Fresh on the heels of a Windows Phone 8 launch, Spotify has just released a major update to its iOS app, which revamps the interface quite a bit.
The latest version is dubbed Spotify 0.6.0, and it cleans up the interface while adding easier navigation for users. There’s a new sidebar which lets users swipe left and right to access further information and an all-inclusive menu for What’s New, Radio, Playlists, Friends, Inbox, etc.
The Spotify team also added a new “Now Playing” bar, which lets you see the track that’s playing at all times. To that end, Spotify has also ensured that you’ll see the proper title and artist that’s playing when the phone is locked, which has been a small but annoying pain point for quite some time.
The Now Playing bar has some nifty gesture tricks, like swiping to switch tracks, and tapping or dragging to see more information about the current track that’s playing. If you tap on the cover art, you’ll head into an extended view, wherein you can find other menu options, such as AirPlay, shuffle and repeat.
There’s also a new ingredient to the app called “Track Menu.” When you tap the “…” button, Spotify will bring upa redesigned context menu.
In terms of bug fixes, the app shouldn’t bother you with “track only available online” warnings, and shuffle will automatically switch off after “Shuffle Play” was enabled on a particular album or playlist.
All in all, this is a much-needed overhaul to one of the most popular music streaming services out there. And it couldn’t have come at a better time.
Spotify has just expanded to Windows Phone, and competitor Rdio seems to be fizzling out, despite a relatively recent UI refresh.
Bringing the heat while momentum is high is exactly what Spotify needs to stay on top of its game.
The update is available now in the App Store.
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