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.

[EricRo01]

I'm really glad that this has reached the attention of Spotify. 

I recall mentioning this to a friend from Uni suggesting that Spotify should have a feature allowing you to create a song radio based off a song that includes songs that are *not* liked by the user excluding the selected song itself. 

I put the effectiveness of "Song Radio" off as it just not being meant for discovery but I believe that to be a lame excuse honestly. 

I'm aware that there are only so many songs, and with the past year I've discovered a lot, and I mean A LOT. But I would love to be able to hit Radio on a song I like before getting in my car and possibly discovering new music that is similar on my way to wherever I'm going. Currently, most of us are forced to look for user submitted playlists which are far better for discovery. 

Song Radio is only used whenever I want a playlist essentially a smaller size than my main one with one or two different songs. 

I'll just listen to the playlist thanks.

[SharkyMcSteve]

This issue is genuinely infuriating. I'll make playlists with completely different artists... click radio... AND STILL GET THE EXACT SAME 15 SONG SUGGESTIONS I ALWAYS GET. Zero discovery, and zero randomness. Are you intentionally pushing biased suggestions spotify? Because this has been going on for years and I've been using your platform for over a decade. WHATS THE PROBLEM?

[Arborister]

I'd have to agree. I used to listen to google play music before they switched to YouTube music and if you chose to listen to radio, it was endless music. I would never hear the same song twice in one sitting (I listen about 4-6hr/day). If I started music the next day I might hear many of the same songs from the previous day but also a ton of new songs even songs I've never heard before. Hopefully Spotify will create something similar

[calebpete11]

If I have 900+ songs in a playlist. I should never hear the same song twice on the same day when using shuffle. Radio feature sucks too. Can't be that difficult of a problem to solve, fix the algorithm. 

Not sure what the motive is to continually make Spotify more shitty by removing features from desktop/mobile. 

[user-removed]

The radio with the thumbs down feature was perfect. Now my radio just keeps playing the same stuff that I've heard a million times before. No new music discovery. I will switch to Deezer if this is not fixed. 🙃

[zendodeb]

I would add that the algorithm also doesn't understand genres of music very well.

You put all Jazz into a "Made for Me" list that is headlined by Snarky Puppy, and Weather Report - which are both Jazz Fusion.

It is currently playing "Moanin'" by Art Blakey, which is a fine song, but NOT Jazz Fusion.

It is even worse for my foreign language listening. You put all German language songs in one playlist, whether they are folk music or heavy metal. I mean, they're in German, they must all be same right. Or maybe not.

This and the insistence that I listen to the same 7 songs is beyond annoying. To the point I have started using Pandora again when I want "radio" - though Spotify has a very different catalog once you get away from well known American music.

[Luan]

Updated on 2021-08-23

Hello!

Your idea has been submitted a while ago but unfortunately hasn't gathered enough kudos yet. In order to keep an overview of the active ideas in this forum, we will close this idea for now. However, this does not mean that your idea has been declined by Spotify.

If you still feel strongly about your request, we encourage you to continue sharing it to get more kudos. Folks can still add their votes and comments in order to support it.

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[celcitoasis]

so true!! I use radio to DISCOVER FRESH NEW songs not to listen to OLD STUFF on repeat!!!

[DoBetterSpotty]

Agreed a big reason we pay for spotify is TO DISCOVER NEW MUSIC, not to have the same songs I already know and play, fed back again & again IN EVER DECREASING CIRCLES!! Terrible thing when there are so many millions of songs available. Like seriously BAD. And your suggested song lists, are just the same songs I already play 😞

[grahamsnyder]

Want to chime in in support of this! I think Spotify's philosophy of what this feature should be is wrong. We already have daily mixes and our own playlists for comfort listening; radio should be for discovery. If I tune in to a random radio station and hear something I like, I expect to hear more stuff in that vein if I keep listening, not a selection of tangentially-connected stuff I already know and like. IMO radio for an artist, song or playlist should be exclusively related to what is similar to that artist, song or playlist, not anything to do with my other listening habits. 

The opposite is true at the moment. Radio generated from the same artist or song is wildly different for different users, when in my view it should be near identical, and today for example I listened to a playlist consisting exclusively of modern jazz and at the end instead of continuing in that vein it started playing me vaguely jazz-adjacent indietronica based on my day-to-day listening. Stop trying to stay within my comfort zone and let me decide what I'm in the mood for please 🙏