This website uses cookies so that we can provide you with the best user experience possible. Cookie information is stored in your browser and performs functions such as recognising you when you return to our website and helping our team to understand which sections of the website you find most interesting and useful.
Business News Digital
Spotify brings news to the UK
By Andy Malt | Published on Wednesday 23 September 2020
Five years after originally announcing the concept (sort of), Spotify is bringing its dynamic playlist that mixes music and news to the UK and Ireland.
The ‘Your Daily Drive’ playlist was made available in the US last year. It’s not quite like the ‘Spotify Now’ playlist that was announced in a panic by Daniel Ek all the way back in 2015, ahead of the launch of Apple Music, when he shouted out every idea Spotify had ever had as if it was happening imminently, just in case it turned out Apple was offering that functionality or service at launch.
What it is, however, is a clear attempt to compete with traditional radio. And specifically – as the name suggests – radio listening in the car.
You can tune into the playlist at any time of the day or night (yes, even when you’re not driving) and it will play you a mix of your favourite tunes, some new tracks it thinks you’ll like, and occasionally slip in a little news update from one of a variety of sources, including The Times, FT, TalkSPORT, The Economist and the Evening Standard.
Managing Director of Spotify UK, Tom Connaughton, says: “At Spotify we believe in providing access to personalised content that our users love. That’s why we are proud to introduce a new offering in the UK and Ireland that will revolutionise people’s daily listening experience: this new playlist gives listeners the current affairs updates we know they’d like more of alongside the music they want, blended seamlessly into their day”.
Back in 2015, Ek actually announced that Spotify was going to automatically adapt to your day. So you could press play in the morning and it would play you exactly what you wanted to hear – music or otherwise – every minute of the day until you turned it off at night. We’re still waiting for that update, but maybe one day. For now, news on the hour will probably do.
