4 ways to use Spotify’s new Blend shared playlists to interact with fans

Blend, Spotify’s personalized shared playlist has exited beta for all global users and the new feature offers some unique and simple ways for artists to interact with fans.

Key Spotify Blend Features

• Taste Match Scores: Two users who create a Blend will now get a taste match score that shows how similar or unique their listening preferences are, compared to their friends.
• Shareable Data Stories: They’ll also be able to see the specific song that brings them together. Blend’s data stories will be shareable across social channels. The data stories will automatically pop up once Blend is created but users can also access them again at any time within the playlist. 
• New Cover Art: The new cover art for Blend allows users to identify each of their Blend playlists. 
• Yours or Mine? Premium listeners will be able to see which user’s listening preferences contributed to each song on the playlist so they can claim bragging rights over their musical taste.

4 ways artists can use Spotify Blend

1) Create Blend playlists for pairs of bandmembers

Test the theory that a band’s music is an amalgamation of the tastes of it members by pairing two members together to create a playlist. Have fans pick the member pairings and comment on the results.

2) Create a Blend playlist with a fan

How does the artist’s taste match with a fan’s? Run a contest to pick a fan to co-create a public playlist.

3) Have fans co-create Blend playlists

Ask pairs fans to co-create playlists that include your music and other music they love. You could even pair two random pairs together. Then share the results.

4) Market live shows with Blend

Create a Spotify Blend playlist with the band you are sharing the stage with that includes both act’s music and your influences or favorite current tracks. Then both acts and the venue can share it on socials.

With a little imagination I’ll be you can come up with more ways to use Blend to market music and interact with fans.

Here’s how it works:

• Create: Tap ‘Create Blend’ in the Made for You hub on mobile. 
• Invite: Next, tap ‘Invite’ to select a friend to join your Blend via messaging. 
• Blend: Once your friend accepts, Spotify will generate custom cover art and track list for the two of you filled with songs that combine your listening preferences and tastes. 
• Share: Share your Blend results across your social channels by tapping “Share this story” at the bottom of your data story screen. 

How Spotify Blend Works

• Create: Tap ‘Create Blend’ in the Made for You hub on mobile. 
• Invite: Next, tap ‘Invite’ to select a friend to join your Blend via messaging. 
• Blend: Once your friend accepts, Spotify will generate custom cover art and track list for the two of you filled with songs that combine your listening preferences and tastes. 
• Share: Share your Blend results across your social channels by tapping “Share this story” at the bottom of your data story screen. 

More info here.

Bruce Houghton is Founder and Editor of Hypebot and MusicThinkTank and serves as a Senior Advisor to Bandsintown which acquired both publications in 2019. He is the Founder and President of the Skyline Artists Agency and a professor for the Berklee College Of Music.