Spotify has become one of the most popular music streaming services, with over 450 million active users worldwide. With its clean, intuitive interface, Spotify makes it easy to find and play your favorite music.
But if you’re new to Spotify, you may be confused by the various icons and symbols used throughout the platform. Don’t worry – this guide will explain the meaning behind Spotify’s icons so you can navigate the app like a pro.
Introduction
With over 82 million tracks available on Spotify, there’s a massive amount of content to explore. Spotify uses icons and symbols throughout its interface to allow users to quickly perform actions and view information without having to dig through menus.
Knowing what these little icons mean will enhance your Spotify experience. You’ll be able to tell at a glance what type of content you’re looking at, control playback, share tracks, and more.
This guide will cover the most commonly used Spotify icons and symbols on both mobile and desktop apps. Read on to learn what they mean and how you can use them to master Spotify like a DJ.
Playback Control Icons
The Spotify playback control icons appear in the lower portion of the screen during music playback. These icons allow you to quickly control the player without having to open it fully. Here are the playback control icons and their meanings:
Shuffle Icon – The shuffle icon appears as two crossing arrows. It toggles shuffle playback on and off. With shuffle enabled, Spotify will randomly play tracks rather than following a playlist order.
Previous Track Icon – The previous track icon is depicted by a left-pointing arrow. It skips to the previous track in the playlist or album.
Play/Pause Icon – The play/pause icon appears as either a triangle (play) or two vertical lines (pause). It starts or pauses the music playback.
Next Track Icon – You guessed it – the next track icon skips to the following track. It appears as a right-pointing arrow.
Repeat Icon – The repeat icon is represented by a looping arrow. It cycles through the repeat modes – repeat track, repeat context (album or playlist), and repeat off.
Volume Icon – The volume icon is depicted by a speaker. Click it to bring up the volume slider and quickly adjust your listening volume.
Devices Icon – The devices icon appears as a monitor with a music note. It enables you to select playback on a different available device like a speaker.
Queue Icon – The queue icon looks like three horizontal lines. It opens the playback queue so you can view upcoming tracks and edit the playlist order.
Connect Icon – The connect icon shows devices with WiFi signals. It allows you to connect external devices for group listening sessions.
Mastering these playback control icons will enable you to operate the Spotify player without ever opening it up fully!
Track Information Icons
In addition to playback controls, Spotify uses various icons to convey information about tracks:
Heart Icon – The heart icon is used to like or save tracks to your Spotify library. Click it to save a track to your Liked Songs playlist for easy access later.
Ban Icon – Don’t like a track? The ban icon allows you to remove it from playlists, radio stations, and other contexts. This helps Spotify learn your tastes.
Download Icon – Want to listen offline? Click the download icon (downward arrow) to save a track to your device for offline playback. The icon will show a checkmark when downloaded.
Artist Icon – The artist icon shows a microphone with musical notes. Click this to view the artist page and check out more of their tracks.
Album Icon – The album icon depicts a CD disc. Tap it to open the full album view and see all tracks.
Podcast Icon – The podcast icon is represented by a broadcast signal graphic. Click this to open podcast show and episode pages.
Video Icon – This icon depicts a “play” triangle inside a rectangle, representing video content. It brings you to the video playback screen.
Lyrics Icon – See a microphone with sound waves? This opens the real-time lyrics view for the track to sing along.
These handy icons allow you to quickly glean key info and take action on tracks right from playlists, albums, search results, and more.
Playlist Icons
Playlists are key to organizing your music library. Spotify uses special icons to represent different playlist types and settings:
Regular Playlist Icon – The default playlist icon is three lines atop a music note. This represents a regular playlist you or other users have created.
Folder Icon – Playlists can be dragged into folders for organization. These are represented by a folder icon.
Private Playlist Icon – Private playlists show a padlock icon, meaning they are only visible to the creator. Make collaborative playlists private to control access.
Download Icon – Downloading a playlist for offline playback adds a down arrow icon to show it’s been downloaded.
Local Files Icon – Songs from your local music library have a file icon next to them when added to playlists.
Made For You Icon – Algorithmic playlists created by Spotify have a user icon with a music note. These include Discover Weekly, Release Radar, and Daily Mixes.
Liked Songs Icon – A heart icon represents your Liked Songs Collection. All your liked tracks reside here automatically.
Following Icon – Playlist you follow made by other users display a plus icon to indicate you don’t own them.
Learning these playlist icons helps you identify special playlists to take advantage of like Made For You and Liked Songs.
Social Icons
Spotify has robust social features for connecting with friends and sharing music discoveries. These icons represent different social actions:
Friends Icon – See an icon with two user heads and a plus sign? This means a friend has the playlist or is following the artist.
Share Icon – The share icon depicted by an arrow pointing outward allows you to share tracks or playlists via messages, social media, and more.
Collaborative Playlist Icon – Playlists for multiple contributors have a user group icon. This means others can add tracks.
Facebook Icon – Spotify can connect with your Facebook profile. You may see the Facebook icon on playlists shared from FB.
Group Session Icon – The group session icon with multiple user heads enables you to listen together in real-time.
Social is key to the Spotify experience. Use these icons to collaborate with friends and share your musical tastes.
Account Icons
Your Spotify account has its own set of helpful icons to represent settings and information:
Devices Icon – The devices icon seen in account settings shows computers, phones, speakers, and more. Manage playback across devices here.
Gear Icon – The gear icon in the upper right leads to your account settings for options like offline listening, quality, etc.
Caret Icon – Expand rows in your account with the downward-pointing caret icon to access additional options and information.
Family Icon – Family plan members see a family icon. Manage family settings by clicking this icon.
File Icon – Uploaded local files like MP3s are denoted by a file icon when viewed in your library.
Downloaded Icon – In account settings, a green down arrow icon indicates playlists and albums downloaded for offline listening.
Refresh Icon – Playlist and album covers missing artwork show rectangles with refresh icons. Click to load the image.
Refer to your account icons frequently to manage settings, downloads, devices, and more!
Mobile and Desktop App Icons
The Spotify mobile and desktop apps share many icons, along with some that are unique:
Home Icon – The home icon represented by a house takes you back to the Spotify homepage.
Search Icon – A magnifying glass denotes search to easily find artists, tracks, podcasts, and more.
Your Library Icon – Quickly access playlists, albums, and podcasts with the library icon.
Premium Icon – Paid subscribers see a silver checkmark denoting Premium status unlocks advanced features.
In addition, mobile apps have the following exclusive icons:
Navigation Menu Icon – Tap the three horizontal lines to reveal the navigation drawer for browsing.
Cast Icon – Cast media to external devices like speakers and TVs using the wireless cast icon.
Connect Icon – The connect icon allows pairing with Carplay and Android Auto for hands-free listening.
While desktop apps includes these computer-specific icons:
Volume Icon – Adjust your desktop audio volume via the volume icon next to playback controls.
Minimize Icon – The minimize icon (a dash) shrinks the player down to a mini mode with basic controls.
Resize Icon – Expand Spotify to full screen using the diagonal resize icon in the upper right corner.
Mastering both mobile and desktop icons will help you control Spotify seamlessly across devices.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ’s)
What do the Spotify icons with numbers mean?
Icons followed by numbers indicate the number of items something contains. For example, a playlist icon with “38” indicates it has 38 tracks. Album and artist icons with numbers show the total number of releases or songs the artist has on Spotify.
Why don’t I see some icons like Repeat and Group Session?
Some Spotify icons only appear when relevant. For example, the repeat icon shows during music playback when the repeat function can be used. And group session icons only activate when you are engaging with the social listening features.
Can I customize or change the Spotify icons?
Unfortunately, no – the Spotify icons cannot be modified or customized by users or modified. They are set by Spotify to maintain a consistent experience across the platform.
What does the blue checkmark icon next to an artist or playlist name mean?
The blue checkmark indicates a verified artist, playlist, or account. It means the creator’s authenticity has been verified by Spotify. This helps combat impersonation or fake accounts.
Why is the heart icon red for some playlists/tracks and white for others?
A red heart represents tracks or playlists you have already liked. A white heart is for those you have not liked yet – click these to like them and turn the heart red.
Conclusion
Spotify’s icons and symbols allow users to control music playback, view track info, manage playlists, and navigate the app easily. While it may seem confusing at first, this guide has hopefully decoded the most common Spotify icons for you.
Now you can identify icons representing playback functions, track details, playlists types, account settings, and app navigation. Understanding these icons will level up your Spotify skills.
You’ll be able to utilize social features for sharing music, control playback without opening the player fully, quickly identify special playlists, and tap icons to view relevant information. Mastering Spotify icons makes you savvier at sorting your music library and becoming a power user.
For quick reference, bookmark or share this guide anytime you come across a new Spotify icon. Let the music play on!