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.

[doug_da-vinci]

Impressive to fit so many terrible decisions into a single release 🙃

[TBOIZA12345]

Please give us an option to revert to the old sidebar display format, this one is far worse to use for smaller displays as the library takes up uneccessary space when navigating, which needs to be done far more and takes way longer now that playlists, albums and everything is condensed into 1 menu, the old system was pretty much perfect, playlists were right on display and albums were a click away, everytime I switch around I have to spend an eternity clicking around, maximising and minimising until I get to where I want to in the app, seriously considering moving to another platform if I have to continue putting up with this

[siykg_g6e-fva]

Been dodging updates ever since they removed sort by artist in its own column but they delibretly pulled support and let it crash on the old version. Now adjusting to the new UI and Layout but its a shitshow. Really wish there was a toggle to go back to Classic. 

[p2oi3x_-o0lkl]

@jcursiolf: You absolute LEGEND! Thank you, I can collapse the **bleep**-tastic side-bar and go back to ignoring all the podcast suggestions again

[aivnv]

@UI team, if I literally had to come here and read a multi-page manual on how to use your new UI, do you really think you did a good job?

[4_2zy9bf-6wmb]

Awful update. The reason I use desktop is for a more robust experience so STOP MAKING DESKTOP LOOK LIKE THE MOBILE APP.

Let mobile be mobile and desktop be desktop for power users like myself. This is the first time I've started to research switching to Apple Music and TIDAL so please listen to your user base and the feedback below.

[hippyclaw]

Hey Spotify this new desktop UI sucks for one main reason. It make the ALBUM COVER EVEN SMALLER!!! Most albums have beautiful art, why do you make it so hard to see?? Even in the old version it was too small for me. I want the art to fill my screen! It only heightens the experience of listening to music. I am aware of the "full screen" button. This is not a solution to my problem as it actually minimizes the album cover in most cases. Please just let us look at the beautiful art.

[matte5]

The new UI is horrible

[MrMime]

It baffles me when large, successful companies push UI/UX changes that go backwards. This is a horrible update.

Long time premium subscriber, and every update over the last three years has simply pushed you all to a more cluttered, difficult to navigate interface. Your Library as a sidebar? Is that a joke lol who approved that. I'm a full-stack developer, I feel so bad for the team of devs that was forced by their team lead or managers or wherever the trickle down order came from to push such a hilariously bad change. Since 2020 it's like Spotify has done everything in its power to push people to use Apple Music. Maybe they're just colluding with Apple.

Regardless, they have their users by the gonads because we've all spent ages cultivating our libraries. But I'm reaching a breaking point. One more completely ludicrous, out of touch change like this and I'll have to find a new service.

Your Library as a sidebar...LOL.

Sorry, devs and support, I know it's not y'all deciding on the changes. It's obvious Spotify execs don't even use their own software.

[MrMime]

It's like a competition for the worst change, at this point. I remember when they first cluttered the Your Library tab and thought that was bad enough - but at least we still had the desktop app.

Wait...oops!

[SlowMusic]

Unfortunately I received this upgrade today. Familiarisation issues aside, it seems like an exercise in how to take something perfectly functional and redesign it just for the sake of it, and make it much worse in the process. I'm horrified that this got approval from people paid large sums of money to keep their customers happy. Absolutely shocking.

[MrMime]

Clearly the people making the decisions don't even use the application. They broke Your Library on the last big update and now it's our sidebar l m a o. It's comical.

[yannismuell]

I find Spotify's new UI to be confusing and not well-designed. I have experienced difficulties navigating the interface and finding my playlists, which has made it frustrating to use the platform. I have also noticed a lack of customization options and the removal of certain features that I relied on in the previous version.

Visually, the new design is overwhelming with too much information displayed at once, making it difficult to focus on what I'm looking for. The cluttered layout adds to this confusion, and I often find myself getting lost within the app.

Overall, while some users may appreciate the new design, I have found it to be a step back in terms of usability and functionality. I hope that Spotify will take user feedback into account and make changes to improve the user experience.

[billybiggles]

This is an awful idea, why are you doing this? I knew exactly where all my albums were and how they were grouped, now they are just sprayed at random along a sidebar where I would want a full screen. I am looking at other streaming services.

[erest33]

Please tell me that there is a way to revert these ridiculous UI changes and that its still possible to use to previous, and much more user friendly, layout. This new abomination is a 100 mile march is the wrong direction and makes Spotify much more difficult to use, instead of what you would want already being there for you you now have to trawl through the community site to try and find assistance to jump through endless hoops to make this disaster of a UI anywhere close to usable. 

[tazaazazzz234]

Hi - I've been with Spotify since like 2013 I think. I have never commented on one of these help topics or community forums. This is the ugliest design change ya'll have made in the entire decade I've used this service. Furthermore - I don't know why the Spotify teams continue to assume that users don't want to self-organize their content. It was annoying enough when you turned liked songs from a library to a playlist - and now your mixing playlists with recently played as if your application didn't choose to intentionally support users dragging and reorganizing playlists into their preferred order.

Is the design team working in a silo? Users should not be put in a position of having to undo settings to maintain a consistent ux. I don't want to have to select a custom order for my content given that Spotify has implied that should be the default ux for years.

Honestly the biggest piece of feedback is that this design is just really unpleasing to the eye. Its easy to go along with application changes across a variety of services when they look good but this new carousel is not only a seemingly inescapable tech fad that will go wayside in just a few years, but it truly looks aesthetically negative with your interface. I'm not trying to sound harsh - please read these comments as neutrally as possible.

[grantsc81]

The new interface is SO AWFUL, I am a paying customer and want it changed back NOW! At the very least you owe us an option to go back to the previous layout, before you **bleep** it up so badly!

[grantsc81]

Who could possibly have signed off on this? The new library is so UNBELIEVABLY BAD!

[diaeresis]

This "sidebar**bleep** is ridiculous. Why are you making it so much harder to scroll through my collection? I don't want to see my "recently played" or your asinine "suggestions", I want to pick an album from the library and play it. Get all this other **bleep** off my screen.

[Marwen]

I can't seem to move or remove the "Your episodes" playlist, even with the "custom order" and "Playlists>By you" filters enabled. I don't want this playlist, nor did I create it myself.