New Your Library view (iOS & Android)

[MattSuda]

Spotify is introducing a new version of the Your Library view to mobile users of the iOS and Android apps. When you open up the Spotify mobile app you will see this new view. 📱

Check out this Spotify news article for more information:

Listeners Can Explore Their Spotify Collections Faster and Easier With a New ‘Your Library’

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

What's new?

• See your entire collection in one simple list
• Dynamic filters and better sort options for your collection
• Pinned library items to find your favorites, faster
• More control at your fingertips with a new grid view
• Universal search allows you to search through your entire collection and see your recent searches
• Faster settings navigation allows you to tap on your profile picture to get to settings faster
• Get to your downloads, faster

Here is a walkthrough of what's new:

One simple list:

Your Library is now one simple list. At the top, tap on the filters to filter the content you want to see and tap on the sort options to change the sort order of the list. To create a new playlist, tap on the + (plus) symbol at the top right corner.

Dynamic filter options:

At the top, tap on the filters to filter the content you want to see. Tap on the X and then chose another filter to see another type of content. Having no filter selected will show all types of content in the list.

• Playlists
• Artists
• Albums
• Podcasts & Shows
• Downloaded

Sort options:

At the top, tap on the sort options to change the sort order of the list.

• Recents
• Recently added
• Alphabetical
• Creator

And in the "Playlists" filter view, you'll have this option to see your playlists in your own order like in the desktop app and web player:

• Custom order

📌 Pinned library items:

If you tap and hold on the screen on any item in the Your Library list or swipe right on it, an option will show up allowing you to pin it and it will stay at the top of the Your Library list.

You can pin anything in Your Library such as playlists, playlist folders, artists, albums, and podcasts. The limit is 4 pinned items. You can unpin "New Episodes" to free up a pin and still get to that using the "Podcasts & Shows" filter or by searching for it. Same with "Liked Songs", you can unpin it and still get back to it at the top of the "Playlists" filter when it is sorted by "Custom order" or by searching for it. You can also pin the "Your Episodes" list to the main library view in addition to the "New Episodes" list if you also want to be able to access "Your Episodes" from the main library view without having to filter to "Podcasts & Shows" first.

To pin more playlists when you run out of the 4 item pins, you can make a playlist folder in the desktop app or web player and then move multiple playlists inside it and then pin the folder in the mobile app. Then tap on the folder at the top and there you go, easier access to all the playlists in that folder and that can be your 4th pin. However, you can't pin a specific playlist if it is in a folder, so you will need to pin the folder instead. Tip: In the desktop app or web player you can also move playlist folders inside of another playlist folder. That means you can pin a playlist folder that contains a whole bunch of other playlist folders if you want to get super organized.

To easily find the item you want to pin, the best way is to use the universal search. At the top of Your Library, tap on the search icon and search for the item you want to pin. The universal search searches your entire library for playlists, playlist folders, artists, albums, podcasts and also shows you your recent searches.

Grid view:

Are you a visual person? You're in control. With the new grid view you can view Your Library with bigger artwork if that's your jam. This is great for when you're on the go or in the car so you can find what you're looking for faster. To switch to the grid view, tap on the squares icon to the right. Tap on it again to go back to the list view.

Universal search:

The new universal search can be accessed by tapping the search icon at the top right corner. The new search allows you to quickly search through your entire library for playlists, playlist folders, artists, albums, and podcasts without having to go to a specific content section.

Recent searches:

The new universal search also shows you your most recent Your Library searches so you can quickly get back to what you previously searched for.

Faster settings navigation:

Tap on your profile picture in the top left corner to get to settings faster.

Downloads: (Requires Premium)

When you are in offline mode you'll see your downloaded content faster upon app launch in the home tab.

In Your Library, tap on the "Downloaded" filter either in the main list view or after tapping on a filter to view your downloaded content.

How the new version of Your Library (iOS & Android) evolved over time during testing:

When the new version of Your Library on mobile was being tested with users, a few of the main points of feedback were the following:

• Add a custom sort option for the playlists filter like in the old library view
• Add a way to see a feed of new podcast episodes like in the old library view

These two options were added during the testing phase. Other points of feedback were also made by users during the test, but Spotify is always looking to improve the app so hopefully the new library experience will improve over time.

I personally like being able to see my playlists in the same custom sort order I have them arranged in the desktop app, so I was glad to see that issue was addressed. A bonus feature was also added which is the ability to pin a few of your favorite items to the top of Your Library. I really like being able to have my favorites one tap away at the top of my library. A few other new features that I like are being able to quickly search through my entire library, being able to see my library in a new grid view, and being able to get to settings right from the library view.

Feedback:

Now that the new version of Your Library on mobile is rolling out to all users, what do you think? You can leave your feedback as a reply in this thread. If your feedback is suggesting certain changes, it is best to also post each individual idea in the Community Idea Exchange where users can vote and comment on your ideas and it'll be easier to track each idea. You can read more about how your feedback reaches Spotify here.

[Inudesu]

This is terrible news. I got this interface during testing and it's awful. I was really hoping all the negative feedback on the testing would have tabled this thing. 

I was so glad when my testing ended (I was able to restore the better library view during the test period by logging out and back in but that got pretty old).

@mattsuda any hope for a "classic view" option? 

For any Spotify technicians reading, feel free to put me last on the list for this "upgrade."

[rinoshow]

In general what i see sometimes is that developers confuse mobile with desktop. On PC you have a mouse, big screen, you seat on a chair and an extra button to press can be not a big problem. In mobile you are on a little screen, you can be anywhere and can be in any situations…anything must be accessible easily, fast, intuitive and more important…with less button to press or strange things to do before to access a feature!!! Drag and drop, slide etc etc are things can really help on a mobile. We have not a mouse we have a finger to use!!! And please please add on mobile the possibility to custom order your playlists how you want! 

[Brownbeard]

Feedback Here:

The filter pill for podcasts at the top of the Your Library tab is useless if "recently added" sorts by the date you subscribed to a particular podcast rather than the podcasts that have recently added episodes. The "New episodes" auto playlist seems to be a hacked together, last minute solution to this but is again useless as the frequency of episodes differs depending on the podcast, some only update once a month, while others post new episodes twice a day.

Workaround Here:

Ok, I think I've figured this out. You can clean up the mess that Spotify made by:

1. Removing everything to do with podcasts. Unfollow, Unlike, etc..
2. Use another app for podcasts. There are many free options out there (I won't specify here), and many of them are now superior to Spotify.

There's still annoying clutter like "Liked Songs" and "New Episodes" that you're not allowed to delete/remove, but this will clear things up a bit and make your library somewhat usable

More Feedback:

To be honest this is really disappointing. I was such a fan of Spotify, but the recent hike in fees (justified by exclusives that nobody wants), the mandatory "your episodes" upon every download nonsense, and now this messed up UI, it's all a real turnoff. I might start looking at alternative solutions for music too. I think Spotify have really shot themselves in the foot here.

Finally, here's a tip for anyone from Spotify reading this:

Stop trying to give us what you think we need, and start listening to what we want. We're paying customers.

[LulaMarques]

Hi @MattSuda 

Thank you for the reply.

Best

[AlMoK-C]

Go back to having Podcasts and Music separate. The new "all in one" version is hard to navigate and very frustrating.

[ryanloughrey]

After the update, everything being thrown into My Library is chaotic and messy. It hurts podcasts by not letting me sort by which one has added a new episode recently. To find my downloaded podcasts, I have to use "My Episodes" (a forced playlist that adds extra steps that I didn't like when it was forced on us). To sort by downloads, I see a list of podcast titles. Or, I can see another forced playlist of ALL of the podcasts I follow and their latest episodes.

The update was probably meant to look cleaner, but for me, it's just a smorgasbord of everything, forcing me to re-sort if I want to search by album, artist, or podcast whereas previously I could just navigate to these with one swipe. Please add more sorting options. I wouldn't throw all of my utensils on the floor then tell you it's more convenient since it's all in one place. 

[MattSuda]

@Inudesu 

---

any hope for a "classic view" option? 

---

Thanks for coming to the Spotify Community to post your feedback for the Your Library team.

Spotify is moving forward with this update, however they are always looking at feedback to improve the app.

[Proteus846]

I can say without hesitation that this is the worst change to Spotify in my memory. I seriously hope it is reverted in the next update, because as it is right now… it is less intuitive and far messier. It’s not a preference thing like a new design — it’s objectively terrible.

Was this feature designed and tested by teenagers? Nobody else would think an unorganized mess of different content types in one place like this is a good idea; you basically just threw all my playlists, artists, and albums into one giant stack and every time I access something it jumps to the top. If the feature must stay around, make a settings toggle for “organizable library: turn on for straightforward design and off for a jumbled mess.” It’s bad enough that I’d bet money people are going to leave Spotify for Apple Music because of this change. (Even I may soon, at this point)

[Proteus846]

“Spotify is moving forward with this update, however they are always looking at feedback to improve the app.”

This is the community management way of saying, “thanks for your opinion, but we don’t actually care and this is the way it’s going to be.” For a service that requires paying customers to function, valuing customer feedback is vital. If the Spotify team continues to do whatever they want even when users make it clear this new library design is complete garbage, you’re going to lose subscribers — guaranteed.

[Allegedlystoned]

This guy knows what’s up. “In the past I have taken issue with Spotify updates but none have made me react so much as to create an online account and lodge a complaint.” Thats how u know this update sucks.

[Allegedlystoned]

This update is the worst. Time to switch back to Apple Music.

[fukushthead]

You guys ruined the Windows desktop app, and now ruined the Android one? What is wrong with you? As someone said before, you should fire whomever is in charge of these silly UX changes.

I can no longer get the list of episodes of my favorite podcasters, instead I get a list of everything cluttered, and if I select the podcast filter, it will only show the last podcast of each podcasters. Workaround is search for the podcast... for UX sake guys, are you nuts?

You guys are forcing people to quit the premium plan. Please stop this madness and hire a decent UX chief designer.

[hanskfroschauer]

Been searching for this page specifically to point out that the new Library view on my iPhone is a f*ing nightmare and I wish I could change it back to the way it was before. I have quite a lot of playlists (stemming from the time when there was a cap on how many albums or tracks could be added to your library, while one could make unlimited playlists), sorted into playlist folders – which are now one huge mess that's horrible to have to deal with.
I mean... wth? Was this really necessary?

[Papida]

I completely agree, it's really messy and not it's just harder to keep up with new episodes. Absolutely horrible. 

[Keystroke]

I am of the opinion that the new UI should be completely abandoned in favor of the old UI. My reason for this is that the new UI is much harder to navigate in. It is much more cluttered. You no longer are able to swipe to navigate, and the buttons you have to use are considerably smaller than the buttons in the old UI. On top of the functional issues, it's just terrible to look at. When I opened up Spotify to see this new UI I immediately felt stressed and worried. And then I went to the settings, and there was no way to regress to the previous layout. At best, this new UI should be gotten rid of entirely. At the least, there should be a way to choose which layout you use in settings.

If it stays how it is now, Spotify is going to lose a lot of my respect, and all of my praise. Not only because of the terrible decision to drop this awful change on everyone out of nowhere, but also for the lack of respect for Spotify's mobile userbase.

[of23wpl_t-q2a]

What a mess. This update makes it more difficult to interact with the app.

Features that don't make sense with this update:

• "Your Library" is a giant mess of podcasts, playlists, artists and albums. Who exactly does this benefit? Who would find this disorganized list beneficial to their user experience? 
• This one seems like a no-brainer, but podcasts and music should be completely separate stacks! Having to see "your episodes" in the music playlist filter is frustrating and completely unnecessary. It only adds to the clutter. If I want to access podcasts, I'll toggle to the podcasts area. They should not be integrated. 
• Likewise, having the "liked songs" playlist permanently in playlists, despite whether or not you use that function, only adds to the clutter. You essentially have this useless playlist taking up a large chunk of space on your screen.
• The podcast UI was always weak but now it's nearly unusable with not being able to see downloaded episodes in a concise list. The downloaded filter now breaks items down by show and not episode. Again, who could this possibly benefit?
• This last one I cannot emphasize enough, you made it more clicks to access basic parts of the library, i.e. playlists, artists, albums. Before, you could easily swipe between playlists, albums and artists. Now there is a small area you have to click to be brought back to the main library, and then click again to switch between library filters. This baffles me and is both unintuitive and an unnecessary barrier to using the app. People using the app on the go—walking to work, at the grocery store with an arm full of items, etc.—now face greater obstacles when they interact with the interface. 

I've never felt the need to post to the Spotify community before but these updates really boggle my mind. 

[rikverstraete]

The worst thing in the desktop version is the integration of artist and title in 1 field , even if you can sort them seperatly, it is visualy bad, you have no overview, i see 9 songs on the 27" monitor ! I I just got the upgrade so for other bas changes i definitly come back for more complains. But i guess Spotify will ignore these complains anyway, all usefull suggestions i have seen here are being ignored !

[rikverstraete]

Why not let users choose which fields they want visible in a playlist? I would prefer to see serperatly artist - title - year song released - genre instead of artist/title - album - date added - duration. But if these tags are available, let users choose which ones they want. Playlist of 1 artists in such a list album makes more sence...

and i want shuffle in maps back on mobile app, now shuffle play for maps is only available in desktop, so to shuffle a map , i have to start it on desktop before i can continue listing to that shuffle on mobile ! !!! crazy

[makena_wall]

This new UI update can teach us a very valuable lesson: "simple" is not always better, and in fact it can be much much worse. By changing the library to essentially be one GIANT list you've made it so cluttered that it's near impossible to find anything. The joy of spotify is that you can listen to a ton of music, but this new UI change makes the app harder to use the more music/podcasts you listen too.

Having the first page of your library be on long list serves zero purpose, because no one is going to use it! If you're like me and have 100+ playlists and follow 50+ artists, there's absolutely no way you're ever going to scroll through that list to find what you want. Everyone is just gonna end up using the filters at the top to separate their library into more manageable parts... something the UI could easily do for us by getting rid of the library list and just having a search button and 3 tabs at the top for playlists, artists, and podcasts/shows. Similar to how the old UI worked, have the playlist tab be the one that's automatically loaded up first when you select your library. And If you want to search for a specific playlist or artist in your entire library, the search button implemented in this update will do that regardless of what filter you currently have selected. Again there is NO reason the giant library list needs to exist. It is completely useless.

Other problems I have with the new UI is that you can no longer see how many songs are in a playlist AND the option to sort alphabetically doesn't work very well. In previous Spotify versions if you wanted a playlist to appear at the top of the list all you had to do was put an underscore in front of the name. Now if you want playlists to be at the top you'll have to put numbers in front of their name or pin them (but you can only pin 4 max so if you have more than 4 playlists you need at the top that's not going to help you).

So yeah, overall ya'll made some bad/pointless design choices that can be easily fixed.

[makena_wall]

I think we can all agree that the new UI having a massive list of everything in your library be the default view for your library is objectively bad and basically useless. No one is ever going to use that incredibly long list to find what they need, when it's far quicker to just use the filters or the search button.

The only purpose this list serves is being one extra page users have to click through in order to get to what they really want. So I propose that Spotify either completely gets rid of the list and just have 3-4 tabs at the top to choose from, with the default one being your playlists. Or give users the option to select a default filter so that we don't have to deal with the giant list every time we open our library.