Frede wrote: I bet your old Denon receiver does not have any software clients at all, so this does not really apply. For how long do you think that Spotify should have to support, all their technologies? 10 years, 15 years? Do you also think that this should apply to all other kind of software services?
Spotify provide an API to which 3rd parties can integrate and support. It is in their interest to make this integration as easy and attractive as possible which means supporting new technology (Web API). It is the 3rd parties interest to keep their devices up to date to support the functionality made available through this API.
Saying that Spotify does not have to "anything" to keep the old services running is of course not true. The cost of maintaining software is not zero. If so, why are not all software ever released still supported, the cost should be negligable, right?
Maximizing profits and keeping happy customers go hand in hand.
Ehhh, you are kidding, right? Maximising profits usually do not go hand in hand with keeping customers happy. Especially large(r) companies focus on shareholders nowadays. Not on clients. Clients are just a means to get money and short term profit is tempting. If you think the world works in other ways go look up how the 2007-2008 financial crisis started. And while you are at it, go look up the Panama Papers. Most of the money in the world is kept by a happy few. Fact! Customer satisfaction should be #1 on a company's list, but it's an illusion. However, we digress.
I never said the cost of maintaining software (I actually referred to 'services') is zero. But 'maintaining' software is actually very cheap. Especially for a company like Spotify. Developing a new API isn't. However creating a hybrid setup lies well withing Spotify's capabilities. They are just making their problem ours so it won't be their problem anymore.
My old Denon AV receiver has software in it (called firmware). It supports all kinds of STANDARDS (AC3, DTS etc. but also FM and AM lol). Newer standards like Dolby Neo etc. are not supported. But I didn't expect it to do that. Spotify on the other hand are changing their 'standard' (with zero notice) and this breaks functionality for older devices. They shouldn't do that so casually as they are doing now.
While it is true Spotify offers an API I bet most of their clients don't even know what an API exactly is. Spotify marketing doesn't say anything about for how long they 'support' a given 'Spotify standard'. Maybe they should be clear about that? They don't seem to be clear on why the current change is even needed. They don't elaborate.
Spotify's reason for being is we pay a flat fee and it plays on a multitude of devices. The way they make it work technically isn't what is important here. I couldn't care less if they used pigeons to make it work. As long as it does and they at least seem to care.
I think it is silly all software ever released should still be supported. However the period how long is what matters. How long do you think is fair? Does it depend on what kind of software it is and for what purpose? Does the company size make a difference? Etc. Imho these audio devices (which Spotify was a selling point for and have been sold actively even after discontinuation) should be supported at least 10 years. 5 years is too short and wasteful. Planned or forced obsolescence should be illegal (only in France it now is, but I assume most of Europe will follow shortly). It is and will never be in the consumer's best interest, period. Logitech might be to blame too, but Spotify broke support from their end. Again, like I pointed out several times, with zero notice. You'd think a company like theirs would plan these things out. "No sirree... We are just a bunch of guys suffering from the Peter principle." Yeah... we figured that...
Staff / Moderator/ 3 years ago in Social & Random