Spotify announced Monday that free users will now be able to search, pick, and play any track they want, marking a major change to the platform’s free tier.
The new tools, called “Pick & Play,” “Search & Play,” and “Share & Play,” expand what has historically been a shuffle-only experience with limited skips for non-paying listeners.
With “Pick & Play,” free users can directly select and play a song inside the Spotify app. “Search & Play” allows them to look up a specific track and listen instantly. The “Share & Play” feature lets free users play songs shared on social media platforms, such as Instagram Stories and Notes.
The rollout comes after Spotify introduced lossless audio streaming for Premium subscribers. While free users will gain more flexibility, restrictions will remain compared with paid accounts, which still include exclusive offerings like AI Playlists, Mix, and lossless streaming.
The shift could boost ad engagement at a time when Spotify’s advertising business is underperforming. CEO Daniel Ek recently admitted the company had been “moving too slowly” in growing ad revenue, which stood at 11% of overall revenue in June—far below the 20% target.
Spotify continues to rely heavily on its free tier to grow its audience. In its most recent quarter, the platform reported 696 million monthly active users, of which 433 million were free, ad-supported listeners and 276 million were Premium subscribers.
The new features are expected to roll out globally to free users in the coming weeks.
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