[All Platforms] Ability to block certain Genres

[YakofallTrades]

Similar to blocking an artist or certain tracks from appearing, but I want to be able to just not see anything of certain genres. I have zero interest in them, and all it does is annoy me to see them.

[sa124]

I can see the positives in this, but feel there are better ways – by blocking an entire genre feels like cracking a peanut with a sledgehammer. If Spotify allowed users to actively dismiss more playlists, songs, artists and recommendations, and allow the AI to actively learn more about a customers likes/dislikes, I feel the platform would offer better personalisation. Currently, dismissing is limited to certain features, giving the impression Spotify isn't clever (or bothered) enough to learn about each individual.

[ferkjl]

I agree completely, @savagedesign.  My thought though is that blocking a genre makes it dramatically easier to customize your home, because blocking individual songs or artists requires the AI to do correlation and regression analysis to determine what each individual blocked content really means.  In my personal case, by blocking all of rap will immediately remove all playlists centered around rap, and I will enjoy my Home screen much better (as it will make space for things I do like).  Eventually, I would have blocked enough genres I do not ever want to see in my home (i.e. rap, hip-hop, trance, electronica), that the playlists that do make it will pivot around my favourite genres. 

Specific example from today: 

I will never ever play any of these lists, not in a million years; they are precisely the genres I like the least.  Why use the real estate in my home?

[sa124]

That’s true @ferkjl, but perhaps another solution would be to allow customers to customise their own homepages - by pinning artists, albums, genres - so rather than the AI working out what you don’t want to see, you actively tell it what you do want to see (or rather hear). 

So rather than block hip hop, allow the customer to pin rock? The AI will quickly learn what you love (rather than know what you don’t like and potentially showing other things you don’t like) and show more of this, with the ultimate goal of increasing overall engagement. 

I also think allowing customers to decide the order of the rows of content carousel would be a bonus 🙂

[ferkjl]

You may be right: a specific "Customize home" feature may be better.  I guess that after having built a few dozen playlists, having blocked hundreds of songs and artists, and STILL getting non-personalized content, I feel the only way is to paint with a much broader stroke.

[sa124]

The experience currently feels like this kind of conversation:

”do you like rap?”

”no”

”do you like jazz?”

”no” 

“do you like hip-hop?”

”no”

”do you like new wave?”

”no”

etc

when it should be:

”what do you like?”

”punk”

“Got it!”

this would surely be a better experience 🤣

[Blubbe]

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Live-Ideas/Discover-Exclude-selected-Playlists-from-Taste-Profile-a... 

[Kmg8043]

For the love of God, I've been a Spotify user for about a decade and have a 600 plus song Playlist and even more liked songs. Spotify is overhyping things I would never listen to...personally rap and Latin music hits my release radar and discover. Really ruins my week when I am liking an average of maybe 1 song a week. Give us the ability to block entire genres. If I can block a song or an artist...how hard would it be to let us block genres?!!!

[user-removed]

BS. Many like music genre Classical but don’t like Opera. If your “Classical Reading” pl omits Opera it proves it’s doable. Be honest and direct. Stop sugarcoating communication. 

[Kmg8043]

Closing this was fn dumb

[user-removed]

What’s your name?