Spotify has bought WhoSampled and will use its data to power a new feature called SongDNA. WhoSampled will continue to run on its own as a separate site.
WhoSampled began in 2008 and holds a large, user-built database that links more than a million tracks. Users add details about where songs come from, as well as covers and remixes. Moderators check those submissions before they are added to the site. The service helps listeners trace samples, covers, and other connections between songs.
SongDNA is an interactive tool that shows how tracks, collaborators, samples, and covers are linked. Spotify says the sample and cover information in SongDNA comes from WhoSampled. The feature is being introduced to Spotify Premium users in the “Now Playing” view.
Spotify is also rolling out a feature called “About the song”. This gives a short summary of the track that is playing, with notes on what inspired the song, stories behind it, and its cultural impact.
Spotify is expanding Song Credits to list everyone who worked on a track. Song Credits is being launched on mobile first, with desktop support coming in the next few months.
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