Spotify says it made big numbers last year but it needs to invest in these 3 areas if it wants to please its loyal subscribers

Date:
Sat, 14 Mar 2026 19:00:00 +0000

Description:
There's a lot that Spotify could be investing in, but these three areas are the first that spring to mind.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get the TechRadar Newsletter Sign up for
breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are
now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Of all the best music streaming services , Spotify is the only one that offers insight into its payouts through its annual Loud and Clear report, and in
2025 it paid out a record $11 billion back to the industry .

Thats around 70% of Spotifys annual revenue, leaving the rest to go back towards improving the Spotify experience. Theres no denying that Spotify is always looking for ways to improve music discovery and welcome new personalization tools, but for me there are other areas that need prioritizing. At the end of the day, Spotify is generating more annual
revenue than it has in previous years, leaving the company with more leftover funds to invest not only in the business itself but also in external areas, where it has an obligation to offer support. After all, its the leading music streaming platform out there, so it should be setting an example. Article continues below You may like Spotify says it's saved the music industry, but not everyone is convinced New year, new upgrades here are 5 improvements I want Spotify to make in 2026 Music fans are demanding Spotify flags AI-generated music recommendations Declutter its interface (Image credit: Future) This is one of my biggest dislikes with the platform, and its a
shared feeling among a lot of other subscribers too. Unlike services such as Apple Music , which focuses on simplicity, Spotifys interface is all over the place. This is especially true of its Library tab, which seems to get messier each time I make a new playlist, save a new album, or follow an artist.

Though you can filter your Library by playlist, album, and artist, its quite fiddly and not the prettiest to look at, whereas Apple Musics Library feels a lot cleaner. And although Spotify is the winner when it comes to features
for instance, there are six different ways to make a playlist many of these will go unused by the average user. Moving forward, Spotify should think
twice about investing in a new product feature if it doesnt add value to the overall user experience keeping things simple goes a long way. Roll out labels for music that's completely AI-generated Deezer is one example of a music streaming platform that has started flagging songs that are completely AI-generated (Image credit: Future) The criticisms towards Spotifys tolerance for fully AI-generated music will never die that is unless it starts being more transparent with users. AI tags are the next step.

Its rivals are already starting to tackle this, for instance, Deezer has developed its own AI-detection tool and Apple is testing Transparency Tags . The debate around what constitutes AI-generated music is still a hot topic with Spotify. It seems that the platform is unsure whether to flag songs
where only a tiny component is AI-generated. But while many users can appreciate that, it's the slew of songs that are completely made using AI
that gets under their skin, more than anything. Get daily insight,
inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Invest directly into grassroots venues In Spotifys Loud and Clear report, the platform shared that it drove $1.5 billion in concert ticket revenue, thanks to its integration of live event listings that take you straight to the ticket sales sites. For one, its a helpful way to spread the word about artists touring your area and get more music fans to attend gigs in grassroots venues. But Spotify has more than enough profits to invest directly in these spaces.

Thats not to say Spotify hasnt contributed. Back in 2024, Spotify partnered with a UK-based organization Youth Music to set up a fund to support 15 grassroots venues facing closure. The partnership was an extension of
Spotifys Creator Equity Fund Program, and has extended its dedication to helping grassroots into 2026.

Though Spotify has these initiatives in place, the platform has faced criticisms from organizations such as Music Venue Trust (MVT) for not
directly investing in these venues. In 2022 Spotify came under fire for its staggering $235 million deal with FC Barcelona, with MVT arguing that such funds could've been used to prevent the closure of hundreds of music venues. Spotifys intentions with Youth Music are seemingly in the right place, but it definitely needs to rethink its investment approaches. Follow TechRadar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

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