Best MusicButler alternatives for Spotify users
If you use Spotify and you are tired of finding out about new releases late, MusicButler is one of the first tools you will run into.
That makes sense. It solves a real problem: streaming apps are not always great at telling you when artists you care about have actually released something new.
But not everyone wants the same kind of release tracker. Some people want a clean daily email. Some want a dedicated playlist in Spotify. Some want to follow labels, not just artists. Some want to go deeper and catch releases from producers, songwriters, and other collaborators.
This guide focuses on the options that make the most sense for Spotify users.
If you want the short version: the best option depends on whether you want email alerts, a Spotify-first workflow, or deeper discovery beyond artist follows.
What makes a good MusicButler alternative?
When most people search for a MusicButler alternative, they usually want one of five things:
- a more reliable way to catch new releases from artists they already like
- a better fit for Spotify specifically
- less noise than algorithm-heavy recommendations
- more control over what gets tracked
- a smoother path from notification to actually listening
That last point matters more than it gets credit for.
A release tracker can tell you a new album is out. Useful, yes. But if you still have to go find it, save it, and remember to come back later, there is still friction.
For a lot of Spotify users, the best tool is the one that removes that extra step.
1. Tracknack
If Spotify is where you actually listen, Tracknack is the strongest alternative when you want new releases to end up inside Spotify, not just in your inbox.
Tracknack creates a dedicated Spotify playlist and keeps it updated with new music from the artists and labels you follow. It also sends email updates when tracks are added, so you still get the alert, but the listening workflow is already waiting for you.
That makes it a better fit for many Spotify users than a pure email notifier.
Tracknack uses Spotify and Discogs data together, so it can go beyond the main artist page and look into album and track credits. In practice, that means you can follow not just main artists, but also producers, songwriters, session musicians, mixing engineers, and other collaborators.
It also supports following record labels directly. And it is positioned around getting all relevant new music into your playlist as soon as possible, rather than curating a small list of selected tracks.
Who Tracknack is best for
Tracknack is the best fit if you:
- mainly listen in Spotify
- want an automatically updated playlist, not just notifications
- care about labels as much as artists
- want to follow collaborators and credits, not only main artist profiles
- want more context around why a track was added
Where Tracknack is not the best fit
If you want the lightest possible setup and only care about getting an email, Tracknack may be more than you need. Its advantage is biggest when you want a Spotify-first workflow and deeper discovery.
2. Spotify Release Radar
This is the obvious baseline, because a lot of people looking for a MusicButler alternative are really asking a simpler question:
Can I just use what Spotify already gives me?
Sometimes, yes.
Spotify says Release Radar updates every Friday and includes new music from artists you follow, artists you listen to, and other artists Spotify thinks you will like.
That makes it convenient. It is already in the app, and there is nothing new to sign up for. If your listening habits are broad and you do not mind some algorithmic filtering, it can be good enough.
But it is not the same kind of tool. Release Radar is a personalized playlist, not a dedicated release tracker built around explicit control. It mixes direct relevance with recommendations.
If you want a low-effort weekly playlist, it works. If you want tighter control over exactly what gets tracked, it starts to feel limited.
Who Release Radar is best for
Release Radar makes sense if you:
- do not want another app or service
- are fine with a weekly update cycle
- like Spotify doing some of the filtering for you
- do not need label tracking or email alerts
Where Release Radar falls short
It is not built for people who want to track labels, follow credits, or separate "music I explicitly want to monitor" from "music Spotify thinks I might like."
3. MusicHarbor
MusicHarbor is one of the best-known names in this category, and for good reason.
Its App Store listing describes it as a full-featured app for tracking new music releases, music videos, news, and concerts from artists and record labels. It supports importing artists from Apple Music, Spotify, Last.fm, and your local library. It also supports following record labels.
MusicHarbor does a lot more than basic release notifications. You get a chronological timeline, release-type filtering, upcoming albums, widgets, charts, album reviews, and more. It also lets you open albums directly in Spotify and other streaming services.
The catch is platform fit. Based on its App Store listing, MusicHarbor is positioned for Apple devices - iPhone, iPad, and Mac. So while it can work well for Spotify users, it is not the most natural choice if you want a web-first or cross-platform tool.
Who MusicHarbor is best for
MusicHarbor is a great fit if you:
- use Apple devices
- want a richer dashboard than a simple email service
- care about labels, upcoming releases, and a more detailed browsing experience
- are happy managing discovery in a separate app
Where MusicHarbor is not the best fit
If your main goal is "put the new music directly where I already listen," a separate app can still feel like one extra step.
4. Crabhands
Crabhands sits in a useful middle ground.
Its site is very clear about what it does: it sends new music notifications for artists you follow on Spotify, lets you follow whole labels, and is available on Android, iOS, and the web. It also creates a dedicated playlist for new releases, so you can listen through updates without piecing everything together manually.
That makes it one of the more relevant alternatives for Spotify users specifically.
Compared with MusicButler, the biggest advantage is that it does more than send an alert. Like Tracknack, it pushes the listening experience closer to Spotify through an app-created playlist.
Compared with Tracknack, the positioning is simpler. It is centered on watching the artists you already follow on Spotify and turning that into a usable stream of releases. For many listeners, that is enough.
Who Crabhands is best for
Crabhands is a strong choice if you:
- want a Spotify-focused release tool
- want a dedicated playlist for new releases
- care about label tracking
- prefer a simpler product scope than a deeper discovery platform
Where Crabhands is not the best fit
If you want to track producers, songwriters, and other credit-level contributors, or you want more context around why a track showed up, Crabhands is not really built around that kind of depth.
5. Friend's Tapes
Friend's Tapes is the simplest option in this group, and that is exactly the appeal.
It is built around email alerts. The service says it sends instant email alerts when your favorite artists release new music. You can type in an artist manually or connect with Spotify, and its FAQ says you can pull in artists from your playlists, likes, and follows.
It is also explicit about what it is not.
Friend's Tapes says it is not a mobile app. It tracks releases on Spotify, then sends you an email so you can start listening in the streaming app you already use.
That makes it a good option for people who do not want another app to manage.
If what you want is a dead-simple email-first fallback, Friend's Tapes is a reasonable option. The tradeoff is that, even with Spotify import, it does not replace the listening workflow inside Spotify itself. Its FAQ also notes that it currently does not let you choose release type.
Who Friend's Tapes is best for
Friend's Tapes is a good fit if you:
- want the simplest possible setup
- mainly want email alerts
- want to import artists from Spotify quickly
- do not need a richer app experience
Where Friend's Tapes is not the best fit
If you want more control, better filtering, label workflows, or a Spotify playlist that updates automatically, you will probably outgrow it.
Which MusicButler alternative is best for Spotify users?
If you want the clearest answer, it looks like this:
Choose Tracknack if you want the best Spotify-first workflow
Tracknack is the strongest option when your goal is not just "tell me what is new" but "make new releases easy to listen to in Spotify right away."
The dedicated playlist matters. So do label tracking and credit-based discovery.
If your taste spreads through collaborators, scenes, and record labels, this is the option with the most upside.
Choose MusicHarbor if you want the richest companion app
If you use Apple devices and you like having a separate place to explore releases, upcoming albums, videos, reviews, and more, MusicHarbor is excellent.
It is less about pure Spotify integration and more about having a full control center for new music.
Choose Crabhands if you want a simpler Spotify release tool
Crabhands is a practical pick if you want Spotify tracking plus a dedicated playlist, but you do not need a deeper metadata-driven discovery layer.
Choose Friend's Tapes if you just want email and nothing else
If your ideal setup is "connect Spotify, get an email, move on," Friend's Tapes is a clean, lightweight choice.
Stick with Release Radar if convenience matters more than control
If you do not mind Spotify blending direct follows with algorithmic recommendations, Release Radar may be enough.
It is the least work. It is also the least configurable.
A quick reality check before you switch
A lot of "best alternative" posts make this category sound simpler than it is.
These tools solve related problems, but they do not all solve the same problem. That means it is easy to switch for the wrong reason.
Here is the pushback most comparison posts skip:
Do not switch just because a tool has more features
More features are not automatically better. If all you want is one clear email when an artist drops something new, a bigger app can create more complexity, not less.
Do not confuse discovery with tracking
Some tools are better at tracking people you already care about. Some are better at showing you more things to explore. Some try to do both.
If you want certainty, choose the tracker. If you want a browsing experience, choose the discovery app.
Do not assume every Spotify-friendly tool is truly Spotify-first
A lot of services work with Spotify in some way. That is not the same as making Spotify the center of the workflow.
Importing your follows is useful. Opening links in Spotify is useful. But for many users, the biggest quality-of-life jump happens when a service keeps a playlist updated inside Spotify for you.
Do not ignore labels if that is how you actually find music
Many listeners think in terms of artists because that is how most apps are designed.
But if you consistently trust certain labels, collect across scenes, or follow the same producers from project to project, artist-only tracking can feel shallow quickly.
Final thoughts
MusicButler is still useful. It remains a solid option if what you want is a straightforward stream of release notifications.
But if you are a Spotify user, there are better fits depending on how you listen.
If you want the simplest answer, here it is:
- Best overall for Spotify users: Tracknack
- Best built-in fallback: Spotify Release Radar
- Best companion app on Apple devices: MusicHarbor
- Best simpler Spotify tracker: Crabhands
- Best lightweight email option: Friend's Tapes
The best MusicButler alternative is not the one with the longest feature list. It is the one that fits the way you already discover music.
If your goal is to keep everything close to Spotify and remove as much friction as possible, the strongest options are the ones that do more than notify you - they make the listening part easier too.
Sources and notes
Feature details and product positioning were checked against the official product pages and support pages linked below on February 26, 2026.