Previews and full listening: how the Nova website and app work together
Every song on the Nova website has a 30-second preview. Here is how previews work, why they stop, and how to hear the full songs free in the Nova app today.
On the Nova website, every song, album, artist, playlist and podcast episode has a public page with a 30-second preview. When the preview ends, you are invited to create a free account, and from then on songs play in full in the Nova app on the web, iPhone, iPad or Android. This guide explains what you can do with previews, why they exist and how to move smoothly from a preview to full listening.
What is a preview on Nova?
A preview is a 30-second clip of a track that you can play directly on its page, without signing in. It is long enough to hear the mood, the instruments and the voice, and short enough to let you move through many songs quickly. Previews are available across the whole public catalogue, so you can sample around 1,700 songs before you decide to listen properly.
Podcast episodes work the same way: each episode page has a short preview so you can hear the hosts and the tone of the show before you start an episode in the app.
Why does the music stop after 30 seconds?
The website is designed as a shop window for the catalogue. It lets anyone discover Nova music from a search engine, a shared link or a friend's recommendation, without an account. Full listening happens in the app, where your library, playlists, radio and podcast progress live. Keeping full playback in the app also helps us protect the music we own: it plays for people with an account, under the terms that come with it.
How do I listen to the full song?
- Play the preview on the song's page.
- When it ends, choose to create a free account, or sign in if you already have a Lodos account.
- The song opens in Nova and plays in full.
Once you are signed in, songs open in full in Nova rather than as previews. There is no charge for listening; the free account is all you need.
What can I find on the public pages?
Each kind of page is built to answer a slightly different question.
| Page | What it shows | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Song | Preview, artist, album, genre and mood | Deciding whether a track fits |
| Album | Track list with previews | Hearing an artist's body of work |
| Artist | Albums and popular songs | Following someone you like |
| Playlist | The songs in the list with previews | Sampling a mood quickly |
| Podcast episode | Description and a short preview | Choosing where to start a show |
You can also browse by genre and mood, look through the public playlists or check which radio stations are playing.
Using previews to discover music
Previews are at their most useful when you are exploring. A few ways to use them well:
- Start with a mood. Open a mood page and play previews down the list until something stands out.
- Follow the instruments. If you love a sound, such as piano, saxophone or strings, browse that page and listen to a few previews in a row.
- Check an album before committing. Play the first few seconds of several tracks to get the shape of the record.
- Share what you find. A link to a song page lets a friend hear the preview straight away; if they have the app, it opens there.
Previews for businesses
Previews are also helpful if you are choosing music for a venue. Before subscribing to Nova Business, you can listen to previews of the songs in the business playlists curated by Nova and get a feel for what your guests would hear. Inside Nova Business, previews remain available so you can check a song before adding it to a list. See the Nova Business page for an overview.
Does the audio quality differ between preview and full song?
Previews are meant for sampling, not for long listening. In the app, full songs play at standard quality on a free account. Pro and paid Lodos plans offer higher audio quality, but the songs themselves are the same, and the free account gives you access to the whole catalogue.
Common questions when moving to the app
Most people move from the website to the app without any trouble, but two situations come up often. If a song still plays as a preview after you have signed up, check that you are signed in on the device you are using; your account works on the web and in the mobile apps, but each device needs you to sign in once. If a preview is not ready for a particular track, the full song is usually still available in Nova, so open it there.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a preview on the Nova website? Each preview is 30 seconds. After it ends, you can create a free account to keep listening in full.
Do I have to pay to hear full songs? No. Full listening is free with a Nova account in the web app and on iPhone, iPad and Android.
Can I hear previews without an account? Yes. Every public page on the website has a preview you can play without signing in.
Do share links open in the app? Yes. A shared link to a song, album or playlist opens the same item in Nova when the app is available.
