In a recent announcement, Spotify introduced “Expanded Credits,” “SongDNA,” and “About the Song” features, aiming to highlight behind-the-scenes creators.
New Features Aim to Help Artists Spotlight the People and Stories Behind the Music
Spotify is rolling out a suite of new features aimed at giving listeners more insight into the teams, influences, and creative processes behind the music they’re streaming. The updates include expanded Song Credits, a new interactive tool called SongDNA, and an upcoming feature called “About the Song.”
Expanded Song Credits
The company’s existing Song Credits have been broadened to include a more complete list of contributors beyond top line artists, writers, and producers. Engineers, musicians, and other collaborators — often left out due to incomplete metadata — will now be visible within Spotify’s credit panel. The feature begins rolling out on mobile devices this week, with desktop support planned for later.
“So many incredible creatives contribute to a track, and recognizing them publicly can be life-changing,” commented mixing engineer, Manny Marroquin, “spotlighting the full team behind each song makes our industry stronger and more inclusive.”
SongDNA
Spotify is also preparing to launch SongDNA, an interactive map that visualizes how tracks are connected through collaborations, samples, and covers. Available to Premium subscribers, SongDNA pulls data from WhoSampled, which Spotify acquired earlier this year, allowing users to trace creative lineage and discover links between songs and contributors.
Producer Mike Dean reflected: “Back in the record and CD era, people read liner notes and it was a big thing to do while you listened. We used to listen, read, and dream of being listed one day. Later in my life, when my career started, people discovered me through the credits long before the internet was popular. A lot of information gets lost in metadata when labels deliver, and credits for assistant engineers, additional producers, mastering engineers, and others often get left off. So I think expanding Song Credits and SongDNA are great steps forward in modernizing credits.”
About the Song
“About the Song” is a brand new feature that will provide swipeable cards within the Now Playing view, offering background stories, inspirations, and cultural context behind individual tracks. Spotify says these narratives will come from third-party sources rather than artists directly.
Ahead of a broader listener rollout, the company plans to offer artists and their teams early access through a Spotify for Artists Preview next year. This preview period will allow creators to review and correct their credits and provide feedback on how the tools function.
Why Is This Relevant for Independent Artists?
For independent artists and self-releasing musicians — who often rely on word of mouth, DIY networks, and metadata accuracy to surface in searches — these features could offer increased visibility. Besides offering a new level of transparency and support for the full credit list of artists contributing to songs and albums, this makes it easier for collaborators to be discovered amongst their communities and networks.
Here’s Charlie Puth sharing his impressions of the Song Credits update.
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