Following successful tests in some pretty big markets (primarily the USA) Spotify has rolled out their synchronised lyrics more widely. The announcement outlines taht the feature is now avaialble globally.
Using the feature is so simple whether it’s iOS or Android devices, desktop, gaming consoles or TV app:
On the Spotify mobile app
- Tap on the “Now Playing View” on a song.
- While listening, swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
- You’ll see track lyrics that scroll in real time as the song is playing!
- To share, simply tap the “Share” button at the bottom of the lyrics screen and then select the lyrics you want to share—and where you want to share it eg. via third-party platforms.
On the Spotify desktop app
- From the “Now Playing” bar, click on the microphone icon while a song is playing.
- Voila! You’ll see track lyrics that scroll in real time while the song plays.
It’s not just lyrics that are rolling out to users more widely though with paid podcast subscriptions — previously only available to US residents — now expanding to 29 more countries including Australia. The system itself is pretty simple with content creators able to charge extra to unlock content or remove ads. While paying for podcasts isn’t something we’re exactly accustomed to, it’s the way forward in many respects if you want to continue consuming high-quality content from your favourite creators.
I loathe podcasts, Phil. I prefer to read articles. With a lot of luck, if we’re being really generous, maybe 1 in 10,000 podcasts gets a transcript to read, published months after the podcast was put online.
And now Spotify is bringing in pay to hear podcasts. I hope the idea of pay to hear podcasts is a comprehensive failure.