Spotify expands discovery with updated Fresh Finds

Like all other streaming services, Spotify is trying to attract more consumers through its discovery recommendations. 

It has expanded its Fresh Finds feature, with weekly refreshed suggestions for up-and-coming hits across hip hop, electronica, pop, guitar rock and experimental ambient sounds. 

The feature was included on the platform last year and has 100,000 subscribers. But it was just this week that it was actively promoted by the company. The playlists are updated in Australia every Wednesday.

“Spotify has always focused on artists and listeners, and with Fresh Finds we’re specifically looking at new creators, digging deeper to understand how undiscovered artists can attract a huge fan base,” said Dr. Brian Whitman, Principal Scientist at Spotify.

“By analysing the listening behaviour of our top tastemaker users, we’re able to predict new breakout artists and filter their hits-to-be into playlists with the most promising new music out there.”

Fresh Finds’ technology was developed by the small Boston company The Echo Nest, which Spotify acquired in 2014. It is a playlist of recommendations of rising stars and trending songs, based on data from the internet (including music blogs and news sites) and from Spotify user and tastemaker listening patterns.

It is the opposite of another feature Discover Weekly, which offers recommendations personalised for Spotify users. It generated over 1 billion streams in its first 10 weeks after its July 2015 launch, rising to 1.7 billion by the end of the year.