[Other] Exact release date across all platforms

[skitfish]

Spotify has exact release date information for albums - it can be viewed in the mobile app (at least under iOS, v8.5.41).

Using the official desktop app, however (macOS, v1.1.24.91.g4ca6d5eb) you only get the year.

Why the disparity? I would have thought that, if anything, the desktop app would contain more granular information, while the mobile app would contain more of a summary.

Year is not very granular at all - artists can do a lot in a year, and fans sometimes like to know at least the month they released something, if not also the day.

Thank you for reading

[skitfish]

If you hover over the release date in the new 2021 desktop app update or the web player for several seconds, the full release date will show in a popup tooltip. They should just show the full release date by default. The tooltip is slow and small.

[lindseylonadier]

@Beltane63 let me preface this with I do enjoy Spotify and more so my premium subscription lol 

I think Spotify seems to be in a weird place of trying juggle their existing users of the more intensive music fans who know what they want and what type of contents, formats, etc and if not they know where they can go to get it whether it's online and free or a vinyl you buy down the street or offline yet trying to appeal to the more mainstream audiences that I used to call the "Pandora" types ha. They're a mix of people who do listen to music, are unsure they're tastes beyond Top 100 songs or major artists such as The Beatles, etc. and the word discovery is almost a bit too intensive yet an accurate word to describe what Spotify and other platforms are trying to create for them - an experience which provides them music they enjoy without exeroxing effort and knowing they'll enjoy it, the artists will get play and exposure (likely being more Top 100 type artists, leading to potential purchase of merch and tickets for tours.. Etc)

Essentially Spotify isn't too concerned with those buying vinyls and wHo care about liner notes enough I feel like to implement anything as casual/medium music listeners either probably don't know what those things are sadly (younger ones with the liner notes) or they know the time spent uploading all the data versus what effect it will have and how pronounced such effect will be no its non subscribers, free and premium subscribers. I think that the time spent wouldn't be worth it to them as it wouldn't convert enough either non or free subscribers over to paid premium memberships to warrant the time to upload all the info as they know those who are interested in such would just go out on their own and get the album or similar because they're more than the average music fan.. if that makes sense?

I'm with you - I miss album artwork and liner notes! 

I just purchased a vinyl from The Faint who I grew up as one of my favorite bands and they always had the coolest t-shirt artwork at shows when I would go 10-15 years ago and unfortunately their recent tours instead their artistic talent has gone solely into designing aloud covers for their vinyls and no cool tees... As someone who frequently moves a lot (so try so hard and still doing well in resisting buying a record player despite I've accumulated so many vinyls without trying weirdly lol) but just bought their pre-order of the limited edition vinyl ONLY for the artwork basically. Also, I was actually happier to be purchasing from their labels online store directly since the chances that their profit from that album sale likely provide the highest yield of revenue for that specific physical album compared to purchasing from third party retailers where fees are soon being cut from everyone's royalties and payments quicker than you realize and when you have multiple band members it goes way quicker too. Similar with a streaming download from the label I was given for purchasing the album pre-order in my email immediately, it was "free" despite I actually bought an album and received it but also it kept me on their band and label's website where instead of using Spotify to listen I browsed more and more items and tour dates to potentially spend more money towards the artist. 

Liner notes are actually mentioned in my Twitter bio - the X-files soundtrack album liner notes to be specific ha (from the earlier seasons .. Not that crazy stuff and movies they came out with like in 2000s something ha) and side note but super interesting - definitely Wikipedia the X-files soundtrack and read about the liner notes specifically (also I mean the album itself I think made the Billboard Top 100 back then and Grammy for best metal performance I believe was awarded to two big name rock stars (can't think of the names now sorry lol) from that album too.. But anyways it involves liner notes with very cryptic messages that are so perfect to the show at the time but also has odd riddles from Nick Cave (who was a huge X-files fan apparently ha) that I won't spoil it.. But he does end up playing some tracks on the soundtrack and they're like most Nick Cave projects... GREAT.

Ok that got off topic slightly but not ha apologies! I just had to get all that out there.. I wish Spotify would choose to either want to be supportive of their more intense music fans versus trying to capture the money from passive/casual listeners who could care less what they have on or how it evan came to be on the speakers lol 

[Beltane575xx]

 Thank you @rlb89408 and  @lindseylonadier ( for your lengthy but ultra cool reply with many good points..=) ) and anybody else I forgot to mention for your helpful feedback! Hopefully Spotify can at least bring back the precise release dates for albums (especially being there's so minimal info given on releases minus there being liner notes to begin with)...cheers!

[rlb89408]

Over 20 likes in the first week. Good start. Hopefully Spotify will change this. Constantly frustrating not knowing the release date.

I'm suggesting a possible album, song, ep info link to give info like album artwork, producers, composers, lyrics, and release date. Any other info available can be included too. This way we can kill 2 birds with one stone. I know many Spotify users would be thrilled with a feature like this.

[gareth8]

It's just the program being Unified, Simplified and Amplified.

No-one used this feature, anyway.

[rlb89408]

@gareth8 I am fine with unification and simplification and all, it makes it smooth. But I used this feature weekly if not daily updating my new released playlist as Spotify misses many tracks and I have to search to find the new releases. If the recent released track just says 2016 it may not be that "recent" as it shows the artist last release album or single which could of been released back in January

[gareth8]

@rlb89408 Yeah, I'm just giving you what Spotify will no-doubt use to justify their decision to remove this.

I use the feature too when putting together my weekly New Releases' playlist and such information is very important to me. Not such a 'new' release if it's months old.

My worry is it'll be removed from the desktop program, too. That's what Unification and Simplification seem to be: if a feature isn't available on mobile then the desktop users can't have it either.

[camillo75]

Hi

You mean Spotify release date or (different) album release date?

Because they are very different.

I would love to see the album release date and be able to search for it globally to see new releases of last month for example.

[Beltane575xx]

I was referring to the day the album was released along with the year...up untill recently one could see the actual day an album was released when searching thru an artist's discography on Spotify. Now albums listed on Spotify just show the year of release. 

[mote]

Not only the original release date would be the most relevant, but why are the no data on albums at all?
The most be tons of interresting data associated with albums.

[BluArtistEyes]

I completely agree. This shouldn't even need to be suggested, this was the dumbest thing they've done.