Talk about Deja Vu!

[simmotech-premi]

5 years ago I found a hack on the internet which meant I could use the Free v0.9.15.27 version and prevent it auto-updating because everybody was complaining about features being missing in the new versions and it being generally worse each time. I have happily used that until now.

Yesterday, persuaded by my wife & daughter, I set up a Premium Family account and installed the latest version and... well... it's **bleep**. You are removing features and making the software worse again (according to other posts here) just like you did 5 years ago. Do you never learn?

The only thing I needed to do was create a single playlist (yes, I only have one) exactly as I had before and I found that the drag and drop is broken (it won't autoscroll at the top but does at the bottom). Not to mention there is no way to multi-select and then drag. This is amateur-hour!

You call this desktop software but it seems to me like a web interface (and a slow poor one at that) running in desktop app.

I write desktop apps for a living and I would get fired if I released something that  slow and with such limited functionality.

Well the subscription was free for 3 months so unless things improve significantly, we will sign up for the Apple version then. I suspect I won't be the only one.

[ProfDrMou]

Hi, could you pls specify what problems you have with the most up to date version?
I work in IT myself and think that the software is pretty good to almost perfect for the DAU ( german for "most stupid thinkable user", you should design all software that isnt used by pros for this type  )

I never heard of someone walking away from Spotify because the interface isnt good, just for sound quality reasons. Even me, myself and i, having a TIDAL Hifi Account and 20k+ Horn Speakers use Spotify because the library is almost perfect and its so easy to use and the music recommendation algorithm is just insanely good some weeks. 

Just give the DEVs a chance to fix your problems, im pretty sure Spotify invests a big chunk of money into their GUI Design.
If your suggestions aren´t possible to implement because they would make matters worse for the normal user it aren´t good suggestions.

I personally don´t think Spotify is objectively slow, sure it could be faster but it doesn´t handle like a web page ( or the spotify web app ) so its totally okay.  The only thing i would say needs improvement - performance wise - is scrolling in long playlists, here it could be more like a website and load every song in the playlist beforehand. 

[simmotech-premi]

The bug not allowing scrolling up a list during drag and drop is in itself enough that it should get a bug fix immediately but I downloaded and tried the previous two versions and they have the same issue.

So the DEVs have had weeks if not months to fix this.

I haven't even gotten around to making suggestions yet - I just need a version that allows drag and drop in both directions to create a playlist!

Anyway, here are a few based on half-a-day playing around:-

- Allow Ctrl-Up/Ctrl-Down to reorder tracks

- Allow multiple selection of tracks - would allow easier reordering rather than one at a time; would allow a new Playlist to be created much quicker

- Recommended Songs: I don't want to see this at all so an option would be nice; but if I collapse it, it should stay collapsed and not expand every time the Playlist is shown

- The version I am currently using, 1.1.30.658, shows a nice panel on the left of the playlist items - the latest version removed that I believe. Why not have a slide-out panel for the best of both worlds.

- Ctrl-F to perform a local search and highlight matching text within the playlist - just like a web browser does.

These are all very easy to implement and don't detract at all from normal use.

[ProfDrMou]

I dont have the time for a long answer now, sorry, but:

- scrolling while dndíng works for me without a problem
- the panel is there even in the latest version
- CTRL-F works fine, i use it all the time ( its also called "filter" directly under the Playlist "Cover" )

And another tip, there is a webapp called playlist manager or something like that, just look on the Spotify for Developers page.

[simmotech-premi]

Well based on your comments I went back to the latest version.

- dnd scrolling still doesn't work (are we both talking about the PC version here?)

- the panel (that was on the left) is not there. There is one at the top**

- there is no "filter" option (and Filter wouldn't have been the same as my Find suggestion)

** Same info I agree but with the space it takes, I can now only see half the playlist at the top and there is a massive amount of space between the two columns.

This layout is fine for an iPhone where horizontal space is limited but on a PC monitor the layout-from-5-yrs-ago used space much better- was a grid with columns.

There is no reason the application couldn't have a small selection of views built-in (including a grid with sortable columns) and then the user can switch between them. 

[ProfDrMou]

`The only other problem i could think of is your Monitor Resolution and scaling options, but i think thats not very probable because my screenshot is made on my 5th display, which isnt even fullhd and it works fine for me on all my displays ( 4k, FullHD 16:10, FULLHD 16:9, HD 4:3 ) all on 100% scaling. The only thing i dont have is a 32:9 Display, i dont know how it scales there but you can use the windows functions for scaling there.

[ProfDrMou]

We are talking about the PC Version, but would it be possible that you mean DnD-Mousewheel Scrolling? I was talking about dragging an item an holding it to the top / bottom of the screenspace so it begins to scroll. Thats the best practice, even in applications for Pros, i know it for sure in regards to video production ( Resolve, Adobe products ) Audio production ( FL Studio, Cubase ) etc.
The only thing spotify could really do is make the mousewheel responisble for zooming in general, but that isnt at all ergonomical while DnDing, you should know that as a Developer. I have 2 illnesses that come from bad ergonomics so that topic is important to me.
If you want to have that feature you can use the webapp, it scales with your normal browser controls, at least with chrome and opera.

Which Panel are you speaking of? i have one the left, first item is HOME, then BROWSE, RADIO, MADE FOR YOU, RECENTLY PLAYED .... and then all my Playlists. Im on 1.1.34.694 but i have the microsoft store version, it comes preinstalled with newer windows builds. I have no panel on top.

I have made a screenshot where i marked filter for you, its exactly as a search bar for a playlist and reacts to CTRL-F normally.

It seems like we use different versions, maybe you have the none store version? Or are you on a free account?

The only other problem i could think of is your Monitor Resolution and scaling options, but i think thats not very probable because my screenshot is made on my 5th display, which isnt even fullhd and it works fine for me on all my displays ( 4k, FullHD 16:10, FULLHD 16:9, HD 4:3 ) all on 100% scaling. The only thing i dont have is a 32:9 Display, i dont know how it scales there but you can use the windows functions for scaling there.

[simmotech-premi]

I spent 5 minutes preparing a reply with a small video and screenshot then the boards said I didn't have rights when I tried to Post and I lost it all.

(It also said .mp4 was not supported then gave a list of supported formats including .mp4!)

We are not talking about mousewheel scrolling but about dragging an item an holding it to the top / bottom of the screenspace so it begins to scroll.

The handler works fine at the bottom but not at the top - hit-test problem.

I downloaded the PC version from spotify.com via the download link at the top, not from a Store (I only use those on my phone).

From your screenshot, we are definitely running different apps. The grid you show is what I used to have from the version 5 years ago.

But how can two applications with the same version number be so different?

[simmotech-premi]

Let's try the screenshot again...

[ProfDrMou]

Solution: download the Windows-Store Version


Upload your video to yt and share the link here if you ever need to post one again.
Just download the Windows-Store Version, its just what you need! Please mark my answer as solution to your problem. if you have any questions left feel free to ask here before closing the topic or in a private message afterwards.

And i don´t know why that is, but i will test the normal version to see the difference myself. But it sounds awful. Maybe you could show me the video in a PM?

[simmotech-premi]

Can't upload video so here is a frame 

[ProfDrMou]

Wow, thats awful. I can understand your despair and frustration now.

[AeroZ]

You have the new Spotify inferface. There’s a 30 something pages long thread about it. 

[simmotech-premi]

But ProfDrMou and I both have 1.1.34.694.gac68a2b3-a apparently but they look very different. How can that be?

I just tried the Chrome version of Spotify and it is exactly the same as I see in the 'PC' version except that scrolling works!

So it's clear (without getting to that 30 page long thread yet) that the 'PC' version is just running the web version in a PC window frame but whilst Chrome deals with scrolling behind the top panel properly and thus allows reordering, the PC version doesn't.

And since the latest version is, shall we say 'less-featured', than the one before but is being forced onto users regardless, my original subject stands!

And one thread I saw where Spotify were mulling allowing keeping the previous version won't necessarily help - the scrolling was broken in the previous 3 'PC' versions.

What they should do it not release any software that removes features the previous one had. Add new interface - sure. Make it the default - fine. But keep the previous interface too with an option to switch back to it.

5 years of development and the GUI is worse than it was.

[Xenia]

Hello @simmotech-premi,

Just jumping in here to confirm that this is indeed a new desktop experience we're currently testing and it's missing some features that used to be available on desktop for now.

Our team is working on improving the new desktop experience, but we can't say if or when any specific features will be back. 

In case you'd like to be able to switch between the old desktop design and the new look, we suggest you add your +VOTE to this idea to show your support.

You can also consider submitting a new idea for any particular feature you'd like to see return in the new app design. The Idea Exchange is the best way to share your thought on new features and the Community team is actively bringing your feedback to the internal teams at Spotify - check how here. 

Hope this information is useful. Let us know if there's anything else you need help with.

[simmotech-premi]

No its not helpful at all.

You are trying to justify using paying customers as beta testers and, as such, Spotify are showing breathtaking arrogance and have been doing so for 5 years or more.

If I ran my software business like that I wouldn't have any customers left.

If you really want to help, you would get the Desktop version put back as it was and leave it alone until your new version has *all* the features that were there previously.

Have an opt-in to try the new version by all means but don't impose it. It shouldn't need a vote to do this - it is just common sense.