Spotify has begun distributing invites to an event set to occur on April 24, during which the company is expected to unveil new features for its mobile app and other announcements. According to a new report by The Verge, among the top executives who are likely to make presentations include the company’s head of research and development Gustav Söderström, vice president of product development Babar Zafar, and global head of creator services Troy Carter.
While the invites confirm the date of the event next week, there’s no word on what to expect from the music streaming service on that day. However, previous rumors could provide some clue on what changes the company is likely to introduce next week. Most recently, Spotify was reported to be planning to revamp its free service with the goal of making it easier to use on a mobile device. While the plans remained private, Spotify was expected to make the announcement in the coming weeks. The updated service was also supposed to allow mobile users to gain a quick access to playlists and gain a wider control over what songs to listen to. Hence, the move was believed to align the free service with Spotify’s paid service, which costs $9.99 per month. While the free service does not have a significant direct contribution to the company’s revenues, it does play a crucial role in getting new users to subscribe to its premium service that does not serve ads, unlike the free one. However, it’s worth noting that the free service accounted for around 90 percent of the company’s revenue last year mostly due to the ads that play in between listening sessions.
Last month, Spotify was reportedly testing a voice-enabled search solution in its mobile app, an endeavor which has been confirmed by a company representative, adding that the feature was still in an experimental stage and only limited to a small group of users. The trial feature was originally spotted in the iOS version of the app and there is presently no indication whether it is coming to Android as well. Spotify’s recent job listings also suggested that the company has been preparing to enter the smart speaker market, and it is expected to unveil some form of hardware product for that effort during the upcoming event next week.