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Google has introduced seven additional features for Android, with more unique ones for US residents. These range from features boosting productivity to features increasing data privacy and safety.

Although we haven't received any new Windows 11 builds this week, the last 7 days brought plenty of news. It is time to recap the most interesting and noteworthy stories from the world of Microsoft.

Spotify has reached a new milestone as the music streaming service is now frequented by over 500 million users every month. It has also increased its paid subscriber count by 15% since last year.

There is now a quick way to open Spotify on iPhone. As part of its latest update, Spotify has launched a new widget for iOS 16 that allows access to the app directly from the iPhone lock screen.

Listening to Spotify music while using the Strava app for workouts is possible now. The popular workout app has announced in-app Spotify integration for all users as part of a major software update.

When Spotify announced HiFi back in 2021, its main competitor was Tidal, which charged a premium for lossless audio. However, the situation has changed since then, likely contributing to HiFi's delay.

Spotify has launched a partnership with Kingship, who are a metaverse band signed to Universal Music Group (UMG), which allows for playlists that can be unlocked through NFTs in certain regions.

The DJ feature in Spotify, now in beta, creates a personal playlist for each user based on their previous music choices, and even uses an AI-voiced DJ that offers commentary about the playlist.

Following the likes of Google, Microsoft, and Amazon, Spotify has also announced its own round of layoffs. The company will let go of 6% of its workforce as a way to significantly reduce costs.

Spotify is set to let go of some of its staff this week, according to a Bloomberg report. The firm joins the likes of other tech companies who also bade goodbye to a significant number of employees.

Google revealed a new way of providing uninterrupted listening to its users at CES 2023 in collaboration with Spotify where it offers a convenient way to switch playback between devices.

Twitter plans to charge $11 per month for its subscription on the iPhone in order to account for the 30% cut that Apple takes from in-app purchases. On the web, however, the same will cost $7.

A third-party dev is developing a Windows 11-style Spotify app and although it is still a work in progress, the app, in terms of looks, seems to be giving the official app a run for its money.

YouTube is rolling out its second YouTube Music Recap, which comes with more personalized statistics like Identity and Top Trends and is accessible on the main YouTube application as well.

The UK's CMA has found that intervention on its part is unlikely to boost the incomes of smaller artists that release music on streaming platforms. It said the government may be able to do something.

Following the early success of its user choice billing pilot for the Google Play Store, Google has decided to expand the program to more countries. Spotify is rolling out its implementation today too.

Spotify announced several upgrades and new gadgets, including updates to the Spotify app on Apple Watch. It also mentioned that users can access Spotify on Amazon Fire TV QLED Omni Series.

Spotify is once again feuding with Apple over its policies regarding audiobooks. Apple reportedly approved Spotify's audiobook feature initially but later rejected three subsequent updates.

Spotify will buy Kinzen, a company that specializes in detecting harmful audio content. Using machine learning technology, Kinzen can moderate content across languages and dialects.

Spotify has a hard-to-miss offer for those considering signing up for the service. New subscribers can get three months for free, and returning customers can get a significant discount.

Spotify Tickets offers an easy option to sell fans tickets to live gigs directly instead of redirecting them to partners. The site being available for the public to book tickets, beginning today!

Spotify is separating Music and Podcasts. The first section will help discover content, while the latter will offer more information as well. Subscribers can switch back to the old Home as well.

Spotify has decided to stop the manufacturing of Car Thing, just five months after its general availability in the U.S. The $89.99 hardware offered a dedicated Spotify streaming solution for your car.

The ESET mobile antivirus has been detecting the Spotify app as a Trojan Dropper. However, the security firm has confirmed that it is only a false positive alert, assuring that an update will fix it.

Spotify has introduced a Live Events Feed to inform users about upcoming shows from their favorite artists. Personalized recommendations for events and ticket purchase was added as well.

Spotify has joined the list of apps optimized for Windows computers with ARM-based processors inside. Users of the popular streaming service can download Spotify Beta for ARM64 devices.

Spotify has announced that it's launching its Video Podcasts feature to all creators in select markets. The company has also announced new features to make Video Podcasting a great experience.

Spotify is rebranding its Clubhouse competitor "Greenroom" to "Live". The experience is also being integrated with the main Spotify app but you'll still need the Spotify Live app for some things.

TikTok has officially launched SoundOn, a platform that promises to help up and coming musicians with expert advice, audience insights, collaboration opportunities, marketing, and distribution.

Spotify has announced the U.S. availability of its Car Thing hardware for Premium users, priced at $89.99. The company boasts that its device is equipped to respond to "every in-car situation".

Several Spotify users are suffering from bots that appear as normal accounts, but randomly remove songs from collaborative playlists and insert content from relatively unknown artists.

After Blackwells Capital advised Peloton to replace its CEO, it is finally happening. John Folley is getting replaced by former Spotify and Netflix chief financial officer Barry McCarthy.

Tinder has said it's launching a new mode for the Explore page called Music Mode. In this mode, users who have selected an Anthem will be able to view profiles with the music playing automatically.

Spotify is currently testing a new feed called "Discover" which shows short clips of music videos in a style that is similar to what we see on TikTok. Users can swipe up the feed and like the songs.

Amazon is adding auto-generated synchronized transcripts for podcasts on the Amazon Music app on both iOS and Android apps. Users can also navigate through a podcast by scrolling up and down.

Spotify has confirmed a new trial plan that charges users a fraction of the cost of its paid tier for a few capabilities like skipping an unlimited number of songs. You'll still see ads, though.

TikTok and Spotify have made an agreement that lets TikTok users claim Spotify Premium, for free, for four months. The offer is available in several European markets including the UK and Germany.