Have you ever wondered what it takes to create your favourite song? Well, beginning in April, a new Spotify feature called SongDNA will offer listeners a behind-the-scenes look at the people, influences, and connections that shape the songs they love.
Rolling out globally to Premium users, SongDNA is built directly into the app’s Now Playing view.
With a simple tap, users can access a detailed breakdown of a track, including its writers, producers and collaborators. Beyond that, the feature highlights samples and interpolations used in the song, as well as covers it has inspired.
In a statement seen by KBC Digital, Spotify said the feature provided a deeper understanding of the music people love.
“It’s an interactive way to follow the connections between tracks and see how artists, eras, and genres intersect, giving you a deeper understanding of how what you’re listening to came together,” the statement read in part.
The company also said that the new feature would put a spotlight on the behind-the-scenes creators of music.
“For artists and the wider creative community of songwriters, producers, composers, and engineers, SongDNA offers a new way for fans to engage with their work by putting collaborations and influences front and centre,” Spotify said.
Using the feature is straightforward. While playing a song on the mobile app, users scroll down to locate the SongDNA card. From there, they can dive into the track’s creative lineage and follow links to uncover new music and collaborations.
According to Jacqueline Ankner, Spotify’s Head of Songwriter & Publisher Partnerships, the feature will further allow users to discover music in a new way.
“SongDNA is designed to make a song’s creative lineage more transparent so fans can easily explore the people and influences behind the music they love,” said Jacqueline Ankner. “By bringing collaborators, samples, and covers together in one place, we’re making it easier for fans to discover new music and see how songs connect and come to life—while giving songwriters, producers, and rightsholders meaningful recognition for the role they play in creating it.”
