down — and then think ahead to Spotify Wrapped and what it might look like in 2025.

Apple Music Replay — what it is and how to find it

Apple Music Replay has landed for a whole bunch of users — including some of the Tom's Guide team. It breaks down your listening stats for the year, although it doesn't have some of the more personal elements of previous Spotify Wrapped. Instead, you get a plain view of how many minutes you've listened to albums, artists, and genres.

Those milestone badges are fun, though, and it's more colorful and involved than previous years.

It's easy enough to find. Just head to the Apple Music app, and it will be on the front page, ready for you to investigate. Or, you can always head to music.apple.com and find your replay there.

Previously, it was only accessible via desktop, but this year, it is much easier to access. It's also more in-depth than last year's, although not as good as Spotify Wrapped.

Amazon Music Delivered — what it is and how to find it

Amazon Music Delivered is the Wrapped equivalent that looks to be the most fun. There's all the requisite listening stats like minutes listened and top artists and tracks, but there are fun extras like the custom festival built around your music taste.

I'm not sure anyone would want to go to "Tammy Fest," given it would be loaded with an eclectic mix of Death metal, Jazz, and hyperpop, but your mileage may vary. Tickets go on sale soon.

It's also easy to find. Open up the Amazon Music app, head to the "library" page, and you'll find the 2025 Delivered banner ready to click. From there, you'll learn your stats and discover which artists are going to be headlining and playing your festival.

You can also head to the "Best of 2025" to learn more about the listening stats of other Amazon Music users.

My Deezer Year — what it is and how to find it

Not to be outdone, Deezer has launched this year's "My Deezer Year." It's filled with colorful stats, and plenty more, including quizes, top artists and tracks, and even where you rank amongst other listeners.

It's also easy to find — if you open up your Deezer app, it's on the front page. From there, you'll learn all of your stats. Or, you can head to My Deezer Year and log in from there.

I really like this one. It looks super fun, and it's packed with information and interactive quizes and games.

Where is Spotify Wrapped?

This just whets our appetite for Spotify Wrapped. It's likely that we'll see Spotify Wrapped soon, given that last year it fell on December 4th. That gives us a moment to get jealous of Apple Music and Amazon Music listeners.

We'll be sure to let you know the moment that Spotify Wrapped lands — but until then, let's see what stats Amazon Music and Apple Music users share for us to tease them over.

More from Tom's Guide

• When is Spotify Wrapped 2025? Everything we know and when to expect it
• Households urged not to pour boiling water down drains this winter — I asked a plumber what to do instead
• Samsung Galaxy Z TriFold just announced — everything we know so far

Spotify has had a BIG year. There have been price hikes (bad), boycotts (also bad), and then Spotify Lossless (good). And now, just as the end of the year starts to roll around, there's one question on every Spotify user's lips — when's Spotify Wrapped!?

What's going to be in it? How do you find it? How will I know when it's available to view? Ok, so that's about four questions, but the fact remains: Spotify Wrapped could well be coming soon.

Here's everything we know about this year's version of Spotify's annual wrap-up.

When is Spotify Wrapped, and when will my stats be from?

Soon! Although we don't yet know how soon. Last year, Spotify Wrapped was on December 4th, giving us a little time to get the popcorn ready for 2025. There have been teaser videos on TikTok, so it's likely that it's going to be within the next few days.

As for the measuring process, it starts the readings from January 1st, all the way to November. That leaves a little time in December to get all the really embarrassing stuff in — and your Christmas listening habits won't affect your Spotify Wrapped statistics. Phew.

What is Spotify Wrapped?

New to the whole Spotify thing, and not sure what Spotify Wrapped is? It's one of the best bits of the service. Throughout the year, Spotify records your listening habits (yes, even the really embarrassing ones) and then prepares a kind of "This is your life" around December time.

It's loads of fun. You get great graphics illustrating the artists you listen to the most, how many minutes you've listened throughout the year, and even where you stand with the rest of an artist's fanbase.

It's almost entirely unique to the service, but there are other streaming services starting to pick it up now. Apple has the less involved "year in review", and Deezer has "My Deezer Year." Both are similar, but none as impressively thought out, informative, or eminently shareable as Spotify's.

What's going to be in Spotify Wrapped 2025

Good question. Expect the usual Spotify Wrapped fair — all those lovely listening stats, fancy graphics and a big ol' share button at the end — but there could also be some interesting curveballs.

Last year, you could listen to a podcast of your whole year with a pair of AI hosts (via Inc). The feature garnered some controversy at the time, despite Spotify having already invested heavily in features like AI DJ.

Then there's the "wrapped playlist," which will likely make a return. This gathers all your tracks of the year together, so that you can listen to them at your leisure. As more of a "put an album on and soak in the story" kind of gal, this bit doesn't interest me, but there are many who come back to their playlist over the next year

There are likely to be AI features within Wrapped 2025, although what they will be remains to be seen until the launch.

How will I find Spotify Wrapped 2025?

The same way you always do — there's almost certainly going to be some kind of notification on your phone, so you can jump straight to Wrapped. There's also usually a banner within the app when you boot it up, so that you can see Wrapped 2025.

You can access Wrapped on Spotify Desktop, but you'll find the best experience on mobile. So get that app installed and prepare to share your deepest, darkest musical secrets with all of your friends.

We'll be watching out for any news, so make sure you stick with Tom's Guide to get all the latest on Spotify Wrapped!

More from Tom's Guide

• These are the best noise canceling earbuds that are actually worth your money right now
• I used ChatGPT to make sense of my employee benefits — here’s how it saved my open enrollment
• Netflix just added an Oscar contender that will leave you laughing and stunned

Spotify is expensive. It's been getting more so over the last few years, eventually landing on the current $11.99 monthly plan that most users pay for. Unfortunately, it looks like users will end up paying even more come the first quarter of 2026.

According to The Financial Times, "three people close to the matter" say Spotify is preparing to raise its prices again, following those in other territories. If it does, that will make it one of the most expensive music streaming services on the market.

How much extra is it going to cost?

Apparently, we're looking at a $1 per month price rise, taking the final price up to $12.99 per month. That's more than Apple Music ($10.99), Tidal ($10.99), and the same price as my personal favorite streaming pick, Qobuz ($12.99).

You do, of course, get all of Spotify's extra features like its AI DJ, excellent curation and music suggestions, along with podcasts and audiobooks — but this is likely going to be a tough pill to swallow for users of the most popular streaming service on earth.

As everything gets more expensive, from your bread flour to the gas you put in your car, a dollar a month can make more of a difference. Spotify will likely point to the addition of Spotify Lossless to explain why it needs an extra dollar every month, but that doesn't make the rise sting any less.

There's still the free option, which now provides more than ever, thanks to a recent update that lets you choose the music you listen to, but I can see how this price hike might make users consider switching to one of the other best music streaming services.

As yet, there's no official announcement from Spotify itself – and we've still got Spotify Wrapped to look forward to later this year. But the potential for price hikes will loom large in the coming weeks.

Switching from one music streamer can be quite the hassle, especially when it comes to your playlists. Spotify is making that switch easier thanks to a new “Import your music” tool rolling out in the coming days.

This week, Spotify announced a new built-in integration with TuneMyMusic, a third-party service that enables playlist transfers between most major music streaming platforms. With the tool built into the Spotify app, the company is likely hoping it’ll convince customers of other music streaming services to jump ship.

Spotify is in hot water with music fans lately. Right now, the streamer is facing a massive boycott over recruitment ads for the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. Plus, outgoing CEO Daniel Ek sparked backlash over his decision to invest hundreds of millions in a military startup, Helsing. This led to several artists removing their music from the platform. And this comes just after the company announced it saw subscriptions increase in the last quarter.

But offering tools like a seamless playlist transfer and the long-awaited addition of lossless audio could be a way for Spotify to increase subscriber count even more in spite of these issues.

Thinking of switching to Spotify? Here’s how Playlist Transfer works

The TuneMyMusic integration can be found in the Your Library tab on the Spotify mobile app. You’ll need to scroll to the bottom, where you’ll find a new option labeled “Import your music.” Follow several prompts to connect with TuneMyMusic, where you’ll choose the platform you want to transfer from.

TuneMyMusic lets you transfer from a variety of platforms including major ones Apple Music, YouTube Music and smaller ones like Deezer. From the information we've seen there don't appear to be any restrictions between Spotify and other platforms. However, if you were to use TuneMyMusic on its own, there is a cap on the amount you can transfer.

It’s not a native tool like the one in YouTube Music or Apple Music, but you don’t have to leave Spotify and your playlists should automatically filter into your library.

Customize your playlists

If you’re new to Spotify, there’s a lot you can do once you’ve transferred your playlists or created new ones in the app. Once you’ve transferred in your playlists, it helps the app’s algorithm get to know your musical taste, enabling it to create personalized daylists.

You can collaborate with friends on a shared playlist or create custom cover art using AI-generated images. Recently, Spotify introduced more granular customization features that allow you to tweak transitions between tracks for a smoother flow. There are also Smart Filters to organize your library by mood or genre.

A nice bonus is most of these features are available to free subscribers rather than being locked behind the monthly $11.99 Premium plan.

More from Tom’s Guide

• Best music streaming services
• Spotify's recent missteps drove me to Apple Music — and I can't believe it took me so long
• I just ditched Spotify for Apple Music — these 3 unique features have me hooked

It may seem strange to begin an article headlined ‘I love Spotify Lossless’ by professing my adoration for another music streaming service, but I feel such a preface is justified. You see, I’m an avid Tidal user; I have been for years. It’s the most-used app on my phone (after WhatsApp!)

Having dabbled with Qobuz (also great), Amazon Music (very good), Deezer and YouTube Music (decent) over the years, I’ve found myself returning to the impressive audio quality, useful Connect feature and ‘just right’ interface of Tidal every time. Like an eager traveller, keen to see the world but finds themselves revisiting the same place over and over.

While naturally I have encountered Spotify on my music streaming (and audio reviewing) ventures, the world’s most popular music service has rarely piqued my curiosity in recent years due to its comparatively poor audio quality. After all, what’s the use of innovative music discovery and pop culture playlists to someone who often listens to music through a multi-thousand-dollar hi-fi system, if the quality isn’t there?

Spotify belatedly joins the lossless party

That all changed in September 2025, when Spotify finally, after years of failing to deliver on its promise of lossless sound, introduced Spotify Lossless. This substantially upgraded Spotify Premium subscribers’ streaming quality, from bitrates comparable to MP3 quality (320kbps) to that of true high-resolution audio (up to 24-bit/44.1kHz).

It was undoubtedly a monumental step forward for Spotify, bringing its sound-conscious subscribers and the general propagation of hi-res audio into the mainstream… albeit not so much for the audiophile industry. Indeed, Tidal, Qobuz, Amazon and Apple have delivered technically superior hi-res streaming, up to 24-bit/192kHz, for years.

Why didn’t Spotify match that higher cap? Spotify says that facilitating the highest of hi-res quality would require “greater data volume and bandwidth requirements.” Presumably because it relates to storing the streams in its system and transmitting them over Spotify Connect, since, generally, the higher a stream’s bitrate, the larger the file. Spotify has vastly more paying subscribers than its rivals, too, which may well have exacerbated such logistical challenges.

Audibly, that gap between Spotify’s maximum 24-bit/44.1kHz and its rivals’ peak 24-bit/192kHz audio, represented by the amount of musical information within the recording, is significant for owners of audio hardware that is transparent enough to reveal that extra detail – yes, such as my hi-fi system, but also, say, a DAC and wired headphones setup that merely breaks the three-figure barrier.

What about the more modest audio devices that the vast (vast) majority of Spotify subscribers stream their music through, such as Sonos wi-fi speakers or the Sony WH-1000XM6 wireless headphones? Nope, not revealing enough. OK, so what about the best wireless headphones costing as much as $600? Still no… sorry, folks.

Not only is such hardware typically not sophisticated enough, but the Bluetooth technology at the heart of many of them is inherently limited, too. Even when wirelessly streaming music between two devices (a phone and headphones, say) that support the highest-quality Bluetooth codecs (aptX Lossless and LDAC), hi-res audio is compressed in order to wirelessly transmit the large audio files; its quality is compromised anyway.

You could look at all this as good news. After all, if you won’t likely benefit from the ‘better’ quality offered by Spotify rivals anyway, are feelings of FOMO towards Tidal’s highest-quality streams justified? Spotify is now plenty good enough for most people and their modern headphones and speakers, period.

Giving Spotify a shot…

It was time to give the ‘MIP’ (Most Improved Player) the chance I’d afforded Qobuz et al to pull me away from Tidal, and I’m glad I did. If you, like me, haven’t used Spotify for a while, it’s probably comparable to your high-school friend you now only see once in a blue moon – familiar, just much busier.

The interface is dense, the suggested algorithm-led playlists are everywhere, but it’s still the intuitive, graphic-heavy and highly personalised experience it has always been.

It took me a week or so to get used to the shoutier layout compared to Tidal’s comparatively more muted UI, and naturally, you need about that time to allow Spotify to work out your music tastes based on your searches and what artist/song stations and mixes you lean into. Once I was settled in, it was the best thing to happen to my phone all year.

…pays off

What I came to most appreciate, and which I will be hesitant to bid adieu to, is the extra content and superior discovery Spotify offers.

Spotify has been on a mission to make its service more interactive than ever before, adding collaborative playlist builders with friends and ways for you to ‘play DJ’ by, for example, editing track transition effects. Personally, I can take or leave them.

But then you have a whole catalogue of podcasts. Thousands of them.

I’ve not been much of a podcast fan in the past, though I realise now that it’s because they weren’t shoved in front of me; Tidal doesn’t have a podcast library. I’m now enjoying regular dalliances with The Rest Is Football and Parenting Hell with Rob Beckett and Josh Widdicombe, and I don’t want to give it up. Perhaps I’ll give Spotify’s included audiobook offering a try too, despite being a book-in-hand-worm.

Also, while Tidal has its own very effective versions of Spotify’s headline Discovery Weekly and Release Radar playlists, I have come to love Spotify’s wider genre- and mood-based mixes (which don’t miss!), as well as the AI Playlist that creates a tracklist based on your prompt, such as ‘live performances by folk bands’ (which can miss but are still, in my mind, valuable!)

I was surprised by how quickly Spotify’s algorithm ‘learned’ my music taste, too. Within a week, Spotify’s track suggestions didn’t look any less relevant than the Tidal ones based on years of use. Other services typically take much longer to get into your groove.

Sound up to scratch (for mobile)

So how does Spotify Lossless’ sound compare? Through my current Bluetooth headphones, the Bowers & Wilkins Px7 S3 ($449) and Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds 2 ($249), perfectly decent. They’re a huge upgrade over the service’s former 320kbps streams – the soundstage is opened up, and music is clearer and punchier, with much more detail on offer.

As good as Tidal’s? Almost. The Tidal streams certainly sounded different – every service somewhat differs sonically in my experience, whether that’s down to how the streams are stored in the back end, or something else – and, ultimately, a touch clearer and more refined, but not in a night and day “that cymbal sounds positively crude; I must return to Tidal immediately” way.

Sure, compare the services through my hi-fi and laptop/DAC/headphone system instead, and, as expected, that sentiment wasn’t mirrored; the sonic benefit of Tidal’s higher cap shone through on tracks available in 24/96 and 192. But as for the audio experience through a phone and everyday headphones, Spotify Lossless has brought the service bang up to scratch.

Two months into using Spotify Lossless, I find myself only reverting to Tidal when listening through my hi-fi streamer. Its arrival has allowed me to finally appreciate the ‘extras’ Spotify offers and anticipate my first Spotify Wrapped. I’ll be sticking with both services for as long as possible.

More from Tom's Guide

• Qobuz vs Tidal: Battle of the hi-res music streamers
• Best music streaming services in 2025
• I just ditched Spotify for Apple Music — these 3 unique features have me hooked

Spotify users have been dealing with a frustrating problem over the last few days. The app crashes every time they try to play a podcast. The issue has hit both Android and iOS devices, with reports spiking around 3 a.m. EST on November 18th and continuing since then.

While music playback and podcast browsing work fine, actually playing an episode triggers an immediate crash. Spotify has acknowledged the problem and rolled out a fix, though many users are still experiencing issues. If your app is still acting up, there are some straightforward steps you can take to get your Spotify working properly.

More from Tom's Guide

• Spotify has 3 hidden features most people don't know about
• Spotify's new mixing feature lets you DJ your own playlists
• Spotify now lets you block specific songs from playlists

Spotify has just rolled out a "Recap" feature for audiobooks. Imagine a TV series' "Last week, on Friends" montage at the start of an episode. Spotify's audiobook recap works in the exact same way.

Once you've listened to 15-20 minutes of an audiobook, Spotify generates a recap using AI. This is a tailored recap that tells you exactly what has happened, so you can pick up your book from where you left off.

Spotify announced that Recap is available in beta on the iOS app, but only for a select few English-language audiobooks. If you're worried about AI data, Spotify has said that "We are not using audiobook content for LLM training purposes or voice generation, and Recaps do not replicate narration or replace the original audiobook in any way."

I've seen a few people treat Recap with trepidatious optimism, but I'm not convinced. Here's why I'm erring more on the "trepidatious" side.

The joy of reading

Spotify is the most convenient music streaming service there is, hands down. There's no other music streamer that has mastered the art of ultra-convenience, offering AI-generated playlists, Daily Mixes, and even short-form video content within the app.

But I don't think everything should be that convenient. Things feel better when you have to work for them. Making playlists is fun. Discovering your next favorite music is fun. Watching whole music videos is fun!

That's why I feel a little apprehensive about the new Recap feature. Reading is one of my favorite hobbies. I read every single day, and I look forward to my reading session. I love curling up on my reading armchair and hallucinating wildly for the next few hours. Or enjoying audiobook voice artists perform their roles admirably — that's what audiobooks are all about.

Where's the joy in an AI-generated voice reminding me of what I've missed in the story? Where's the appreciation for the author, for the art of literature, or the unbridled joy that reading brings me?

The author of the book I'm reading didn't spend multiple years of their life toiling away, painstakingly editing each word and constructing involute plots for me to offload my reading onto an AI.

I'm not just talking about reading with my eyes, by the way — this includes audiobooks, too. When you listen to audiobooks, you're still getting the novel in the way the author intended. And you get the added bonus of hearing talented actors show off their performing abilities, bringing your book to life.

I know the Recap feature is intended to make my life easier. There are some obvious reasons why this could be useful: A new book in a series is coming out, and I've forgotten what happened in the last book; I have to read a book before an event or book club; I stopped reading a book six months ago, and now I want to pick it back up.

But all these reasons feel very superficial. If I love a book series enough to read the next release, surely I have 24 hours in which I can listen to the previous book? If I need to read a book for a book club but I outsource that to an AI, why am I even going to a book club in the first place? If I stopped reading a book six months ago, why don't I just start it again to get the full story?

It also raises the question: Can AI truly convey nuance? It can't infer, it can't notice motifs and themes, and all the literary things authors spend years trying to perfect. If the AI recaps a book for me, surely it's going to miss all those little titbits of information? What if it misses the fact that the love interest brushes their hand against the main character's cheek on page 121? What if I then don't feel as attached to the characters when they do finally get together on page 345, because there's no yearning?

What do you think about the Recap feature? Let me know in the comments if you agree with me or not.

But it's not all bad... or is it?

The new Recap feature is certainly not useless. As I said earlier, there are three main reasons why this could be a good thing. A new book in a series, you have to read before an event, but don't have time, you stopped reading, and now you want to pick it back up again.

But all of these reasons forget why we read in the first place: The pure joy of literature. There's nothing like snuggling up with a good book and reading until your eyes feel like sandpaper. Or, if you're an audiobook connoisseur, listening until you fall asleep.

There's a reason why everyone I know is rewatching Stranger Things right now. Not because we're asking ChatGPT to recount the events of seasons 1-4, but because we genuinely love the show and want to experience it again.

So why would I want to recap books in the same way? We live in a society that seems to chase convenience over anything else. But what about our hobbies? Are we really going to start using AI to condense our favorite games, to tell us what happened in the local sports events, rather than watch the real thing?

I think we should be spending more time doing our hobbies now that AI is making the annoying, mundane tasks in our lives much easier. And recapping audiobooks is not something I'm ever going to be interested in.

More from Tom's Guide

• Not a typo! AirPods Pro 2 just crashed to $139 on Walmart — save 40% right now
• Best early Black Friday earbuds deals under $100 — save on Beats, AirPods, Soundcore and more
• Act fast! AirPods 4 just dropped to lowest-ever price in this early Black Friday deal

I've tried almost all of the mainstream music streaming services. I've listened to Qobuz, Tidal, Deezer, and I'm onto Apple Music now.

I've found replacing Spotify really hard. No other streaming service has as many features — whether that's music discovery, social, or playlist features — but Apple Music has got the closest thus far. Although I still miss Spotify, I think Apple Music is my new go-to.

Three main features have helped me make the switch: 1) Apple Music's live radio, 2) Apple Music's best-in-class Dolby Atmos-powered Spatial Audio, and 3) Apple Music's super-specific year-by-year genre playlists. Slowly, but surely, the Spotify-shaped hole in my heart is closing. Here's what I think you should check out if you're making the switch.

1. Live radio

One of my favorite parts of Apple Music is the live radio. With an Apple Music subscription, you get access to a 24/7 (mostly) radio schedule, with genres ranging from J-Pop to throwback hits to brand-new alternative music.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, but if you're a music lover on the lookout for curated playlists or new artists, you'll probably love live radio. If you find a specialist radio show about your favorite genres, you should find tons of new tracks in no time. I have a wide, varied, and sometimes niche music taste. My secret? I listen to the radio.

Apple Music has two of my favorite shows: Zane Lowe's New Music Discovery and Matt Wilkinson's UK-oriented New Music show. It's not just new music, though: there are also throwback and Bollywood stations. Even Elton John has a show.

I would actually pay for Apple Music just for these radio shows. They've seriously changed how I discover new music — and you can save your favorite discoveries to your Apple Music library directly from the radio show. Simply tap the star icon next to the track name, and voila. It's in your library.

2. Spatial Audio

Now, a small part of me wonders if this is just because Dolby Atmos-powered Spatial Audio is still a novelty. Spotify doesn't have any Spatial Audio functionality, so I've been spoiled by Apple Music's Atmos.

I have AirPods, so you will only be able to take advantage of this feature if you have Spatial Audio-enabled headphones or earbuds, like AirPods Pro 3 or AirPods Max.

Not every song is Dolby Atmos-encoded, but I'd say most hot, major-label new hits are. Apple Music has premade playlists specifically for Spatial Audio, though, so don't worry. You don't have to play a guessing game.

As I move my head, the music follows and tricks my brain into thinking it's coming from all around me. If I tilt my head to the left side, the music feels as if it's only audible in my right ear.

Beyond being pretty cool, this makes the music sound more expansive, more real. You can easily trick your brain into thinking your favorite artists are performing a private concert in the comfort of your skull. It's pretty neat.

But opinions differ. While I find that it enhances my listening experience, Tom's Guide's Audio Editor finds that it can make her tunes sound more synthetic, thinning out the sound to provide an artificially widened soundstage. Still, it's something I've come to appreciate during my time with the service.

Then again, it could just be a novelty feature, and I might be bored with it in a week. Who knows?

3. Super-specific year-by-year playlists

I know that Spotify has pre-made playlists similar to Apple Music's. However, Spotify's playlists are much less specific. You can find playlists like "Alternative 10s" and "Rock 90s", but there are fewer playlists just as niche as Apple Music's.

As you can see from the screenshot above, Apple Music has a range of playlists in a certain genre — for every single year. The "Alternative" playlists go back until 1988. If I want, I can live vicariously in 1991 through Apple Music's specific genre playlists. I love these.

I'm feeling quite nostalgic for the mid-late 2010s at the moment (a simpler, better time), so I'm loving the 2015-2019 playlists. As soon as I press play, I feel like I'm back in my college days, when my only worries were about how much reading I had to do.

Here's a screenshot of Spotify's version of these playlists so you can see what I mean.

As you can see, the playlists aren't as niche or as specific. It's great that Spotify has these ready-made, and I know you can search for more specific playlists made by the community, but the Apple Music playlists are a great starting point if you want to relive a certain year.

What other Apple Music features have I missed? I've only been using it for two weeks, so I'm not an Apple Music expert yet. Let me know in the comments what I should check out next!

More from Tom's Guide

• Hurry! Bose QuietComfort Ultra Earbuds just crashed to lowest price ever before Black Friday
• I tried audiophile icon Meze’s brand-new entry-level headphones — and I feel like I’m hearing my favorite songs for the first time
• I just tested this pair of wired headphones, and they blow wireless options out of the water

I've tried almost all of the best music streaming services. I've used audiophile-approved Qobuz, best-of-both-worlds Tidal, and even dabbled in Deezer.

But after Spotify's recent missteps — unethical investments, disappointing lossless, increasing subscription prices, to name a few — I started using Apple Music. I can't see myself ever going back to Spotify now. I love everything about Apple Music: the playlists, the algorithm, and the live radio stations.

I've not had time to uncover every inch of Apple Music's features, but I've already deleted the Spotify app. Here's everything I love about Apple Music, and why I quit Spotify.

Why did I leave Spotify?

I've written about my distaste for Spotify many, many times here on Tom's Guide. I've been on a journey for the past few months, trying to find a music streaming service that does everything I want and need, whilst also making ethical sense.

The straw that broke the camel's back was the delayed introduction of Spotify Lossless. This belated addition felt more like a "shut up" feature than something Spotify actually wanted to do. The worst part? Spotify Lossless isn't as lossless as Qobuz, Apple Music, or Tidal.

On top of the lackluster hi-res streaming, Spotify is (allegedly) the worst-paying music streaming service out there. Take a look at these figures.

Spotify is rumored to pay a mere $0.003-$0.005 per stream. Let's compare this to Qobuz, which paid "US$0.01873 per stream" in the financial year 2024. Qobuz pays the most out of any streaming services I've personally come across.

Comparatively, Apple Music (allegedly) pays $0.01 per stream. Yes, this is $0.008 less than Qobuz, but still more than Spotify.

$0.003 is an incomprehensibly low number. You'd need to get 334 streams to make $1.

Regarding artist payouts, I've received the following statement from a spokesperson for Spotify: "Every other streaming service pays less than Spotify. Spotify paid out $10 billion to the music industry last year and has paid out $60 billion all time. Our music subscription competitors haven’t reported their subscriber figures or music industry payouts in years, because they pay far less. Additionally, per-stream rate is a false narrative – a high per-stream rate means that users are listening less. No one wants that!” 

Now, I'm not privy to the inner workings of streaming services' payouts, so I can only believe two things: 1) What the freely available facts tell me, or 2) What the companies themselves claim.

Qobuz actually does share its payouts, as I linked above, in its yearly financial reports.

Qobuz says that, "In terms of average revenue per user (ARPU), Qobuz generated average revenue of  US$121.13 per year, where the market average is US$22.38 per year². This means that Qobuz generates on average five times more revenue per user than the market average, which results in a significant impact on artists' remuneration."

So while Tidal and Apple Music don't share their payouts, Qobuz does. This is why it's the best streaming service for serious music lovers.

However, it's worth noting that Spotify has the largest subscriber base of any streaming service, so this is better for artists in terms of exposure. Ethical Consumer reports that, "It's important to note that while Spotify receives extensive criticism regarding artist compensation, it does not use a significantly less equitable payout model than most of its competitors."

All that being said, streaming is less profitable for artists than buying physical copies of their music. However, we can't make any concrete decisions about which music streamer pays the best until all the streaming services release their payout information.

I would love to see Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Deezer, and Amazon Music's true royalty-payments information, so I can compare directly with Qobuz.

If every artist made peanuts from their music, they wouldn't be able to pay for essentials like rent, food, bills, etc. I'm not talking about huge artists like Taylor Swift or Sabrina Carpenter — they're earning more than enough money for the bare minimum. But smaller, indie artists need extra help.

Sure, music streaming services are inherently exploitative, and I think you should do your bit by attending live shows, buying merch, and promoting your favorite musicians via word of mouth. But I think every little helps, which is why I'm so done with Spotify. I don't want all musicians to have to be on a major label contract to make a wage (and even then, not all of them do).

Don't even get me started on Spotify's CEO, Daniel Ek, making military investments. Let's just say I'm not a fan of the guy and leave it at that.

Does Apple Music have the same features as Spotify?

In short, no. I hate how well Spotify has nailed the streaming landscape. Nay, not nailed. Shaped. Spotify has shaped the streaming landscape and continues to do so. Unfortunately, no other music streamer can quite match the utter beast that is Spotify.

Apple Music doesn't have "Daily Mixes" like Spotify, but it creates a personal station based on your taste. This refreshes once a week, which isn't as good as Spotify. All is not lost, though. Apple Music also has a "Discover Station, "Get Up!", "Focus", "Chill", and mood-based playlists like "Heartbreak" and "Feel Good".

I only dislike one thing about these automated playlists: You can't see the tracklist before pressing play. On Spotify, you can see an entire mix's tracklist before committing. On Apple Music, you're risking it all. I suppose, though, there's a bit of magic to that — it's like going for a lucky dip at a record store, isn't it?

The actual content of these playlists is awesome: my "Heartbreak" playlist was populated with artists like Hayley Williams, Beck, and Nick Cave. All the tracks were, as advertised, heartbreaking.

Some good news, though: Apple Music does have a Spotify Wrapped alternative! It's called "Apple Music Replay" and is a very similar feature. Replay tracks: Minutes listened, top artists, top tracks — by month and year — and top genres. There's no fun names like "Pink Pilates Princess" or "Emo Fuzzwave Bucket Summer" (I made that second one up, but doesn't it sound legit?).

You do get the overall genre, though, which is enough. It'll say things like "pop rock", "soft rock", and "alternative" rather than super-niche Instagrammable neo-names.

What does Apple Music have that Spotify doesn't?

For starters, Apple Music (allegedly) pays artists more. This is my joint-first reason for deleting the Spotify app, alongside the dodgy investments and forgettable Lossless.

Secondly, if you've got AirPods or AirPods Max, you're in for a complete and utter treat. Apple Music unlocks a hi-res Bluetooth codec called ALAC. This is kind of like Apple's version of aptX or LDAC.

There's a catch, though: You can only use ALAC if you're listening with Apple-manufactured audio gear, through the Apple-manufactured streaming service. Yeah, I know, I know. I hate everything about that. But... it's Apple. At this point, what do you expect?

So if you have AirPods Pro 3, AirPods Max, or AirPods Pro 2 like me, you're going to get a whole new world of audio quality. I'm talking second-to-none Dolby Spatial Audio, high-fidelity, expansive soundscapes, and textured, dynamic sound reproduction. Oh, boy. Apple Music makes my AirPods Pro 2 sound even better than they are.

Now for a really good reason: Live radio. You know how Spotify keeps shoving that "AI DJ" down our throats?

Yeah, Apple Music heard you, and raised you. Apple Music has real human DJs almost 24/7. You'll find specialist radio shows on all sorts of genres, from cheesy throwback pop hits, to alternative new releases, to J-Pop, and hip-hop. Here's what the radio homepage looks like.

I utterly adore live radio. I test all the best microphones for broadcasting here at Tom's Guide, and spent three years presenting a specialist radio show whilst at university, so of course, radio holds a special place in my heart. All of Apple Music's shows are versatile and nuanced, and showcase a huge variety of genres, with playlists highlighting unknown musicians and big-name artists alike.

I listen to these shows pretty much every day and I'm always discovering new songs. I especially am into Matt Wilkinson and Zane Lowe — I highly recommend these DJs if you take advantage of Apple Music's free trial month.

Speaking of the Apple Music free trial month... if you're interested in switching, you can now transfer your Spotify library for free. Unfortunately, this is only available in a certain number of countries, and the U.S. isn't one of them. As I'm based in the U.K., though, I can confirm that I've tried this feature and it works like a dream. It transferred around 10,000 songs worth of playlists in under 2 hours.

I'm not finished exploring Apple Music, though

I'm going to end by saying that I have only been using Apple Music for a few weeks, whereas I used Spotify for almost 17 years. I got Spotify in January 2009. I was literally a child on my parents' old desktop PC.

So, of course I know more about Spotify than I do Apple Music. I'm actually heartbroken that Spotify has forced me to do this, and forced an old dog to learn new tricks. I barely have time to do my hobbies, let alone teach myself how to use a brand-new music streaming service.

Rest assured I'll write more pieces on how I'm getting on with Apple Music. As I uncover more features, annoyances, and points of comparison, I'll almost certainly write about. If you want more info on the switch from Spotify, be sure to follow along.

For example: I've seen other users claim you can't really switch between smart home devices when using Apple Music, and setting up a home sound system can be tricky thanks to the lack of a "Spotify Connect" type feature. I'll investigate that in due course.

More from Tom's Guide

• Not a typo! Bose QuietComfort Headphones are 43% off right now before Black Friday
• I ditched my Bose QuietComfort Ultra Headphones for the Sony WH-1000XM6 — here's my verdict after a week
• I'm sick of headphone apps — and here's how I think we can solve the problem

I’m sure that the number of listening hours I rack up on Spotify could be considered unhealthy. Between testing the best Bluetooth speakers, best headphones, and best wireless earbuds, music is a huge part of my working day, as well as my R&R in the evening.

But something that always stumps me is what to listen to. And as someone who will listen to almost anything, I can spend hours skipping through playlists and liked songs until I settle on what I’m in the mood for.

That’s where Spotify’s pre-made playlist features can come in handy, and I think the Daylist may just be my favorite one. You can find this feature by searching ‘Daylist’ in the Spotify search bar.

How the Daylist works

The Daylist is updated multiple times a day, and you get a handy time stamp in the description of the playlist to let you know when to expect the next update. These updates also come along in the morning, afternoon, evening, and night with a fun title change (which I’ll get to later).

The playlists are created by a learning algorithm that pays attention to and analyzes your listening habits. This means that if you usually listen to hard-core rock on a Monday evening after a long first day of the working week, your Daylist is going to reflect that.

It pays attention to your skips and liked songs too, and I’ve never had a song in my Daylist that I don’t like. After weeks of paying close attention to my daylists, I’ve come to notice that on Sunday mornings, I get mellow folk music, but on a Wednesday evening, I get emo and post-punk. Like I said, my listening habits change with my mood, so seeing Spotify’s algorithm keep up with this is pretty impressive.

The most unhinged titles

The talk of the town after the 2024 Spotify Wrapped was the insane genre names. I was personally labeled with genres such as ‘Pink Pilates Princes Strut Pop’, and ‘Coastal Grandmother Slow Dance Oldies’, but the Daylist names may be even weirder.

They use very specific microgenres and mash them all together to make an even more niche playlist name. That’s great, because this playlist is truly tailored to you.

My day started with Dark Academia Sweater Weather Thursday Morning, and you’d be forgiven for thinking, ‘what in earth is that?’. It features songs like Tear in My Heart by Twenty One Pilots, Come A Little Closer by Cage The Elephant, and Cough Syrup by Young the Giant. It’s a playlist that took me right back to my school days, and while it’s not what I would have reached for immediately, I enjoyed listening, and it’s like Spotify knew what I needed because it set me up for a great day.

In the afternoon, the playlist was entitled Old School Rock American Ballad Thursday Afternoon, which is, again, quite the mouthful. However, with this title, I knew what I was getting into — purely beltable classics. This had tracks like Take on Me by a-ha, Africa by Toto, and What’s Up? By 4 Non Blondes. Each is a classic in its own right.

I asked the Tom’s Guide team to share some of their daylist names, and there was quite a range. One of my favorites was Athleisure Mcbling Thursday Morning from our Reviews Editor, Pete. His Daylist featured tracks including Superstar by Jamelia, Round Round by the Sugababes, and Don’t Phunk With My Heart by the Black Eyed Peas.

Another from Senior Writer, Nikita, is Wake Cyberpunk Thursday Afternoon. This one featured gaming soundtracks. But in the morning, Nikita was recommended Edgy Dirty Rock Thursday morning, with tracks from Ghost, Thirty Seconds To Mars, and The Pretty Reckless.

How accurate is it?

Whenever I listen to the Daylist, it always suits my mood. As I mentioned, I’m using Spotify pretty much 24/7, so there is a lot of information the streaming platform can use to get my listening habits right. But if you use other streaming services more, it’s not as likely to get to know you so well.

Our Audio Editor, Tammy, listens using a whole host of different services, including Qobuz, and noted that her Death Metal Extreme Thursday Morning Spotify Daylist wasn’t far off. But this could have been far more accurate if Spotify were Tammy’s go-to platform.

However, the Athleisure Mcbling Thursday Morning Daylist created for Pete was nowhere near what he wanted to listen to. He was actually listening to BLACKOUT by Turnstile at the time, which is pretty much the furthest thing away from Atheisure Mcbling you can get.

So in short, it totally depends on how much you use the service and how much you interact by skipping and saving songs, as well as creating your own playlists. But it’s one of my favorite ways to listen, especially when I’m feeling indecisive.

More from Tom's Guide

• Nike’s controversial new running shoe is like an e-bike for your feet — meet Project Amplify
• I use Notes to capture ideas on my iPhone — these 8 tips help me do more with the app
• This 20-minute resistance band workout builds full-body strength in just 5 moves