Desktop: New Your Library sidebar

[MattSuda]

Spotify is introducing a new Your Library sidebar in the desktop app and Web Player.

The new Your Library sidebar improves navigation and makes it easier and faster to collect and retrieve all types of content, bringing new features to desktop that you're already familiar with in the mobile app. The new sidebar is also more customizable than before to meet different preferences.

You can read more info about the new desktop experience in the Spotify Newsroom post:

➜ Spotify’s Desktop Experience Gets a Brand-New Look With Redesigned ‘Your Library’ and ‘Now Playing’ ...

This thread is your go-to destination for learning what's new, asking questions, getting help for issues you might have, as well as to share your feedback about the new Your Library sidebar for desktop. Also, do you have any tips for other users on how you are using the new Your Library sidebar? We'd love to hear them.

What's new in the Your Library sidebar?

• See your entire collection and all of the content types (not just playlists)
  
  
• Filters for your collection (Playlists, Artists, Albums, Podcasts) that can be combined with other filters (By you, By Spotify, Downloaded)
  
  
• Sort options for your collection (Recents, Recently Added, Alphabetical, Creator, Custom Order)
  
  
• Chosen filters and sort options will be remembered in the sidebar across restarts of the desktop app
  
  
• Search through your collection in the sidebar
  
  
• Pinned library items to find your favorites, faster – current limit is 4 (Playlists, Playlist Folders, Artists, Albums, Podcasts)
  
  
• Art covers are now shown in the sidebar
  
  
• Compact library layout (no art covers) is available as an option in Settings to increase content density
  
  
• Dedicated + (plus) button to create Playlists and Playlist Folders
  
  
• Flexible Sizing: A collapsed library view (with only art covers) to maximize the browsing area, a regular width view, and an expanded view for more focused library management and curation. (you can also drag to customize the size)
  
  
• In the expanded library view, you have options for list view, compact view, and a grid view. The list and compact views show you more details in 2 columns, Date Added and Last Played, and the grid view allows you to see larger art covers.
  
  
• Playlist Folders can still be expanded into the sidebar in a tree view, and now when you click on them, the sidebar only shows the Playlist Folder and what's inside for a more focused view.
  
  
• Menu option to move a playlist to a folder (with search)

Note: The Your Library sidebar experience will be the same for the most part in the Web Player. However, the Web Player does not support all of the features found in the desktop app. To be able to use all of the features, you can download the desktop app right here.

Tips to get started:

If you need a familiar experience to help you get started with the new Your Library sidebar, here's how to get it as close as possible to the old sidebar that previously only showed playlists:

• In the left "Your Library" sidebar, click on the "Playlists" filter at the top.

• Then, in the drop down menu select "Custom Order" under "Sort by". You will then see your previous playlist order and be able to move your playlists and folders like before.

• Your currently chosen filters and sort options will be remembered across restarts of the desktop app.

• If you would like to only see text in the Your Library sidebar (no art covers), go to the drop down menu and at the bottom of the menu click on "Compact" under "View as".

• Flexible Sizing: You can drag the Your Library sidebar to different sizes. Fully expand the sidebar by clicking the arrow button at the top, and fully collapse the sidebar by clicking on the "Your Library" heading to see only art covers.

• At the top, you can scroll through the different filters with your mouse scroll wheel for faster navigation when the sidebar is set to a smaller size. 

Walkthrough of the basics:

Sidebar List:

You can now see your entire collection and all of the content types (not just playlists) in the sidebar list. At the top, click on the filters to filter the content you want to see, and click on the drop down menu to change the sort order or view of the list. To create a new Playlist or Playlist Folder, click on the + (plus) button at the top right corner of the sidebar. To search through your collection, click on the search button.

Filter Options:

At the top, click on the filters to filter the content you want to see. You can scroll through the different filters with your mouse scroll wheel for faster navigation when the sidebar is set to a smaller size. 

To remove the filter, click on the X or the currently selected filter and then choose another filter to see another type of content. Having no filter selected will show all types of content mixed in the list.

• Playlists
• Artists
• Albums
• Podcasts & Shows
• These can be combined with other filters: By you, By Spotify, Downloaded

Sort Options:

At the top, click on the drop down menu to change the sort order of the list under "Sort by".

• Recents
• Recently Added
• Alphabetical
• Creator

When the "Playlists" filter is selected, you have the option to see your playlists in your own custom order.

• Custom Order

When the "Podcasts & Shows" filter is selected, you have the following option:

• Recently Updated

View Options:

At the top, click on the drop down menu to change the view of the list under "View as".

• Compact (view text only without art covers)
• List
• Grid (bigger art covers)

Flexible Sizing:

You can hover over and click on the right edge of the sidebar to drag it to your preferred width. You can also fully expand the sidebar by clicking the arrow button at the top, and fully collapse the sidebar by clicking on the "Your Library" heading to see only art covers.

In the expanded library view, you have options for list view, compact view, and a grid view. The list and compact views show you more details in 2 columns, Date Added and Last Played, and the grid view allows you to see larger art covers.

FAQ:

This section will answer your frequently asked questions and will be updated with the latest answers.

Related help articles on the support website:

• Your Library   • Sort and filter   • Keyboard Shortcuts

Can I view the Your Library page in the main browsing area like before?

• Unfortunately, the old Your Library page in the main browsing area is being discontinued with the release of the new Your Library sidebar. You can adjust the size of the Your Library sidebar to be bigger and you can also enable the "grid view" if you would like to see bigger art covers.

How do I see only my playlists in the sidebar like I used to be able to, I can't drag and move my playlists or folders anymore?

• In the left "Your Library" sidebar, click on the "Playlists" filter at the top.

  
  Then, in the sort options drop down menu select "Custom Order". You will then see your previous playlist order and be able to move your playlists and folders like before.

  
  Your currently chosen filters and sort options will be remembered across restarts of the desktop app.

I don't want to see art cover images in the sidebar, how do I turn them off?

• If you would like to only see text in the Your Library sidebar (no art covers), go to the drop down menu and at the bottom of the menu click on "Compact" under "View as".
  
  

How do I get the album art to expand in the bottom left corner like before? When I try to expand the album art, it opens the Now Playing View sidebar to the right.

• Unfortunately, that is no longer possible. When you expand the album art in the bottom left corner of the app, it will no longer hover over the Your Library sidebar. Instead, the new right sidebar will open up. You can resize the Now Playing View sidebar to your preferred size.
  
  

  You can read more information about this by going here.

How do I play or shuffle play a Playlist Folder now? (I don't see dedicated pages with play / shuffle options anymore)

• Right click on a Playlist Folder and select the "Play" option. To shuffle play, make sure to turn on the shuffle mode first before selecting the "Play" option in the right click menu.

How do I get to my Local Files now?

• In the left "Your Library" sidebar, click on the "Playlists" filter at the top.

  
  Then, in the sort drop down select "Custom Order".
  
  The "Local Files" playlist will be near the top of the list under your pinned items (if any).

Feedback:

Where can I give my feedback about the new Your Library sidebar in the desktop app?

• We welcome your feedback about this change. The best way to share your feedback is to comment here in this thread.

[vaajy]

I keep following hard dance artists only. There is at least 1 368 of them now labels included.

Sidebar is getting too crowded of them and imagine all the playlists, cd's, podcasts and stuff like that.

Yes, you can get only artists to look, but scrolling throug 1 368 of them takes great amount of time.

As well, even when view is maximized it just doesn't works. Please reconsider.

I want to mention, that human eye will look usually at the center. It's hard to follow artist view when on other side.

At that amount of artists even bell icon is working like daily, sometimes there's over 50+ releases.

I think even bell function should be somehow customized, which artist more, which less etc. Or by genre etc.

[mkvl_spotify]

This update is atrocious. Probably the worst one yet. WHAT, seriously, WHAT is the point of restricting me from viewing all my saved albums IN THE MAIN WINDOW? I get that the bar might be useful, but let it just function AS A BAR, but when I click on my library, I want to SEE MY LIBRARY of music that I've been saving and listening to for years. Spotify is getting just more and more ridiculous. How come that the companies nowadays seem to force updates that no one likes, are unintuitive and just plain awful? Also - the app doesn't remember resizing of the right (friend activity) and left bar upon closing and re-opening the app. I'm sorry, but this is just plain awful.

[thomasmills89]

This new library sidebar still sucks. Previous version was still 100x better. Can't believe you still try to solve this disaster by cramming more options into a Sort By/View more menu; I guess finding a way to increase this bloat is one kind of weird design achievement. Reverting back to the previous design is a simple solution to this mess, a mess that could have been completely avoided.

[lunedor10]

Thanks - I **bleep**ing HATE it!!!!!!!

This might actually be enough for me to cancel my Spotify premium. I loath it so much.

[lunedor10]

My Dude!!!

You are a genuine hero! Thank you.

[Chuck2389]

I just got the latest and greatest update so far. Now I can't view the album art in the bottom left? I hate to say it, but I think Spotify should just stop "fixing" things now. It somehow gets worse each time. 😞

I've never seen a company that is so blind to what their user base wants. It's like they go out of their way to NOT acknowledge or resolve anything. As far as I can tell, there isn't even a way to make suggestions outside of this trashcan of a post where ideas go to die.

How do I get the album art to expand in the bottom left corner like before? When I try to expand the album art, it opens the Now Playing View sidebar to the right.

• Unfortunately, that is no longer possible. When you expand the album art in the bottom left corner of the app, it will no longer hover over the Your Library sidebar. Instead, the new right sidebar will open up. You can resize the Now Playing View sidebar to your preferred size.

[braedonsz]

This is a great summary of just how patently stupid this UI is. It's almost hostile to users.

---

@tonspender_ wrote:

Spotify! What are you doing?!

I used to be able to quickly view my saved albums with just ONE click. While also having a compact list view of my playlist in the sidebar. Now I have to:

- expand the sidebar

- unselect playlist

- select albums

- change the view from 'compact' to 'grid'

And even then it looks inferior than before. How in the world is that an improvement?! At least through this thread I learned about this hidden shortcut. But who knows how long that will still work.

This change is so bad.

---

[reg091]

OP here - no notifications that this thread had been updated.... Oh wait this isn't my thread. Confused, I started a thread and it looks like it has perhaps been merged into another? No idea, so even this forum is a nightmare to navigate!

Back to my post about wanting to lose all the playlist stuff that hogs the screen....
Being generous to the developers, but maybe they have done focus groups etc. and the target user is playlist centric? It makes sense as gone are the days when people would sit down to listen to all 40 minutes of an album. Very sad, but I suspect that is the reality; people want background music and all they need is to choose a genre that fits the mood. For the majority then the UI probably works.

Given that I am not their target user (but I still pay them my money...) I suppose that is fair enough. BUT they could give me options to tailor the UI to suit what I want couldn't they?.......

[Benoit_]

Tbh I have the impression it's mostly an internal battle for specific teams to get promoted ("our teams pushed a completely new UI!"), this mixed with some wider company OKRs (pushing for podcasts).

The product has been broken for many months now, without any hope or communication to fix the issues. Some playlists have been playing only on mobile, others only on desktop, others only on web (cf. the "Friends mix" for example). The mobile app forces to click on the "playlist" filter everytime it gets opened. The playlist sidebar on desktop makes no sense, and the "back" button is completely broken.

I feel the time where Spotify was made by music lovers, and for music lovers, is gone.

Personally, I spend most of my time on YouTube Music now, which offers some of what made Spotify great, and which extends on that.

[shakeheartbreak]

Wow..  truly incredible how Spotify are now making the UI even worse than it already worse in the last few months.  Can I really not double click a song on desktop to start it playing without the useless info bar appearing on the right hand side?

So sad to see how you've fallen from grace Spotify..  but for as long as you're chasing that dollar and receiving it from those new customers, you really won't care, will you?

[justgivemeausername]

Just wanted to give some input that I cancelled my premium and migrated to Tidal quite specifically because of this feature. It's unintuitive, frustrating, and just a generally bad UX compared to the old sidebar. 

[reg091]

I raised a new thread here about how bad I find the interface, nothing to do with sidebars, yet for some reason my thread has been merged into a discussion about a new sidebar feature. My complaint has nothing to do with sidebars, rather that the whole onscreen real estate is dominated with stuff I don't want and didn't put there. I am NOT interested in recommendations, I am NOT interested in what other people listen to (!!!),  I am NOT interested in "genres" I am very definitely NOT interested in the whole notion of "playlists".

Specifically, ALL I want on a media player screen is:
1) A search box/browse feature

2) A My Library section.

3) Player controls.

That's it.

[mistafu]

And of course it's still complete dirt. Mobile App got worse too with the insta like Look on Start (srsly looks like it's for **bleep**ed children)... And you guys even want more money for worse Service and nearly a year of complete**bleep** Updates, gonna migrate to tidal! Go eff yourself Spotify

[MickeyT9]

I absolutely HATE the new Spotify layout on my computer. I simply want to see ALL of my Albums... full screen without all the side **bleep** and having to drag, resize... it drives me insane... Spotify has completely ruined the UX (user experience) for me. If it wasn't for my teenage daughter I'd go elsewhere.

[saturninesoul]

Yes it is still atrocious. And the new version with the Cover in the right bar is even worse. Congrats Spotify, you **bleep** everything up.

[thomasmills89]

Ok @spotifydoesntcare another possible solution to rolling back this eyesore. You provide all subscribers with whatever drugs you're providing your designers and developers to release such bloat and we all peacefully exist in blissful ignorance.

.

[ecoloco]

This is a known tactic, ignore the complaints for the first few months and then the problem is forgotten and life goes on. I'm still using desktop client version 1.1.84 under Tumbleweed (repacked version from snap). Setback under linux, other streaming providers don't have a desktop client for their service at all 😞

[reg091]

I doubt that it is a tactic (known or otherwise)! They will have a roadmap for developing the product. They may "focus group" changes planned and implemented, they may not. Bottom line is that they probably have x millions of users and there are twenty people on here who don't like the UI. They are presumably happy that the vast majority of their users are happy with the product.

[againstme]

Is this effecting playlist order on Samsung TVs?  Mine usually sync with phone but since around this time they are all out of order on tv. The tv app has no options to custom order 

[matthewjeannott]

New UI is terrible. Why on earth would you want to reduce peoples libraries to a sidebar. Some of us have massive libraries. Scrolling through them at the size of a thumbnail is absurd. It makes accessing your music less accessible and a chore. wth