I received my invite to join Spotify back in November of 2008 — yes, back then, you couldn’t sign up by yourself; another user had to invite you with a personalized link first. I created an account, used my free trial, and finally had access to the world’s largest music streaming platform. For the first few years, though, I kept switching between Spotify and my personal music collection, canceling and restarting my subscription, until Spotify won, and it was game over for my local music library.
Since then, I’ve tried to make the most of my subscription. If I’m paying 17 Euros or so for Spotify Duo (despite having access to YouTube Music with my YouTube Premium subscription), I have to ensure I’m getting my money’s worth. So I’ve accumulated a list of tricks and tips that improve my Spotify experience. I’ll share the first big five with you here, but there are more obscure tricks coming in another article.