Sitting in the backseat of my family’s 1997 Saturn station wagon, I was first exposed to the world of uninterrupted music. Annual drives to Nantucket became six hour sessions of listening non-stop to everything from the distinctive Massachusetts accent of Jonathan Richman to the upbeat reggae stylings of Toots and the Maytals. While I was unaware of it at the time, these music marathons would open my mind to a plethora of different musical styles that would be a starting point for a life-long love of music. Recently, as in two years ago, I was thrown back into the uncorrupted beauty of unlimited musical freedom with the purchase of a Spotify Premium Account. So without further ado, here are the five reasons why Spotify is the best thing to be invented since the invention of Kleen Maid Sliced Bread on July 27, 1928.
Unlimited Music
One of Spotify’s greatest draws is its seemingly never-ending catalogue of music of all genres, shapes, forms, colors, pretty much any quantifiable characterizer you can think of. While missing some surprisingly well-known musicians(AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Beatles, and recently Taylor Swift), you may be surprised how much depth Spotify truly offers in the world of music. For instance, if you wanted to listen to the song that plays during Napoleon Dynamite’s dance scene(Canned Heat by British band Jamiroquai), you can boogie to this 60’s retro, funkadelic, (insert other uncomfortable outdated jargon) tune to your heart’s content.
Accessibility
If you’ve ever found yourself in the car on a long road trip, it’s most likely that you have experienced the phenomenon called the awkward silence. Whether it be driving by yourself on your way home from a soccer practice in the middle of a monsoon(not like that’s ever happened to me before), or whether you find yourself trapped in a silent prison between two greasy, body fluid generating, open-mouth chewing people that you are sure must be from that branch of your family tree that didn’t get enough sunlight(maybe that’s a bit harsh but you get the picture). In these dire situations, sometimes the only remedy is a ear-full of your favorite tunes via the mobile Spotify app. In an instant you are transported into the blissful life that can only be achieved through music.
Discover New Music
Of course, one of Spotify’s biggest draws is its effectiveness in allowing users to dive into a plethora of new musical stylings that they might not have otherwise discovered. One of the greatest ways to do this is through the “Related Artists” tab that is at the top of every artist’s page on Spotify. What once required countless refreshes of the new music page on iTunes is replaced now with a multiple hour rabbit hole expedition through a plethora of musical stylings.
Connection with friends
Since linking itself with Facebook, Spotify has the dual functionality of a music streaming service and a thriving social media site. Not only does Spotify allow for you to find what your friends online are listening to, but, in the event that you happen to like the other person’s taste in music, you can follow their profile to get updates on new songs that you haven’t heard before and if you follow their playlists, you have access to a bank of good music at your fingertips.
Usability
Of all of Spotify’s many features, perhaps the most astounding is its insanely easy to use format. Mirroring the look of an iTunes playlist smushed together with a facebook profile page, Spotify blends two of the world’s most user-friendly sites into one beautiful social media conglomerate. Additionally, unlike iTunes, Spotify offers a simple way of syncing songs that are downloaded on your computer: simply be connected to the same Wifi network on your computer and phone. With no expensive power cords to deal with, bridging the gap between at home listening and mobile listening has been made a lot easier thanks to Spotify.
