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Can no longer create radio stations

Can no longer create radio stations

Plan:

Family Premium

Country:
Australia

Operating System:

Windows 10 1809 October 2018 Update/ Spotify App from Microsoft Store

Issue:

There is no 'Create New Station +' button in the Radio category in the desktop app. Furthermore, creating a playlist based on a song from the right click context menu creates a Spotify-curated playlist based on the artist - meaning the station stops once the playlist ends.
This issue did exist in the Android app for a little bit - but was recently solved.

 

This is inconvenient as making radio stations was far easier to listen to music rather than making new playlists every time.

 

EDIT: as of 14/01/19 on Spotify version 8.4.88.150 for Android, issue is occuring again. Stations are not created, and are instead playlists based on the song or artist. Very frustrating - there is no changelog for updates like this, which makes it very frustrating when it disappears randomly.

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Reply
54 Replies

Since yesterday I can't create any new stations. Also, I don't have the thumbs up or down to ''improve station''. Even in the ''Radio'' section, all I have are ''recommended stations'', I don't even know how to manually listen to radio for an artist of my choice. 

I've been having this issue for two months. I have searched Spotify to find answers -- no info. If anybody resolves this problem, please post. Hello Spotify? Premium subscriber here!!

I strongly dislike the 'radio' playlists it gives me rather than making a station as it clutters up my list of playlists i've actually spent time and effort creating... Please fix, this is very frustrating.

Hi, I have been involved with this Windows can't create Radio issue through most of this conversation.  This is lengthy, I am sorry for that, but this is the end result for the search of  why I "Can no longer create radio stations."  Starting with an actual response from Spotify.

"Hello Scott,

Thank you for reaching out to us. We are sorry you can't use radio stations. Rest your mind. We’d be happy to help you out.
We just need a little more information about what’s happening first.

Please let us know:

  • Your platform and operating system (including the OS version/number), e.g. Mac Sierra 10.12, Windows 7, iPhone 6S, Android 7.0 etc.
  • The version of Spotify you're running (you'll find this under About Spotify in the app's settings).
  • Is this happening over WiFi? 3G/4G? Both?
  • How much storage you have left on your device?
  • Do you use any cache-clearing or task-killing apps?
  • Is there an external SD card installed on your device? 
  • A full description of the issue, with as much detail as possible.
  • How long you've had this issue.
  • What actions led to it happening. 
  • Does the issue appear on any other devices that you use Spotify on?

If it's possible to include any screenshots of what's happening, that'd be great too. Just attach them to your reply.

Looking forward to hear from you!

Best regards,

Henna"

Spotify was nice.  Here is my lengthy email response to them:

 
 
 
 
 
 
Hello Spotify support.  This is not a huge issue, but I thank you for your interest.  If you go through the Tread "Can no longer create Radio Stations," there is a good explanation of the problem along with a current solution, but I will give you the Clift Notes version.
 
Currently my Windows 10 Pro desktop is automatically updated, so it is current.  I am also running the current version of Spotify 1.0.99.250. My Desktop is hard wired to the Router. I have about 50 Gigs of storage available on my C Drive.  I do not use any Cache-clearing or task-killing apps, I believe beyond CCleaner to clean up the HD.  I have Avira Pro for Anti Virus. I have external HDs but not SD card installed. Currently I only run Spotify on my Desktop.  
 
image.png
This is my Window for Radio, and as you can see there is no button to create a New Radio Station, which through Spotify Help I was told there was one. Now, I know I can  right click and Go to Artist Radio or Song Radio, but coming from Pandora I would like a better mix.  And besides both those Spotify options are limited in song numbers around 50 and than it stops.  Maybe I am in the mood for Lenard Cohen, and Blue Cheer, along with a little Miles Davis.  I could have that in Pandora by checking the stations and shuffling.  To get around this with Spotify at first I created own playlist of different Artists, but that was tedious and again limited to the list. So I than thought to Right Click the Playlist but there was no Option for a Radio, until one day, for a few days, there was. Than that option went away with a Spotify update.  So frustrated that I could not create a more diverse Radio Station I found the support thread "Can no longer create Stations" and began a conversation with others with this same issue.  From that discussion there was found a way to create a more divers Radio Station on Spotify.  The answer in the thread was this:
 
 
WolvenStarXC
Casual Listener

"I figured out a workaround. Also, apologies for posting about Spotify for Mac OS when this is obviously a Windows thread. I just googled my issue and this was the first and most relevant topic that came up. Hopefully this will work for Windows users too.

 

Instead of right clicking and selecting "Go to ___ Radio", if you drag a song title, album title, or artist title and drop it on "Radio" in the panel to the left, it will take you to the relevant song, album, or artist station. Then, if you select the "More" option (...), and select "Follow", that station will show up in the "Stations" section.

 

Just to clarify the difference, right clicking a song, album, or artist and selecting "Go to ___ Radio" and then selecting the "Follow" button will create a new playlist named after that station. In contrast, selecting "Follow" with the drag and drop method will create a new station and put it where it's supposed to be, in the Stations section.

 

Hope this helps."

And this is my Reply to that Casual Listener:

 

 
scottvonholzen
scottvonholzen
Music Fan

Interestingly,  your suggestions  work!  For the first Time I have a Radio Station, that I created, actually show up in STATIONS.  Of course I will have to delete it, I pick any old song, with the results I have any old music.   I also see that now I can take one of my own Playlists, and  "DragRadio" it and then More - Follow, and that also shows up, finally, in my Stations list as a Playlist Radio. I am thinking that doing this way with your own focused Playlist will give you better Radio than Spotifies simple right-click a song, create a Radio.

I guess this is the work-around for creating your own Radio Stations, that use to be a simple Right-Click, on a Playlists (that lasted only a few days).  Not sure if the More option was available, back than, to Follow, and if that would have put the playlist in Stations.  Not sure either if the Drag to Radio feature will last.

Scott

Now for the first time here is my Test List of Stations so far that I created be doing the Drag Radio method: 
image.png
I only pick a song for a number of different artists. Here is my first playlist mix
image.png
 
I am not trying to perfect anything right now, I just experimenting and in fact I right Click my Playlist TheBlues& Jazz and "Create a Similar Playlist" and than I Drag that to Radio, and I got an interesting Radio from that. 
That is all I have for now.  Ask questions I can send you more detail where needed.
Thank you
 
Scott Von Holzen

 



Here Than is Spotify's Email Response back to me:

 
 
 
"Hi Scott,

Thanks for getting back to us. We appreciate the information you've provided.

We're always testing things by adding or removing features to make Spotify better overall. We’re sorry that this means you’re not able to use the app like you could before.

We can't say if or when any specific features will be back. But as soon as we’ve got anything to announce, we’ll let everyone know via the Spotify Community.

Let us know if you’ve got any other feedback.

Have a nice day,

Paul

Spotify Customer Support"
 
One last point I would like to make I have created New Playlist with only a few different artists songs (the hits) and than turned that Playlist into a Station using the above method but the results are AWFFUL ( Yes i have a radio station but I have a hard time seeing that Radio's List of Songs having much of a connection with the artists I chose. It is like I am going one way, but Spotify only see its way as the way to go. Not my way. In all it makes for a boring Radio.
Scott

Spotify's Nice ending to their above email:
"Music has healing power. It has the ability to take people out of themselves for a few hours" - Elton John
 
Kinda of Ironic I would say.

Sorry if someone has already said this... there were a lot of pages and I didn't get through everything (at work).  The workaround to drag a song/artist/album to Radio on the left panel DOES work (I'm using the desktop version)... HOWEVER it's limited.  I think you have to drag it over EVERY TIME you want to get an ACTUAL station and not a premade playlist "radio" station.  In my example, I was playing a song by the band ReVamp and I just clicked & dragged the artist name up to the Radio section and it started a new station.  As you can see, it says it'll load more songs as you listen and the thumbs up/down buttons are there, so it works like we all want.  But when you leave and come back and click on it from Stations, you just get the 50 songs.  It's like if you click off of it, you lose it.  I was able to hit back and get back to the actual station, but not from the Stations or Radio menu.

 

Good luck everyone!!

screenshot.jpg

The "DragRadio" method didn't work for me. I'm on windows 10 and with the most current update of Spotify. When I click and drag a song I want to create a station with all options on the left are grayed out except for "songs" and my personal playlists. What I found to work for me in making stations is to

 

1. pick a song or ablum

2. got to the three "..." and select add to playlist then new playlist

3. go to the newly created playlist and open the three "..." next to the play button and select "go to playlist radio"

4. after reaching the page for the new playlist radio make sure to follow it.

 

After following the new "playlist radio" it should show up in your stations tab. Even though it's called something different the "playlist radio" will stream music similar to the song or album you based it off of. I haven't been able to get this to work with individual artists. Trying to create a station off of an artist will only yield a premade spotify playlist. I've only had luck creating stations for individual songs , entire albums and personal playlists. To create a station based on your personal playlist just follow steps 3 and 4. Hopefully this work around sticks and doesn't vanish with the next update!

 

Cheers!

I'm not sure why it doesn't work for you, I'm also using the program on Win10 and just updated and checked again before writing this.

If you go to an artist's page and click/drag the artist's name (The big, bold name at the top) to the Radio, it creates an endless radio like the old radio (this is also the current way it plays music after your playlist or album finishes).

thank you!!

thank you!

Huh. I was so focused on getting stations to work I never noticed that when I was clicking and dragging a song around that the radio section up top was still lit. Thanks for the heads up! I'm glad to be able to stream music like before!

 

I noticed I was not able to create a station from an artist by dragging the artist's name to the Radio button earlier this week. The Radio button stayed greyed out while I was dragging the artist's name.

After the update to the Spotify app late this past week, it is working again on the desktop app.

The issue still exists on the iPhone app.

Why is this STILL an issue????! I have no "create station" button on either my laptop (Windows 10) or my iPhone. 😠

Spot on!  This method (dragging the artist or song into the left side Radio icon) works with Mac OS as well to create the interactive old school Radio stations.  Thank you!

Have you found any way to save that radio station, other than to create it in the Spotify Station app in iOS?

Unfortunately I have only been able to “save” them by going back and playing those stations— in order for it to refresh in my recently played section. Once the station disappears off the recently played section, I have had to create it again within my desktop OS by the above method.

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