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Music, podcasts, audiobooks\u2026emergency alerts? Spotify\u2019s latest test has the streaming app venturing into new territory with a test of an emergency alerts system in its home market of Sweden. According to code references found within the Spotify app, the company is considering a system that would help distribute public announcements related to things like \u201caccidents, serious events or disruptions of important services.\u201d<\/p>\n
The company confirmed to TechCrunch it\u2019s testing such a system, but didn\u2019t explain why it would be interested in providing this kind of service to its users. There\u2019s no Swedish law requiring the app to do so and Spotify says that, for now, it\u2019s only exploring whether or not the app could support something like an emergency alerts system. <\/p>\n
The feature was first uncovered by technologist and reverse engineer Chris Messina<\/a>, who theorized that an emergency alerts service could push Spotify users to enable their app notifications. Often, users disable alerts from non-essential apps, like those in the social networking or entertainment space, which makes it more difficult for the app to catch users\u2019 attention and market its new features.<\/p>\n But more broadly, supporting emergency alerts could also solidify Spotify\u2019s position as a more essential app to have on hand. It also steps into Meta\u2019s territory, as the social network has for nearly a decade<\/a> offered ways for users to get updates during major disasters with its Safety Check feature. Google also leveraged its app\u2019s popularity to alert users of disasters, as with its earthquake alerts on Android<\/a>. In the U.S., lawmakers have previously<\/a> weighed the idea of requiring<\/a> online video and streaming apps to support emergency alerts in addition to TV and radio broadcasters and cable TV systems.<\/p>\n Code references in Spotify\u2019s app mention the feature across the following phrases:<\/p>\n Reached for comment, a company rep for Spotify confirmed the test in a statement, adding it was only being tested in Sweden for the time being.<\/p>\n \u201cAt Spotify, we routinely conduct a number of tests in an effort to improve our user experience,\u201d they said. \u201cSome of those tests end up paving the way for our broader user experience while most serve only as an important learning.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n