Playlists come first among the refinement chips because user-generated playlists provide raw data for Spotify’s recommendation algorithm, the backbone of the product, and is the library subcategory most users engage with most. Podcasts come second because Spotify sells ads there — even to premium users, which effectively hypermonetizes users who are already paying monthly to use the platform. Spotify doesn’t allow users to rearrange these refinement chips; if they did, I expect that more music-minded users might push Podcasts to the back of the list and move Albums and Artists forward.

We can also see Spotify’s business incentives at work in the structure of its Home screen. At the top, Spotify presents users with playlists and podcasts that the users spends the most time with. This works to draw users in at the first point of contact with music that makes them feel good and shows they want to stay updated with. Lower on the page is a lengthy list of semi-random, largely algorithmically-generated sections showing music that is calculated to appeal to the individual user. The contents of these sections are only viewable in full by scrolling horizontally, which forces the user to expend extra energy than if it were viewable as a vertical list. By encouraging the user to invest in the process of looking at Spotify’s recommendations, the app increases screen use time and builds psychological investment in the user. The company can also use this screen to A/B test sections arrangements (“Made for You” playlists near the top, or bottom?) across user groups, or to optimize in response to the behaviors of a single user.