Spotify iPhone app updated, adds Now Playing bar

Spotify has updated its iPhone app. The streaming app has had a redesign, with a number of changes that should make it easier to navigate.

The new interface has a swipe-across menu that lets you jump to different sections of the app. It looks a lot like Facebook's iPhone offering, which maybe isn't that surprising, considering the two are in bed together in a big way.

It also has a Now Playing bar that shows what you're listening to at all times, no matter which part of the app you're in. It'll display the artist and track name, as well as Play and Pause controls. If you want to skip to the next song in an album or playlist, just swipe. And to see more info about what you're listening to, tap or drag it. A tap of the cover art will let you toggle AirPlay on or off, and activate the Shuffle function.

There's a redesigned track menu you can access by clicking the '…' button too.

Spotify has fixed a few bugs in the app as well. "Track only available online" shouldn't pop up after start-up or when you've been online for a while, as it did before. The lock screen will always show the correct track, and Shuffle now switches off after you've used it on an album or playlist.

Spotify updated its Android app last summer, giving it a new skin, cleaner interface, and speeding it up no end. The new iPhone app is free to download, just like its Android counterpart, but you will have to pay for a Spotify Premium subscription to use it.

Spotify could soon have some significant competition from a certain Android-maker, if Google goes ahead and launches its own streaming service. Google's musical offering could come baked into every Android phone sold, which would give it quite some reach.

Have you tried the new app? What do you reckon? Let me know in the comments, or on Facebook.