Spotify is rolling out a set of features that put credits and song stories in the spotlight. The company will expand Song Credits to show more contributors. It will also add SongDNA, a map of sample covers and collaborator links, and a new About the Song card view in Now Playing. These tools aim to help listeners discover music by following the people and stories behind a track.
Expanded Song Credits
Spotify will add more detailed credits to tracks so listeners can see writers, producers, engineers, background vocalists, and session musicians. The change moves credits beyond the main performers. Artists will get the chance to preview and check accuracy before a public launch. Spotify says the expanded credits begin rolling out on mobile devices now and will arrive on desktop later.
The aim is to give credit to the many people who make a song. For creators, this can help with recognition and with linking fans to other work. For listeners, this is a way to find new music by following the names behind the tracks they already love. Spotify will rely on multiple sources to build these credits, and it will let artists correct their listings through Spotify for Artists.
Explore SongDNA Maps
SongDNA is an interactive view that shows how a track connects to other songs and artists. The feature highlights samples, cover versions, and project links between collaborators. Spotify will use WhoSampled data to power the sampling and cover relationships that appear in SongDNA. The map view aims to make it simple to follow a sample or a remix back through music history.
SongDNA and About the Song will roll out first as a Spotify for Artists Preview early next year. That preview will enable creators to verify information and fix mistakes for the wider audience. Spotify indicates that these functions will be made available to Premium members once they are available on a general basis.
What About the Story Cards
The About the Song cards will live in the Now Playing view. Listeners will be able to swipe through short cards that explain what inspired a song, where it came from, and what cultural impact it had. These cards will link out to trusted third-party sources such as artist interviews, news features, and encyclopedic pages, so listeners can read more. Spotify plans to aggregate multiple sources to ensure the cards are informative and varied.
The story cards are not a replacement for full, long-form features. They are a quick way to give context and to let listeners dive deeper if they want to. Artists and labels can preview the cards during the Artists Preview so that spot errors and suggest improvements.
