First Look: Spotify's New 'About the Song' Feature Explained

For years, Spotify users have had to leave the app to understand the context of what they're listening to. While "Storyline" existed for some artists, it was often blank or used for marketing promos rather than actual information.

On February 6, 2026, Spotify officially rolled out About the Song, a new feature designed to fix this gap. Currently available in Beta for Premium users in select English-speaking markets (US, UK, Canada, Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand), this feature pulls verified data from third-party sources directly into the Now Playing view.

We’ve spent the last 24 hours testing it. Here is exactly what it does (and what it doesn't do).

How It Works

If you are on the latest version of the iOS or Android app, you will find the new section by scrolling down past the Lyrics card.

• The Content: Unlike the old "Behind the Lyrics" which relied on crowdsourced trivia, "About the Song" provides swipeable cards with summaries of the track’s meaning, production history, and cultural impact.
• The Sources: This is the biggest upgrade. Spotify is using AI to summarize credible third-party journalism (publications like Rolling Stone, Variety, and Billboard) rather than user-submitted facts.
• The Feedback Loop: You can rate each card with a thumbs up/down, which likely helps train their summarization model on what users find "useful" versus "fluff."

The Data Perspective

From a "mystats.music" perspective, this feature represents a shift in how Spotify measures Active Engagement.

Previously, "active" listening meant saving a track or adding it to a playlist. Now, spending time swiping through "About the Song" cards adds a new layer of Dwell Time to your profile. If you spend 2 minutes reading about the history of 90s Grunge tracks, the algorithm will likely weigh that genre heavily in your future recommendations, even if you didn't "Like" every song.

Is it actually useful?

In our testing, the feature works best on "Legacy" hits. If you play Master of Puppets, you get a detailed breakdown of its 2022 resurgence and production. However, for newer releases or indie artists, the "About the Song" card is often missing entirely.

The Verdict

"About the Song" is a promising step toward making streaming feel less disposable. By grounding the music in actual journalism, it turns a passive listening session into a discovery moment. However, until it rolls out to non-English markets and covers independent artists, it remains a "Major Label" feature.

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Does context change your listening habits? We often find that users listen to "story-rich" songs longer than generic pop hits. Check your own history to see if you have a bias toward artists with deep lore.