There are plenty of controversies surrounding Spotify, but what really made me cancel my subscription was the fact that they ran recruitment ads for ICE. Boycott Spotify!
Spotify’s interface always has some baffling design decision every time I’ve used it. Google is run by Satan, but at least he knows how to build a music streaming app.
it’s a shame because Spotify was one of the only ones with a working free tier.
but self-hosting feels nicer anyway
Just download and build an offline music collection like before 🙌
Spotify has shit audio quality anyways.
Do this or use Qobuz. Qobuz also allows purchase and digital download of the wav files for permanent offline storage.
Not a good look. Any way around this on Android without Google Play Services?
You might be able to open the website in a browser. I have Graphene and run sandboxed Google Play for Qobuz.
The webapp for the Qobuz music player itself explicitly doesn’t work on mobile.
Damn. that’s annoying. Sorry for the bad suggestion.
Using wav files when flac exists seems like a waste of space and bandwidth
Wav or flac*
My point being lossless original files*
Do they have more music in the streaming plan than in the download store? I searched for one of my favorite artists and they only have two songs in the store.
Their library isn’t as big as Spotify sadly, but that’s the artists fault. It’s like $35 total to distribute to most streaming services and an extra $5 to include Qobuz, tidal, deezer, and a handful of others.
Spotify provides lossless streaming nowadays actually.
24-bit/44.1kHz (2117kbps)
CD quality, not lossless.
And build your own streaming infrastructure, with Navidrome for example.
Im using my already setup Jellyfin Server for that. Symfonium to access the libary on my phone and Jellyfin-TUI on PC. The customizability of Symfonium is amazing!
Navidrome is sooo nice, highly recommend
Amen. Not sure if it’d be right to say that it’s never been easier, but between supporting artists you like through Bandcamp and getting music you want through Soulseek, it sure is easy.
Like the before times, eh? Gonna need a pack of cheap earbuds, some silly bands, and a lack of care for my future hearing capacity.
Spotify’s shitty algorithm drove me away. I love Qobuz. It doesn’t trap me in a loop— I get to pick everything I listen to.
Qobuz
I’m gonna have to try that.
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Got it. I’ll continue to not use Spotify.
I disliked the company before it was cool
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I prefer collecting music, CDs into MP3s and listening to those on my PC using Strawberry or on my modded Creative Zen Micro MP3-player. I’m pretty sure to say that buying an used CD from thriftstore gives as much money to the artist as does streaming it on Spotify. (=0€)
Sorry, but there’s just no way I can boycott Spotify over this…
Because I’ve already been boycotting them since 2019 for not paying artists enough.
Lost me in the first part. Gained me back in the second!
The founder openly stating he was in it for the ads not musicians wasnt enough?
(Quite early on into the company btw)
I wasn’t really paying attention to anything about Spotify until recently. My bad. I’m trying to get better about researching where my money goes.
It’s not your bad. Most people are in the same boat. Excited for you though.
If you’re anything like me, you’ll need to hear the advice to pace yourself and protect your sanity. You can get away from all of these companies without mental turmoil if you do it right.
Plus all the other shit, like only paying artists spare change, hiring Joe Rogan to make an exclusive podcast series, pushing AI-slop music.
do you really think the avg user know or care about any ceo statement? people flee when it gets too expensive.
You have a point but you didn’t really frame it very well. I think you meant to defend the average person for not knowing how evil companies are, which I actually agree with.
It’s true that the average user doesn’t know better, or doesn’t care, or has simply given up. It’s unfortunate though.
Been boycotting them for 1,5 year or so. Went to Qobuz but mainly buy vinyl in recordshops or via bandcamp. Also buy a lot of digital albums during bandcamp fridays
I finally was able to get my wife to cancel it a few months ago. She is using my server now and it’s been a rough transition, but we are getting there.
They also elevated Joe Rogan and the entire antitrans movement… many years ago…
I don’t support giving Joe Rogan any money either but I honestly think the Spotify deal helped move him out for the spotlight. I would say his peak was a few years ago before the Spotify deal, I definitely don’t hear as much out of him now as I used to.
yea that’ll show them for sure
Um, one this is old news, and two, they aren’t getting my money. How else would I show them? I could at least tell tnem why I stopped GIVING THEM MY MONEY.
How else would you show them why?
I’m sure that this will be the thing that convinces stubborn Spotify users to finally switch after they’ve ignored the last 481 controversies that Spotify has racked up.
Not everyone is aware of the controversies. Until recently I was one of them. I’m hoping this post will reach them and encourage them to join the boycott.
It was more that they pay the artists that make up all their content absolute dog shit in royalties since their inception that made me boycott, this one is just another cherry on the pile
What no they paid that one talkshow libertarian dudeguy millions of dollars a year to be on Spotify checkmate atheists
Mandatory fuck Spotify. They rip off artists too.
Switched to Deezer(has an anti AI policy) a year ago and never looked back.
I went to tidal (which I know is only marginally better than spotify). They at least label and demonetize AI slop. But I’m still feeling like I should switch soon, I just wish qoobuz had more.
Deezer is actually really good IMO. Been with them for years, good service, little fiddly to download playlists for offline use on an mp3 player but not too bad.
Also switched to Deezer and it’s excellent. Some things are worse than Spotify but they have regular updates that improve things (sometimes too regular tbh)
