Really enjoyed this teardown, Apoorva. I used to love the Blend feature, too! I think it's one of Spotify's most underrated features because it does something most music products fail to. It turns music into a shared experience. The fact that you've used it as an icebreaker with strangers and friends says a lot about the value it's creating beyond just listening. I also thought the language gap in recommendations was a sharp observation. For multilingual users, language isn't just metadata; it's often tied to mood, context and identity and most recommendation systems still seem to treat it as secondary.
Quick correction from a reader - turns out Blend can actually support up to 10 people, not just two. I stand corrected!
Really enjoyed this teardown, Apoorva. I used to love the Blend feature, too! I think it's one of Spotify's most underrated features because it does something most music products fail to. It turns music into a shared experience. The fact that you've used it as an icebreaker with strangers and friends says a lot about the value it's creating beyond just listening. I also thought the language gap in recommendations was a sharp observation. For multilingual users, language isn't just metadata; it's often tied to mood, context and identity and most recommendation systems still seem to treat it as secondary.
I have used YT music for almost 2 years now, and now I also have Spotify Premium.
For me, if i want to listen to something new/get something recommended based on my activities, i use YT music, no doubt.
If i know what i need to listen to, i choose spotify, especially the feature of remote control, which is just brilliant.
That “friend” is right 😏
Also I have a feeling that Spotify will get into reels like content soon… and I don’t like it either!