Many songs disappear from Spotify

[toogroovy]

How come that so many songs are disappearing? I have lost almost 4 hours of my playlist songs.

[feelikeastrangr]

Hey @toogroovy, can you please share more info here? What exactly happened?

[toogroovy]

Well, I have a playlist with original 1240 songs lasting 101 hours, but 4 hours of the songs are blocked and shady. At least they are taken out of the library of Spotify. And my guess is it's increasing in the last time. I don't know if there are problems with "unpaid artists" or something like that...?

[feelikeastrangr]

Could be a few things:

• the artist's music may no longer be on Spotify

• your local files might not be labeled right

Here are a few things to try:

• reinstall the app on your device (this often helps the error go away)

• Try removing all local file sources, then add them again.

To do this in-app:

• Click Edit (PC) or Spotify (Mac).
• Select Preferences.
• Scroll down to Local Files.
• Deselect all sources.
• Close, and restart the app.
• Select all local file sources once again.

Hope this helps!

[toogroovy]

Must be that point:

• the artist's music may no longer be on Spotify

Because I was looking on the artists music libraries and the records were no longer in there. If you're lucky, they would return later on.

[toogroovy]

It's not the case that I've lost them all at once, but steady over the last months and years. But I think it increases the last time

[darkfirerider]

I noticed the same happening to my playlists. Sometimes even to songs that are several years old like from the 80's and 90's. It's a realy pitty.

Do you (Spotify) try to prevent labels from removing their songs from your library? Isn't it important for you that they don't withdraw their songs?

[Petertosh]

The song “everybody’s gotta learn sometimes” from Beck.

Always on spotify ‘till weeks ago when suddenly desapeared

[swanky-n-spanky]

I know what you mean, toogroovy. I've built up playlists through a broad number of genres, regions, and time periods. In recent months, I've noticed some of them being slowly stripped of songs - it's especially visible in the 1920s and 30s Americana. Many older compilation albums have become gutted, too. I'm now missing dozens and dozens of tracks that were all available less than a year ago.

Due to the random nature, and the fact that some of the songs are still available elsewhere on Spotify (and that many of the tracks I've seen disappear fall under statutory free-use laws in the US and elsewhere), I assumed that it's to do with staff trimming down the number of duplicate songs. That being said, I haven't found even a hint towards that explanation - on the forums, or otherwise.

[GoneApostate]

Spotify, you have got to stop shedding so many songs from the a available list. Dont say "we cant control if an artist chooses to remove themselves for the platform" **bleep**. The problem is you can't find a way to be profitable while paying for the licences. You will lose some and gain some, no matter, what but the huge increase in the number of songs getting greyed out is telling a different story. I get that it's hard. Maybe it's impossible. Cutting my Christmas playlist in half is one way to start losing paying subscribers like me really fast. That might just be how you are choosing to go out if you see no other option. It doesnt seem to be protecting you from lawsuits, however. 

Give us our songs back, or maybe just increase the availability for premium subscribers, I dont know, but if you don't figure it out fast, you will lose a lot of us and you wont get us back. That will really be the end. 

[GoneApostate]

Spotify, you have got to stop shedding so many songs from the a available list. Dont say "we cant control if an artist chooses to remove themselves for the platform" **bleep**. The problem is you can't find a way to be profitable while paying for the licences. You will lose some and gain some, no matter, what but the huge increase in the number of songs getting greyed out is telling a different story. I get that it's hard. Maybe it's impossible. Cutting my Christmas playlist in half is one way to start losing paying subscribers like me really fast. That might just be how you are choosing to go out if you see no other option. It doesnt seem to be protecting you from lawsuits, however. 

Give us our songs back, or maybe just increase the availability for premium subscribers, I dont know, but if you don't figure it out fast, you will lose a lot of us and you wont get us back. That will really be the end. 

[maxreiter16]

is it one of ur playlists?

[blahsi]

The song you mentioned by Beck - I found it as part of the Eternal Sunshine soundtrack on US Spotify. Are you able to play it from here?

https://open.spotify.com/track/10bSPg0ThnU22WhTp3OsbF?si=ygUHJLm7QGeaagAGqR0tDw

[Petertosh]

Indeed that Beck song is  playable again. But it wasn’t one year ago when I posted my previous message.

For some reason songs come and go making playlists not reliable.

[GoneApostate]

Yeah,  so several songs were carried over from importing my personal digital collection,  but those songs aren't obscure and there've remained playable on the list for the last few years.  Same with many of my playlists.  Suddenly huge chucks are getting greyed out. Sure seems like Spotify is letting a lot of their licenses expire or is making a strategic decision to cut expenses by dropping significant portions of their inventory. It's sad. If this is what it costs to maintain a streaming inventory, I'll just go back to buying from the record labels. I could get one new album (or a few older ones) a month and keep it forever, for the money I spend on my family membership at spotify where I lose content regularly and have no assurances what songs will be available. 

[blahsi]

I'm with you. Songs I've had on my playlists since 2011/2012 are no longer available, and these are from albums released in the 80s, 90s, and 2000s. Some of the artists' biggest hits, and I can't listen to them through Spotify without importing my own file. It's frustrating. Then I go look at Amazon Unlimited or Apple Music and it's all available.

[Jᴀᴄᴋ]

Spotify doesn't removes the songs.

The artists of the songs removes them.
Some artists do not want the song to be in Spotify.
It could also get removed because of the expiration of the song's music license.

[GoneApostate]

I'm not saying spotify is removing them, I'm saying spotify isnt investing
in retaining them by, say, renewing the licences, etc.

[Happyaudio77]

It's back

[Inkie]

same issue here. I can’t understand being able to listen to Poetry by Akua Naru on YT but not on Spotify anymore. 

And every week I discover more of my tunes to be gone. Maybe Deezer or Tindal pays Artists better but wants exclusivity? Time to rethink subscription choice?