If you are a Spotify user like me, you have probably considered purchasing Spotify Premium at some point. And then you hear the glorious "Want a break from the ads? Watch this short video..." (We all know the rest.) I have been using Spotify for a few months now, and I've picked up on a few tricks to finesse the app.
You don't have to be a genius to know that Spotify has some restrictions that Spotify Premium does not. They do this so that users get fed up with it and upgrade to premium. You can't play your songs in any order you want, you don't get unlimited skips, they give you advertisements, the list goes on. However, there are ways to work around it for free.
1. How to replay a song:
I know, I didn't think it was possible either, but you can! Say your favorite song comes on, and you know you're going to want to play it again. Have no fear! Listen to the song, leave a few second left at the end and hit pause. Then, hit the "Shuffle Play" button on the playlist you're listening to, and the song will start over. Spotify is like, "Please. Did you really think we'd let you shuffle the playlist?" And we're all, "Nope, this is exactly what I wanted to happen!" You can do this as many times as you want until you get an advertisement, then it will shuffle.
2. How to hear a certain song right now:
With Spotify Premium, you can choose which song plays next. However, if you want to hear a certain song, there is a way around it. You can type that song in, and create a new playlist with only that song in it. When you go to play that playlist, that song will start. They may hit you with a "suggested track," but most of the time, your desired song will play.
3. How to enrich your playlist:
Say you have a playlist made for a party, but you can't think of any more songs to add. You can configure your playlist so that your friends can add songs from their devices! Simply go to your playlist, click the dots in the top righthand corner, and hit "Make Collaborative." Now, you can use your friend's good taste in music to your advantage.
4. How to rewind a song:
Unfortunately, you can't do this on a mobile device. However, maybe you didn't know that Spotify on a computer is much different than on your phone. You can play any song you want, you can play your playlists in order, and more. On a desktop or laptop, you can rewind any song as much as you want!
5. How to hide a playlist:
Sometimes, I make playlists just for myself! A few of my favorite songs, just to have in one place. However, that doesn't necessarily mean I want other people to be able to see/hear it. You can keep certain playlists private on Spotify!
6. How to never miss 30 minutes of ad-free music:
"Want a break from the ads? Watch this short video to receive 30 minutes of ad free music." We've all missed one or two of these opportunities because we couldn't open the app in time. This isn't exactly a hack, but maybe you never thought to do it! Next time your phone is locked or in your pocket and you hear this, pause the ad! This gives you more time to unlock your phone, open the app and click "watch video"!
