Spotify’s Pet Playlists Are the Best Thing About 2020

Amy Burke
February 5, 2020
Categories

When you think of music streaming, you probably think of Spotify. Even if for some reason you think of Apple Music or Amazon, I bet you’ll still be pretty hard pressed to come up with the dozens of other platforms that exist as competition. Long story short: Spotify rules the audio streaming world.

The platform has more than 83 million paying subscribers alone, with 180 million in total using the service. So when it comes to the selection, the personalization, and the unique features, is there really any other way to go?

Spotify certainly doesn’t think so, and they’re darn good at retaining their users. By rolling out Discover Weekly features, users get a new playlist every week catering to their specific tastes. It upped the ante by offering podcasts, including recommendations based off of your previously played. And let’s not forget the Wrapped feature, where users learn their songs of the year, artists of the decade, top albums, genres, podcasts, and more.

It’s not the first time where we’ve all thought that Spotify might know us better than ourselves. But isn’t that what keeps us interested? Why switch services when users already have a cultivated list of favorites, an algorithm that’s learned and understands us, and playlists to match every mood under the sun? 

But now, a new feature from Spotify is once again keeping us reeled in and ready to press play. For those of us with furry friends (and feathered and scaled, of course) Spotify is offering personalized playlists and podcasts for pets at home.

Take “My Dog’s Favourite Podcast,” which features five hours of content for animals to listen to while their owners are gone. Curated from the advice of pet psychologists and animal experts, the podcast includes praise and stories to calm your dog and keep them company when they’re alone. It streams original music and gentle sounds to help mask any startling sounds from outside the house, in turn helping Fido bark less and sleep more. (The same effect works on us too, where classical music has proven to reduce stress levels.)

Spotify did plenty of research leading up to its latest launch, learning that 71 percent of pet owners surveyed played music for their beloved companions. With these findings in mind, Spotify is also offering personalized playlists for you and your lil buddy to jam to together! Using its spot-on algorithm technology (pun totally intended), Spotify curates the perfect playlist from a description of your pet. You can choose between dog, cat, hamster, bird, or iguana (yes—even iguanas) and upload its name and picture for a personalized effect.

Spotify also asks users to identify their pets’ personalities on a sliding scale between energetic or relaxed, shy or friendly, or curious or apathetic. From the picture you paint of your pet, Spotify then goes to action blending your previous habits and tastes with that of Fido to make a playlist you’ll both love. And just to keep things spicy and fun, Spotify might just throw in songs with the word “cat” or “dog” in it, like “Stray Cat Blues” by the Rolling Stones or “Dog Days are Over” by Florence and the Machine. 

This is really just another trend that Spotify has jumped on to stand out from its competitors. With all the Instagram dog moms and self proclaimed “crazy cat ladies” out there, the streaming service certainly knows how to connect to its audience and keep them hungry for more. It’s no surprise they’re a top digital platform.

Spotify—you did it again. Keep engaging your users and offering differentiating features, and I’ll be yours forever. <3

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