There are now stories everywhere, even on Spotify

It’s almost as if the little circles of brilliant stories follow us everywhere. They are on Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Twitter and now even on Spotify.

This week, some users noticed the circles on popular Spotify playlists including the “Christmas Hits” playlist, which I myself have listened to a lot, trying not to burn my mashed potatoes. In case any of you have any doubts, Spotify helpfully included a post that read, “Tap to see story,” according to a video posted by the YouTuber and player TmarTn2.

Roughly a week after Twitter launched its Fleets, posts similar to Instagram stories that disappear after 24 hours, Spotify quietly started testing their own version of stories on a number of their playlists. In a statement to Engadget, the company confirmed that the stories were a test, but did not provide any additional information as to whether they will be available to all users in the near future or if we will see more.

“At Spotify, we regularly run a number of tests to improve our user experience,” a Spotify spokesperson told Engadget. “Some of these tests end up paving the way for our wider user experience and others are just important learning. We have no news to share on future projects at this time. “

Spotify has been testing its own version of stories with different user groups for some time. In 2019 he started testing “Scenario,” a version of stories for artists that allows them to share behind-the-scenes information about music with fans. Meanwhile, at start of this year, the company has also started letting influencers share stories with their public playlists.

Back to the “Christmas Hits” playlist, this is where I got to see what the stories were like. Honestly, I thought I wasn’t going to like stories, because I don’t see too many stories everywhere. Nevertheless, I must admit that I really laughed when I saw Meghan Trainor’s story about her song, “Holidays (feat. Earth, Wind & Fire)” with her llama Christmas sweater.

I also loved watching the story of “Santa Baby” composer Phil Springer. While not the best shooting story, simply featuring Springer sitting in a chair in front of a piano, it was real; it was not executed. When a lot of social media is being broadcast, see something that feels natural and authentic is a breath of fresh air.

“When my little sister Joan Javits and I wrote this song, I had no idea it would become a Christmas classic. I had no idea there was a magic about it that appealed to even kids, ”Springer said in the story. “So it’s a mystery to me, but I love a mystery.”

The other stories, starring Ava Max, Jennifer Lopez, and Kelly Clarkson among others, were fine, but they just felt like being repeated. Not to disparage artists (I like myself some J-Lo and Kelly Clarkson), but I just feel like it’s not the type of content that will make me really want to watch Spotify stories.

Other stories, such as those featured on the “Tear Drop” The playlist, which is described as “emo rap feelings for the misunderstood,” had a more documentary vibe. Those surprisingly managed to get me interested, even though music isn’t exactly my cup of tea.

At the end of the day, I’m still a bit of a storyteller, and I wish companies would dare to be different and create something new. Nonetheless, I like the idea of ​​watching a fascinating story every now and then about one of my favorite bands or artists. Am I really going to do it? At the moment, I cannot tell. Since they’re everywhere now, I’ve already gotten used to ignoring them.