How to get the most out of your Spotify subscription

Read on to learn how to get the most out of your Spotify subscription, courtesy of our audio guru Chris Haslam…

Spotify is the service of choice for music streaming…

While fans of physical media welcome the resurgence of vinyl, it’s now virtually impossible to ignore the dominance of music streaming. And with 626 million users, 246 million paid subscribers and over 100 million songs, Spotify remains the service of choice no matter your musical inclinations.

Because it’s a service, it’s quick to download and easy to navigate. But browse the menus and you’ll be surprised by the extras that improve sound quality and create playlists based on your favorite artists, eras and genres.

Make the most of your Spotify subscription… how to increase sound quality

Although MP3 files have revolutionized the way we consume media, no one ever said they sounded particularly good. However, you can increase the default streaming rate of 96 Kbps via the Audio Quality menu in Settings. You can choose between 24 kbit/s (low quality), 96 kbit/s (standard), 160 kbit/s (high) and 320 kbit/s (best sound in MP3 format), although you can only get a maximum via the free platform Can stream 128 kbit/s. To save mobile data, you can also only stream in higher quality over WiFi.

Make the most of your Spotify subscription… How to save playlists

You can now save playlists and podcasts to your smartphone’s internal storage. Look for the “…” icon in the app, touch it and you will see the “Download” option. To keep the entire album, you need to tap the little down arrow.

How to import digital files from your computer

Although Spotify has an extensive library, the selection of classical music can occasionally be a bit sparse. Luckily, you can import digital music files from your computer or hard drive and add your own rarities to your personal Spotify app. You must use Spotify’s desktop app. There’s a Local File tab under Settings that you can use to retrieve saved songs. However, not all formats are compatible and you will need a premium subscription if you want to listen on your smartphone.

Make the most of your Spotify subscription… how to use AI to create playlists

Readers of a certain age may remember Pandora. This early internet radio service played music similar to a featured artist and introduced me to wonderful music. Spotify also has a variety of curated services and its most trusted Discover Weekly playlist generates a mixtape based on recent listens.

They now also use AI to create unique playlists. For example, I asked Spotify for “Classical Music from 1700” and it created a playlist of 30 works, including Handel, Bach, Vivaldi And Mozart. Click the “+” button and select “AI Playlist”. Also remember that Spotify can create a radio playlist based on a single song. Open that song, tap the three-dot menu next to the title and select “Go to Radio.” Spotify creates a song stream based on your selections.

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We recommend… the best speakers to get the most out of your Spotify subscription

LG XBoom XO2T £150

Part lava lamp, part Bluetooth speaker, this cute design delivers 360-degree audio and can easily fill a spacious living room with sound. Battery life is 15 hours and the adjustable built-in LED lights can be programmed in a separate smartphone app to add extra ambience. lg.com

Audio Pro T3+ £150

I love this cute, compact, battery-powered Bluetooth speaker from Audio Pro that combines Scandinavian style with size-defying sound. There are a pair of 2cm tweeters and a 9cm subwoofer which, combined with a clever DSP (Digital Signal Processing), make it perfect for a party. audiopro.com

Marshall Acton III £259

The traditional Marshall brand has diversified in recent years to offer more than just rock’n’roll. The Acton III Bluetooth speaker features a 30-watt woofer and two 15-watt tweeters and sounds great for its modest size (260 x 170 x 150 mm). It also consists of 70 percent recycled plastic. Marshall.com