Apple Music Challenges Spotify with Playlists

Apple are set to challenge Spotify’s “Discover Weekly” playlist and boost subscription numbers by adding two new personalised playlists to its Apple Music service.

The new playlists are found in the “For You” section of the music app which monitors user’s listening patterns and likes. Users can choose to subscribe to either playlist and have the option to allow automatic downloads of new tracks as they arrive, similar to “Discover Weekly”.

The “My New Music Mix” playlist will update every Friday and currently offers 25 completely new tracks based on the user’s personal preferences.

Apple Music’s other new playlist, “My Favourites Mix”, will update every Wednesday and features a combination of new and old tracks. The old tracks, while still included in the playlist, will form the basis for the app to add more songs that match those in which the user has liked.

The changes present a potential new monetisation model for the platform if Apple chooses to introduce ads to the playlists. Spotify have effectively implemented sponsored playlists and continue to experience high demand for ads based on the popularity of their playlists.

With the introduction of the new playlists, Apple intends not only to retain existing customers, but also to encourage trial users to take up a full time subscription.

Apple’s recent push to boost subscription numbers has seen a revamp of many of Apple Music’s existing features. Apple Music has climbed to 17 million subscribers, up from 15 million in June. However, this only amounts to roughly half of Spotify’s 30 million subscribers.

The design of the app was altered earlier this year as Apple decided to drop its social networking tool, “Connect”, from the navigation tabs at the bottom of the app. This allowed for a cleaner and more streamlined experience for users.

As the new playlists were only rolled out recently, it remains to be seen whether the new additions to Apple Music will rival Spotify’s stronghold on the music streaming market.