With almost 200 million people using the app and website streaming service, Spotify allows individuals to listen to music and podcasts and discover new artists and genres. The ninth graders at Hackley enjoy listening to music on a variety of platforms such as Apple Music, Youtube, and Soundcloud. However, Spotify was most common with 67.5% of students surveyed using it. With Spotify, you are able to create playlists either individually or collaboratively which allows people to not only connect with each other through music but through the app as well. Within these playlists, users are able to create them, and then receive suggestions from the app regarding similar songs using “Enhance.” This mode allows users to discover new artists and songs, whilst listening to their current playlist. Normally when you add a song from the “Enhance” mode, Spotify will then suggest three similar songs to the one that was most previously added. Additionally, you can listen to little snippets of songs that Spotify picks before you add them.  So why is using “Enhance” mode and getting hand-picked song suggestions so important? In a time now where significant events are constantly happening every day, music can be used as an outlet for any. Additionally, it offers a variety of perspectives and allows artists to connect with listeners and speak to them in both a figurative and literal manner.  

Not only are users provided with new music to listen to, but podcasts have had a rise in popularity amongst the app. Spotify offers a variety of podcasts such as true crime, conversationalist, interviews, meditational, and more. These allow users to learn new things whilst discovering new things at the same time. Spotify has certain sections such as, “Spotify original & exclusive shows”,  and “Shows you might like”. Not only does this exemplify the fact that Spotify has original, new ideas for users to listen to; and shows that Spotify will automatically generate potential new and interesting information for you. Additionally, users are able to subscribe to shows to get daily updates on when they post and produce new content. Not only does this expose users to new info on Spotify, but it also provides you with new perspectives from others. Spotify’s ability to provide users with varying perspectives is crucial because it allows the collective to learn as a whole, and discover new interests. Specifically, with music, Hackley 9th Grade Students have compiled songs into a class playlist which exposes students to new songs and the interests of others!