How can I consistently rate songs to improve recommendation?

[abd00s]

Premium

Canada

MacBook Pro

macOS 10

I am on my trial period for Premium. I am trying Spotify because of the reputation for giving good song recommendations. 

There is either an inconsistency or there is something I am doing wrong that someone can correct me. To refine my recommendations I should be able to give feedback on each song; whether I like it or not. I've had 2 listening sessions so far. On the first, I was seeing hearts next to tracks that I can click. On the second session, there were no hearts, but thumbs up/down buttons near the playback controls. Right now I don't see either. This is all within a few days. Surely there should be a consistent way to rate my recommendations. 

When do I see each? And what is the difference between liking (hearts) and upvoting (thumbs up)?  

[Bethany_Dawn]

Hi @abd00s Welcome to Spotify & the Community! 🙂 I hope you're enjoying the experience so far!

Different ways to listen give different options with the feedback controls. For example, when you see a Heart option it will always add the song to your master Library for quick listening later - as well as let Spotify know you like music in this vein.

There are other playlists and mixes that will give you the option to dislike something so it can continue tailoring your tastes. I copied a portion of Spotify's FAQ on Features below and hope it helps give you an idea!

Have an amazing day and enjoy the music! 😄

Can I improve my recommendations?

The more you use Spotify, the better your Release Radar becomes. You can also tell us what you like and what you don’t like:

• Tap  in the Now Playing view to like a track, which automatically saves it to Your Library.
• Tap  in the Now Playing view to remove it from your Release Radar playlist and we’ll remember for next time. 

[rupert1020]

Honestly, I find it strange the there is no consistency,  first There were hearts and crosses and sometimes thumbs,... now we only have hearts in some limited places of the UI. I would like to have the option to grade each and every song in all listening situations. The constant changes to the UI and the way it is supposed to work are very frustrating and not helpful to creating a pleasant experience.

[Guido]

Hey @rupert1020.

You don't need to thumb up or heart songs you choose yourself because the algorithm already learns from you when you select an Album or Playlist filled with songs you chose yourself.

You'll see the thumbs or hearts when playing a playlist which we have created for you. That way you can let us know which song you don't really like or do like.

Hope this clarifies some things. Let us know if you have further questions.

Have a nice day.

[rupert1020]

Hmmm, an algorithm ! Lets say that one day I might like the song (because I had a drink) and the next day, I wake up and don't want to hear it again. Thats human 🙂 But thanks for the clarification.