New UI for free users ?

[Musikconosur]

I recently commented on the first post I found relating to this is issue. The original post is here but I wanted to create a new one with a subject line that may be more accurate.

The UI now looks different on my Galaxy S8. My Galaxy Tab S2 has the same UI as before. Both devices however, are running Android 7.0 and Spotify 8.4.29.289 armV7.

Why the sudden difference? It seems free listeners may now be seeing what I describe as a new, watered-down, UI.

List of what is now missing:

1. Browse

2. Radio

3. Library (the icon is now labeled Your Playlists and now shows much less content when selected. The usual list of things you won't see are Playlists, Stations, Songs, Albums, Artists, and Podcasts & Videos.)

4. The option to Follow or Unfollow artists, podcasts.

5. The option to save podcasts for listening offline (lots of apps do this for free).

6. A list of artists albums and top tracks when selecting an artist.

7. The option to Save or Unsave artists albums or view tracks by selecting an album.

8. Possibly other things as well but this is quite a lot to start with.

Oddly enough, if you open the Spotify Web Player from your web browser (open.spotify.com) and select View On Spotify, the app will open to the Browse page where you'll find the very familiar and useful list of options allowing access to Charts, New Releases, Videos, Podcasts, Discover, and Concerts, but you'll notice there are still only 3 options at the bottom: Your Playlists, Home, and Search. As soon as you select one of those the only way back to the Browse screen is by using the Back button on your Android device, or opening your web browser again. If any iOS users are experiencing this same issue it might be necessary to use the web browser every time since iPhones don't have a Back button.

If this is the direction Spotify is going I, for one, don't like it. If it is becoming the new UI for free Spotify accounts, that sucks too. $9.99 a month to play music offline, listen without ads, and hear the song you want when you want is fine. Suddenly being downgraded if you aren't a paid subscriber - not so much.

[Musikconosur]

Because Spotify is currently offering 3 months for only $0.99! I subsribed to a Premuim account to see if the familiar UI would suddenly reappear. It did! (Pictures attached).

Spotify, I sincerely hope that 3 months from now when my Premium subscription expires this new UI with it's very limited experience doesn't once again take place of the one so many have enjoyed using. Charging $9.99 per month for no ads, offline music play, and the option to hear the song you want when you want is fair. Shafting those without a Premium subscription is a good way to encourage users to look to other services.