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.

[ManMachine]

In the album view, when I click a song title it doesn't start playing.  It just takes me to a mostly empty screen repeating the song title but much larger.   To make the song play I have to click the small arrow to the left of the song which drives me nuts!

Could it be fixed?  An option in the settings is ok.

This used to work.

[Autoplay_is_Trash]

Hey everyone upset by this recent ui abomination! I just switched to Spotify's competitor, Tidal, and as a longtime Spotify user, Tidal delivers exactly the kind of experience Spotify used to, plus it's even better! Spotify never had a feature where you could easily access details about songwriting credits or who was the producer and audio engineer on each individual track. The ui in Tidal is pretty much near-identical to what Spotify was before the recent update. So I recommend giving them a try. Let Spotify's numbers dwindle and then maybe they'll decide to start listening to their users. Or they can choose not to and you'll be happier without them. Either way, sounds like a win to me. So long, Spotify!

[FabricioLCM]

Make it possible to turn of sorting (so that we can have custum sorting again)

Right now everything is a mess. I can't find anything. I have almost 500 playlists created. Even the content within folders get sorted. So everything gets jumbled. What am I to do? I guess I could pick sort alphabeticaly and prefix everything with letters to get it sorted the way I want. (oh joy)

Who asked for this? What problem did it solve when you implimented only 4 arbitrary ways to sort ones music library?

[theodosiaprevost]

---

@Inudesu wrote:

You should be able to open the library with Alt Shift 1,2,3, or 4.

I agree with those who are puzzled that this isn't where the library button takes you, but just in case you missed it higher in the thread, you can still get to the old view via shortcut.

---

Thank you so much for this.

Do you happen to know if there's any way to see your playlist folders in this view?

[kaworu_bloodpaw]

@theodosiaprevost

It was never possible to view playlist folders on the fullscreen playlist page. To view folders, you will have to use the side panel.

If my answer was useful, don't forget to give it a 'Like!' If my answer was the solution, don't forget to mark it as the solution! Thanks! 😇

If you need anything else, please reply and ask! Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Spotify.

[ege_ilicak]

Not only the sidebar is small and hard to use, also I personally find the album art in Spotify's new UI design to be disappointingly small. As someone who appreciates the visual aspect of music, it's disheartening to see the album artwork reduced to such a tiny size. I used to enjoy exploring the intricate details and artistic expression within album covers, but now they are barely visible. It takes away from the immersive experience and the joy of connecting visually with the music. I truly hope Spotify considers making the album art larger again, allowing users like myself to fully appreciate the visual dimension of the music we listen to.

[mcmusic1]

This new layout is absolutely horrible, as you can no longer see an enlarged image of the album art on the bottom left side of the desktop application. It makes it extremely disrespectful to the artists who create and focus on album artwork as a key part of the listening experience. To have to now open up a completely new column on the right side of the screen to view the album artwork is bizzare. Please at least have an option to revert back to where we can see the artwork on the bottom left again. 

This post is discussing the changes I am talking about: https://www.reddit.com/r/truespotify/comments/12g5kr1/anyone_know_how_to_get_the_large_album_cover/

[theodosiaprevost]

---

@kaworu_bloodpaw wrote:

@theodosiaprevost

It was never possible to view playlist folders on the fullscreen playlist page. To view folders, you will have to use the side panel.

If my answer was useful, don't forget to give it a 'Like!' If my answer was the solution, don't forget to mark it as the solution! Thanks! 😇

If you need anything else, please reply and ask! Disclaimer: I am not affiliated with Spotify.

---

I know they were always seperate before, I guess I was just hoping that there was a workaround somehow. Putting the playlist folders in the sidebar makes it literally unusable for me, it's way too small and it takes about 3-4 attempts for me to click and drag the playlist to the correct folder because it scrolls too fast.

Thanks though.

[ManMachine]

another super annoying thing is that when discovering an artists production on the "show all" page, when wanting to see what other people like "Fans also like", then you have to do "back" and click on "show all" for "Fans also like". 

There should be a way to directly navigate between those pages.  a configuration option to enable tabs at the top of the page is acceptable in my opinion.

this used to work.

[ManMachine]

When doing add to playlist from the context menu the order of playlists is different from the one in the side bar.  This should probably be configurable.

Please sort out and document how it is supposed to work.

[UXGuysQuitYourDayJob]

Newest update moved the album art from the unused left bottom corner of the screen and instead added it to an obnoxious pop out that covers over 50% of the screen, covering and condensing playlist information while the original left corner remains COMPLETELY EMPTY AND USELESS.

[saturninesoul]

"When I click on an artist I no longer get to the full list of albums and songs. There is just a few album covers shown.   Is there a switch to fix this so I don't have to click "show all" for every artist I want to explore?"

Yep. First they took away the heart that made it so easy to select several albums of one artist (instead of now having to ENTER every album first) and now you only see 5 Albums and the rest under "See all". So stupid. So much more clicks via all this stuff.

[Paulgi]

Please! Share a link to download the previous version with a better UI. I need to get rid of this trash from my laptop so I can listen to music again. I need the previous version a help on how to block all future updates of Spotify. This new trash is unspeakably hideous!

[m1n]

its horrible! why cant i resize my friends activity??? why is it so big??? leave me alone?? why cant i have a tiny side bar why is it so huge?? why is my library gone?? leave me alone??? what the **bleep**?? give the option to go back to the old ui please i dont know what went through your heads but TAKE IT OUT AND IGNORE THE VOICES IN YOUR HEAD.

[MrVaine]

Plan

Premium

Country

Canada 

Device

HP LAPTOP

Operating system

 Windows 10,

My Question or Issue

I PUT SOME OF MY PLAYLISTS INTO FILE FOLDERS, THEN I CREATED A FILE FOLDER INSIDE  ONEOF THOESEFILE FOLDERS, THEN I WENT OUT AND I CREATED ANOTHER FILE FOLDER  THEN I SAVED EVERYTHING INSIDE THE FILE FOLDER AFTER I MOVED THE FILE FOLDER INSIDE  ITSELF!   IM SO STUPID. NOW MY MUSIC IS EVERYWARE I HAVE TO BACK EACH FILE OUT OF ITS FOLDER THEN TWICE MORE TO MAKE IT A SINGLE PLAYLIST AGAIN IS THERE A BETER WAY ,I HAVE OVER 100 PLAYLISTS SO THIS IS TEDIOUSE ,I AM SO CONFUSED BECAUSE IT CREATED DUPLICATE FILES FOR THE SUBFOLDERS, AAAAAH !

[funkyjt]

This UI is so **bleep**ing terrible, my desktop app just updated today. It's been slowly getting worse for years but this may actually cause me to cancel... I tolerated the terrible phone UI update since I use it more on my computer, but this is way worse...

[MattSuda]

Hey folks,

Spotify is introducing a new "Now Playing View" sidebar in the desktop app and Web Player to go along with the recently released "Your Library" sidebar.

Together, the individually customizable design of these new views provides a richer experience, more context, and quicker access to personal favorites.

The Now Playing View in the right sidebar shows the album art and info of the current song or podcast you are playing and also shows more information about the artist.

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 open and close the Now Playing View sidebar by clicking the button in the bottom right of the desktop app.

The Now Playing View sidebar will open up on the right side of the app by default when you start playback, but you can disable this behavior under Settings ➜ Display ➜ Show the now-playing panel on click of play.

The Friend Activity feed is still accessible via the "friends" button next to your profile picture in the top right corner of the main content area. There is also an option in Settings. You can swap between showing either the Now Playing View or the Friend Activity feed in the right sidebar.

The new Now Playing View sidebar is now rolling out to all desktop users worldwide, so you should be seeing it soon.

You can read more info in the Spotify Newsroom post:

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

FAQ:

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

The Now Playing View sidebar keeps opening at the start of playback, how do I turn this behavior off?

• The Now Playing View sidebar will open up on the right side of the app by default when you start playback, but you can disable this behavior under Settings ➜ Display ➜ Show the now-playing panel on click of play.

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.

Can I hide certain sections in the Now Playing View sidebar?

• Right now it's not possible to hide sections, so you will see all of the sections. However, you can drag and resize the sidebar to your prefered size.

Feedback:

Where can I give my feedback about the new Now Playing View sidebar in the desktop app?

• We welcome your feedback about this change. The best way to share your feedback is to comment in this thread:
  
  ➜ Desktop: New "Now Playing View" sidebar

[terioncalling]

But you’ll also find a few new additions to help align our Desktop experience with the mobile app.

I'm going to say it again. The desktop app doesn't NEED to align with the mobile app! DESKTOP IS NOT MOBILE. MOBILE IS NOT DESKTOP. They are naturally designed differently! What works for one, usually doesn't work for the other!

And from initial insights we’ve seen, users have found that the new Library helps them save time, provides them with a better overview, and allows them to more easily switch between playlists. 

What insights? Certainly not in THIS thread of 700+ replies where it seems to be universally hated. I definitely had no issues previously switching between my own playlists in the old layout, so I'm not sure how this abomination has made it easier. Or how it's a better library overview when you crammed it into the sidebar.

Search & filter Your Library: Previously, the only way to find playlists was through the search bar—and you had to wade through not only your own content, but results from the entire Spotify catalog. Now, when it’s expanded, our new Library design allows you to toggle through your dedicated music, podcast, and audiobook feeds and search Your Library exclusively.

What are you talking about?! If I'm finding a new playlist, I still have to go through the search bar and look through everything. If I wanted to find one of my playlists previously, I didn't have to search. THEY WERE EASILY ACCESSIBLE IN THE SIDEBAR. I DIDN'T HAVE TO SEARCH FOR THEM. Or I'd just OPEN THE LIBRARY (you know, like you used to could do with a simple click of a button) and click the PLAYLISTS TAB. Are y'all using a different application than the rest of us?? Like seriously, Spotify, are y'all GOOD?

I haven't gotten the new Now Playing sidebar yet but I'm not expecting good things given the current trashfire.

[thomasmills89]

what in the **bleep** is going on at spotify, no respone to the masses of complaints about this your library travesty and you actually find another pointless sidebar to add.**bleep** month to revert or disable these spam features before I cancel after 10+ years.

[thomasmills89]

This forum actually autoreplaced 1 month to **bleep** month? What a mess.