[All Platforms] Explicit Filter

[sekuether21]

Add a button that controls whether Explicit songs are played or not.  When it is off and you're listening to an album or playlist, the explicit songs are skipped. That way you can still listen to your favorite album or playlist when more impressionable members of the family (kids / parents) are around.

[biringer22]

""""

rytymu

Garage Band

24m ago

Devil's advocate:

I think this might be a licensing issue. Think about it; how many times have you seen a standard AND edited version of the same album available? Sure, you can find a few examples here or there, but quite a few albums that I like don't have an amended version posted. So even if they had an explicit filter option for at least the radio, how many top songs would be missing? I'm sure it saves quite a bit of cash too, especially considering that the edited versions generate far less revenue (less popular). 

Not justifying it, but it may be the cause. Like I posted earlier, I still think this is a critical feature that is missing. """""""""

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I understand your argument, but this is not the real issue here—Unless there is something in the licensing contracts that says they won’t filter. All I want to do is SKIP a song if it’s explicit. Explicit songs are already tagged, so it should be my choice. All I’m asking for is instead of having to take my finger and push SKIP, Spotify looks at the upcoming track, reads it’s explicit, and pushing the SKIP button for me. It’s VERY hard to imagine this is a licensing issue. Very different from the VidAngel issues with media filtering.

Steven

[biringer22]

Devil's advocate:

I think this might be a licensing issue. Think about it; how many times have you seen a standard AND edited version of the same album available? Sure, you can find a few examples here or there, but quite a few albums that I like don't have an amended version posted. So even if they had an explicit filter option for at least the radio, how many top songs would be missing? I'm sure it saves quite a bit of cash too, especially considering that the edited versions generate far less revenue (less popular). 

Not justifying it, but it may be the cause. Like I posted earlier, I still think this is a critical feature that is missing. """""""""

------------------------------

I understand your argument, but this is not the real issue here—Unless there is something in the licensing contracts that says they won’t filter. All I want to do is SKIP a song if it’s explicit. Explicit songs are already tagged, so it should be my choice. All I’m asking for is instead of having to take my finger and push SKIP, Spotify looks at the upcoming track, reads it’s explicit, and pushing the SKIP button for me. It’s VERY hard to imagine this is a licensing issue. Very different from the VidAngel issues with media filtering.

Steven

[joakes]

It has nothing to do with licensing. It is already marked Explicit in the
Spotify system. If it was licensing I am sure someone would have stated
that already and that it was being worked on. I have not seen that. I
simply want to be able to filter on anything that has explicit lyrics just
like I can choose to listen to any other genre of music and filter that. I
am pretty certain they even had this before but it was before the running
feature was introduced. If I can just filter out any track with explicit
next to it that would be great. The logic is already there as each song has
the label already.

[rytymu]

When I say licensing, I mean for clean tracks.  Personally there's more than a few tracks that I don't see edited versions of. I wonder if you were to filter by explicit lyrics if there would be a few large holes in their library. Maybe this is why they don't do it; they don't have the rights to some top edited tracks. Just speculation, obviously. 

Otherwise yes, filtering by explicit tag is the obvious solution for now. No excuse not to at least implement this. 

[joakes]

I hear what you are saying but I don't really have a desire to listen to
"edited" tracks to make them clean. I could see how that may be a license
issue, however that is another topic all together.

[johncats]

 Spotify BS - "when an idea reaches 100 kudos we review the idea in our weekly community meeting.  At this point, we'll review the idea and its comments then pass the idea on to the relevant team for review. We don't promise every idea will get built, but we'll make sure we clarify the reasons why if the idea just isn't right for us or if it isn't the right time for development". 

[woteva]

If you live in the UK, I recommend that you submit a complaint to the Advertising Standards Authority about the 'Family' product adveritsing. 

If Spotify do not want to address their customers regarding their concerns then maybe they will answer when a government department forces them to.

This is the URL: https://www.asa.org.uk/Consumers/How-to-complain/Online-Form/Step1.aspx

I used one of the images showing young children being carried by their parents because I felt that it was directly contradictory to the lack of an 'Explicit' content filter and the restrictions on accounts for under 12 year olds.

This is the complaint text I used, in case it is of any help:

The complaint is 2-fold.
>

The Spotify family product can not be used by children under the age of 12 (restriction on account set-up, after payment) so therefore it is clearly NOT a product for the "Whole Family" as shown in their adverts.
The product has no way of filtering out songs with explicit lyrics which also make the product unsuitable for the "Whole Family".

<

[Room13]

There is no need to discuss licence issues or technical issues in implementing this- Spotify have taken a policy stance on explicit lyrics based on freedom of expression, even if at the cost of angering people on this forum (this forum is ironically of course moderated for... yes you guessed it... explicit words)
 
However, by creating a "family" plan, they have opened themselves up for action- PR related and legal which could force them to change their position- even if it is against their actual wishes. So carry on with direct action by contacting their marketing head via Facebook. The above suggestion on contacting UK advertising standards is another useful tactic. However, let's be clear- the US market is where it matters- and where concerns over explicit lyrics is probably strongest felt. So a class legal action against Spotify, coupled with the US media taking up the story and shaming them is probably the most effective... Although, even then Spotify might still resist, making a PR/marketing point of showing how they are sticking up for the kids while sticking it to their parents.

[sc00terG]

Spotify told me that filtering on a family membership is possible, in the sense that each member has to have their own membership. In signing up each member gives their age and music is filtered to them on that basis. Several flaws in this 1 being each family member would need their own device, or have to log out of the previous users. My 4 & 7 year old daughters don't have their own devices and no plans to have yet.

[saleembilal1]

Agreed. This would be a great addition to the already great service. Or, at least add the desktop filter to view the other versions of an album, whether it be a clean version, or not. That's also a great feature that could be added to mobile.

[Stephenjpmurphy]

Just a reminder of a post on this thread from @jasonm16 who suggested the idea of messaging Seth William Farbman, Spotify Head of Marketing @ https://www.facebook.com/sethfarbman

Just after it was suggested, there was a response (of sorts) from Spotify regarding Disabling Explicit Songs.

Feel free to repost this suggestion every few weeks so new people to the thread see it