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What is Spotify Discovery Mode and how to enable it?

What is Spotify Discovery Mode and how to enable it?

By Maxence Pepin
21 April, 2023

Spotify, the popular music streaming platform, is always searching for ways to improve user experience and help listeners discover new music. One such feature, called Discovery Mode, provides a unique listening experience tailored to each user's personal taste. In this article, we'll dive deeper into what Discovery Mode is, how it compares to other Spotify features, and how to enable and get the most out of it.

Understanding Spotify Discovery Mode

Discovery Mode is a feature on Spotify that helps users find new music catered to their individual preferences. It does this by analyzing your listening history and playlist additions, delivering fresh tracks that align with your tastes. To better understand Discovery Mode, let's take a closer look at the purpose of this feature, how it benefits users and artists, and how it compares to other Spotify features.

The purpose of Discovery Mode

The primary goal of Discovery Mode is to help listeners expand their music library and find new artists they may not have discovered otherwise. With millions of songs available on the platform, it can be overwhelming to know where to start. Discovery Mode simplifies the process by presenting a curated list of tracks that fit your taste, making it easier to explore the vast world of music with confidence.

For example, if you are a fan of indie rock, Discovery Mode will suggest new artists that fall within that genre. It may also suggest similar genres, such as alternative rock or folk rock, to help broaden your musical horizons. This personalized approach to music discovery ensures that you are always discovering new tracks that align with your tastes, making the listening experience more enjoyable and engaging.

Person listening to music

How it benefits users and artists

For users, Discovery Mode offers a fresh listening experience every time they use the feature. By constantly updating its selections based on your recent activity, it ensures that you are always discovering new music that speaks to your personal preferences. It also allows users to discover new artists that they may not have found otherwise, giving them the opportunity to support up-and-coming musicians and expand their musical horizons.

For artists, Discovery Mode can be a powerful tool for gaining exposure and finding new fans. The more people discover and engage with their music, the higher the chances are that their tracks will be included in other users' playlists and shared among friends. This can lead to increased streams, downloads, and ticket sales, helping to establish a loyal fan base and increase their overall success in the music industry.

Comparing Discovery Mode to other Spotify features

While there are other features on Spotify like Daily Mixes and Radio that also serve to introduce new music, Discovery Mode sets itself apart through its focus on personalization and curated content. Its algorithm is designed to delve deeper into your unique music interests, making it a more customized and accurate tool for finding new artists and tracks that you won't find in other pre-curated playlists.

For example, Daily Mixes are created based on your listening history and feature a mix of familiar and new tracks, while Radio creates a station based on a specific artist or song. While both of these features can introduce new music to users, they are not as personalized as Discovery Mode and may not always align with a user's specific tastes.

In conclusion, Spotify's Discovery Mode is a powerful tool for music discovery that benefits both users and artists. By offering a personalized approach to music curation, it helps users find new tracks that align with their tastes while also giving up-and-coming artists the exposure they need to succeed in the music industry.

Spotify For Artists Logo

Enabling Spotify Discovery Mode

Now that you have a better understanding of what Discovery Mode is, let's go through the process of enabling it on your Spotify Artist profile. We'll cover the requirements for using the feature, provide a step-by-step guide, and share some tips for gaining more streams from Discovery Mode.

Requirements for using Discovery Mode

To get started with Discovery Mode, you'll first need a Spotify artist profile that is enrolled in the program. The program is still in beta as of April 21st, 2023, and is not enabled automatically for all artists. You must have at least 25,000 monthly listeners, you must be registered in one of the countries listed on Spotify's website, and have at least 3 tracks that are distributed through a distributor participating the project, such as Releese, at least 30 days old and have been streamed in Spotify's Radio playlist in the last 7 days.

Step-by-step guide to enable Discovery Mode

  1. Open the Spotify For Artists website on your desktop.
  2. Navigate to the "Campaigns" tab.
  3. Scroll down until you see the "Discovery Mode" section.
  4. Enable your tracks listed in the list

It's important to note that the Discovery Mode might not have a huge impact on your streams if you do not have an already sizeable audience. In our experience, artists with at least 100,000 monthly listeners tend to see the most interesting results.

Customizing your Discovery Mode experience

To make the most of your Discovery Mode experience, be sure to actively engage with the platform by "liking" songs, adding favorite tracks to your playlists, and following artists you enjoy. This will refine the algorithm's understanding of your music preferences, resulting in a more tailored and satisfying listening experience.

Spotify Discovery Mode Analytics Chart

Potential drawbacks and limitations of Discovery Mode

Though Discovery Mode offers plenty of benefits, it's also essential to consider some potential drawbacks and limitations. In this section, we'll discuss concerns about artist compensation, algorithm biases, and balancing Discovery Mode with your regular listening habits.

Concerns about artist compensation

As with any platform that utilizes an algorithm to promote content, there are concerns about how artists are compensated for their work through Discovery Mode. Smaller, independent artists may receive lower payouts when their music is streamed and promoted on the platform. This is important to keep in mind when exploring new music, as supporting the artists you love is a crucial part of the listening experience.

Algorithm biases and limitations

While the algorithm behind Discovery Mode is designed to provide personalized results, it may not always offer the most comprehensive recommendations. It's possible that certain artists or genres might be over-or under-represented in your Discover Weekly playlist. Bearing these limitations in mind, it's essential to actively seek out new music outside the algorithm.

In conclusion, Spotify's Discovery Mode is an exciting feature that makes growing your audience easier! We recommend joining the program as soon as it opens up to your artist profile as you will get free engagement on the most active streaming platform in the world.

Maxence Pepin profile picture
Maxence has amassed over 50 million streams as an independent artist before working as a business development manager for an indie dance record label.
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