Spotify & "Song Radio" is Essentially Just an Echo Chamber & Doesn't Breed Discovery

[cawul]

This hasn't always been the case, and I don't know if this has to do with the amount of time I've had my Spotify account or if something about the algorithm has drastically changed - but whenever I start a radio based off a song or artist (which is with the intention to find a NEW artist or NEW music that is related to the song/artist I'm starting the radio off of) it just creates essentially a playlist of music I've been listening to - and not even within the same genre off the song.

I've realized that I haven't found any new artists or any new music, and just continuously listen to the same things over and over again which is quite depressing. The point of the song radio or at least how I use it is to discover new artists that are in the same realm of the artist I'm listening to, and I think you all at Spotify are putting everyone - artist AND listener - at a huge detrimental disadvantage by having it go that way because then there is no discovery for new artists and there is no way for listeners to get into new music without scouring the platform instead of giving good recommendations based off your algorithm. More than anything I want to be able to discover new artists based off song radio, not just hear the same songs I've been listening to. If I wanted to listen to those songs, I would just continue to listen to them. Especially since maybe when I start a song radio off something that is midwest-emo/indie, it'll still play hyperpop/rap in the same playlist which are two completely different genre's and moods.

[Spaceboy88]

Over three thousand votes and yet nothing done here. Spotify is an echo chamber and this forum is useless; so many ideas get thousands of votes and go ignored or never receive updates. It’s been 3 years since you last said something about this and personalized playlists have ruined Spotify’s discovery.

[Strommingen]

@moderators Are you still here? Are Spotify employees actually using this forum for input or are we just talking to ourselves? There hasn’t been a spotify employee comment for years now.

I very much doubt so. Like stated above we’re thousands now who voiced this for years and it keep getting worse. I hear people around me every day turning to youtube music because radio and suggested ”new music” isn’t working. Or actually it’s probably working perfectly to save Spotify server capacity but their service has turned into a music lover killer… 😞

It’s dark times as it is in the world please bring back the love!

[begoo_13]

I have this issue too. Song radios used to be so amazing and I've discovered so many of my fav artists through them. Now it doesn't work and just mostly brings up songs I've already liked (and listened to several times), and or artists I already listen to. I would love to see NEW songs and NEW artists, specially if the vibe is closer to the original song, not just int he overall genre.

For example. When listening to the radio of Jeon Somi's "Fast forward" I would expect to see songs like "Uno" by MADEIN or "See you there tomorrow" by TxT. Instead, I see NEWJEANS, Katseye and LESSERAFIM's new popular songs, which ARE KPOP but ARE NOT the same rhythm/vibe of "Fast Forward". I would reallllly love if the subgenres were more accurate here 🙂

[Sneeze21]

So I think it's clear that spotify is not going to improve their new music experience. It's just impossible to get a random selection of music as every single feature is based on my listening history and it's f-ing infuriating and is making me hate music.

Anyway, long story short, I'm cancelling my subscription. Can I get a list of alternative platforms here? Don't worry, no-one from spotify is actually reading this thread anyway so let's help each other by recommending other competitors to go to. I would greatly appreciate it. Maybe to throw off any moderating algorithms we mess up the names slightly like y0utu8e, you get it. 

Recommendations below please: 

[pjlsilva]

I feel the goal of the "ARTIST Radio" playlists is to discover music similar to the artist in question and not similar to my specific tastes.

I think they should be curated by Spotify (or the actual artist) and not aligned to a specific user.

If I'm selecting "This is Pearl Jam" or "This is Bon Jovi" or even "This is Pink Floyd", it makes no sense to have a Tool music always present just because I normally listen to it.

[tschooli]

I have now been using third party services like chosic.com or last.fm to discover new music for a long time. Every song radio just keeps playing the songs it thinks I like, and every Spotify playlist nowadays is tailored to my taste, which is absolutely ridiculous - I'm here to discover new music, not to listen to what I already have in my own playlists.

[bLasagna]

How is spotify claiming to "help us find audio we'll enjoy" when they are actively ignoring us for years? All my friends are sad about the fact that we hardly can discover new music with the radio feature and there is NO alternative to find songs that are similar to another.

Now they made it even worse including "commercial recommendations" so either the song is already liked or some sort of ad and maybe if I'm lucky there is a genuine new song in between. I would want to use radios so much because I really discovered my best music through them but now they're practically useless for me.

@Spotify, I have a suggestion, why not make a toggle switch or button or anything that lets us either ENABLE recommendations for us including songs from our history and liked ones or DISABLE personal recommendation where you either only slightly adapt it to our taste without including ANY liked song or even better make it neutral so that we genuinely can discover new music that is not necessarily similar to what we've listened to in the past.

[LadyPenelopeC]

Hi Spotify. Any intention to acknowledge the frustration of your users? We love music but why you gotta make it so hard now?! The user experience is so frustrating. Please give us the option to explore music without this narrow and dull algorithm. Fix the algorithm - it’s not all about personalization when it comes to music! New is good, fresh is good, exploration is good. But “made for” me is dull, illogical and repetitive.

[britos_mauri]

why in the name of tinky winky.. you change the radios an mix system now you condem us to listen always the same songs and the same artis, and you know what i mean, now wen i create a radio from a song or artist you get me a simple playlist of the same 20 song, you ruin my life. go back to 2019 or some like that please.