Global streaming giant, Spotify announced that it is launching a child-focused platform where kids can safely explore and listen to music. The new app, which is only available in Ireland at the moment, boasts over 6000 curated tracks – approved by editors at Spotify.
Editors take several different factors into account when determining what tracks make it to the platform, and what tracks have been restricted due to the users’ age – things that play a role include whether or not a song has foul or explicit language, references to guns or violence and what is popular in a particular region.
The platform is said to be limited to children’s stories and Disney hits – but parents can adjust the app for their older kids to include artists like Taylor Swift and Bruno Mars.
The app, which is available on both iOS and Android, “looks like a streamlined version of Spotify, stripped back to just a single feed filled with colourful playlists,” according to a report by The Verge.
“Kids are meant to poke around at recognisable movie characters and different illustrations that Spotify has made (like a smiling guitar or a bouncing bucket of popcorn) or tap on artists they recognise if they’re old enough. Kids can search if they want to find something specific, though they can’t browse by artist or album.”
“The app is really just meant to be browsed through the curated playlists Spotify has put together. In a particularly cute touch, kids get to choose between one of 12 adorable monster avatars, and the colour scheme of the app will change based on what they pick.”
And while there is no word yet on when the app will go global, it’s said to cost roughly $14.99 per month and requires a Spotify Premium Family subscription.
Edited by Jenna Cook
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