Spotify Adding Feature That Lets You Block Artists From Playlists, Radio Stations, and More

[BarredOwl]

Help me understand something: for years, until today*, Spotify didn’t have this feature, now people are furious that Apple Music doesn’t have it?

Don’t get me wrong; I’d like this feature, too. Or even just a “Block Maroon 5” rule; no configuration, just a rule dedicated to banishing that one band.

* And only in beta, at that.

It’s very easy to understand. Those of us that have been Apple customers since the early 1980’s insist that Apple rise above the rest. It’s the expectation of excellence and innovation. Apple charges premiums on every product and service they sell, so I expect and demand those products and services to be excellent; better than the rest.

I’m still a subscriber, but Apple Music is anything but excellent. Why the hell has Apple not spent some time developing new features like Spotify is testing? You can sure as hell bet they will copy the feature if Spotify deploy this to the public.

The only way to get Apple to innovate and change these days is either by way of litigation and/or a threat to their bottom line. They are no longer trying... at anything. The are literally phoning every damn thing they do in.

 

[rjtyork]

PLEASE bring this feature to Apple music! There are way too many artists I would love to never hear again. Music is sacred to me and it’s insulting to hear some of the crap that people call music show up as recommended.

 

[jimothyGator]

It’s very easy to understand. Those of us that have been Apple customers since the early 1980’s insist that Apple rise above the rest. It’s the expectation of excellence and innovation. Apple charges premiums on every product and service they sell, so I expect and demand those products and services to be excellent; better than the rest.

I’m still a subscriber, but Apple Music is anything but excellent. Why the hell has Apple not spent some time developing new features like Spotify is testing? You can sure as hell bet they will copy the feature if Spotify deploy this to the public.

The only way to get Apple to innovate and change these days is either by way of litigation and/or a threat to their bottom line. They are no longer trying... at anything. The are literally phoning every damn thing they do in.

So why weren't people furious that Spotify didn't have this feature—and still doesn't, outside of this test? Spotify is held to lower standards?

I understand why people want this feature; it's the outrage that they don't have it the very moment Spotify announced it that I don't understand.

 

[ignatius345]

Goodbye Ed Sheeran

 

[EdT]

This has been one of the 3 reasons why I won’t use or subscribe to any streaming service. I had Pandora 4 or 5 years ago and it would get stuck in artist loops. Some of the artists I liked, but I didn’t want to hear their latest song over and over. Some were artists I didn’t like but I could thumb down only 3 times before I either had to listened to them or shut the service off.

Second reason is I live in flyover country. Lots and lots of square miles of little to no coverage, cell wise. And when you may have to leave on an hour or 2 notice you may not have time to download Spotify or Apple Music or any other service songs to your phone.

My third reason is personally my primary reason: 256 k streaming sounds hollow to me. If you have a conversation program and some CD quality songs stored where you can convert them to MP3 or AAC or whatever Spotify’s format is, do so. Then listen to the CD song, and then immediately listen to the down converted song. If you don’t hear the difference then you don’t have a problem and you can just go with what’s cheapest.

I do hear a difference.

 

[Defthand]

Why the HELL won't Apple do this? Their 'smart' and recommended playlists are full of hate. No matter how much I dislike a genre or artist it STILL appears in my new music mix.

Apple says their music recommendations are human curated. Maybe that dude is a sadist.

 

[Capeto]

Every top 40 artist would end up in my blocked list starting with Justin Bieber.

2010 called, they want their Bieber bashing back.

Hadn’t Spotify announced a while back that they were going to remove certain artists (coughcough R Kelly) from their Spotify-curated playlists, which resulted in some backlash? I think this is a way to deal with that, giving the power to block certain artists to the users instead.

 

[td2243]

I’ve never used Spotify, so I’m surprised this wasn’t a feature already. I would have deleted it about the third time Metallica or Coldplay popped up.

 

[Jwhite1]

LOL, there happened to be a couple country songs in an Apple curated christmas playlist that we played this past season and now I can't escape constant "Because you listen to country music" recommendations in the "For You" section.

I’ve wondered this myself. I used to let my son play random songs on my account time to time but I stopped when Spotify kept suggesting more of his stuff that I don’t listen to. Or I’d check out a song outside of my normal genres and it’d start recommending more of the same or adding that style to playlists etc. Or there’s been times I’ve had family over for a party and they ask me to play something in particular that I normally don’t listen to and it will keep recommending that stuff. I’ve since changed to the family plan so my library doesn’t get “muddied up”.

I recently used Spotify on PC and noticed there is a “private” mode. Haven’t tried it yet but I’m wondering if you can toggle that to listen to “one-off” songs/albums without it being remembered as something you’re interested in. Haven’t seen/tried the setting on mobile.

 

[ipedro]

I'd be interested if Apple implemented this. "Hey Siri, block all R&B from Beats 1."

*static plays when turning on radio*

You took the words out of my mouth.

Beats1 had so much potential but it's essentially become a Trap radio station. No, thanks.

 

[peglegger]

About damn time.


I reached out to Spotify on the facebook page, and made a request for this functionality over three years ago. Specifically because I wanted to block artists like R.Kelly and Chris Brown. Even at that time, I was not interested in supporting sexual and domestic abusers.

But fundamentally, I have always believed that people should have more control over what they are paying to consume. Why Spotify took so long to realized that is a mystery to me?

If they put a bit more money into market research and user testing. They would have been ahead of this issue, not in a reactionary posture.

 

[Totemsflare]

I’ve been using Apple Music for 2 years now and I’m surprised with the amount of people that still get recommendations for music they don’t like.

My weekly new mix never misses to add tracks that fall completely in line with my very alternative and experimental taste. Same goes for new releases and stations I create. But maybe that’s because I was a heavy iTunes user and bought a lot of music.

I’m sure my iTunes library played a role in Apple Music building my recommendations. If by chance something plays that I don’t like, I simply dislike it and I’m pretty sure I’ll never see it suggested again.

 

[ChromeAce]

Free at last from Kanye West

 

[Bark]

’ve been using Apple Music for 2 years now and I’m surprised with the amount of people that still get recommendations for music they don’t like.

I have an eclectic taste in music and have had many things in Apple Music that have expanded what I listen to... However I do like 80’s what they consider alternative but not Morissey/the Smiths. I look forward to the day I can block on Apple Music because I cannot stand it but it is invariably added to playlists generated with some of the stuff I love.

 

[kingpushup]

Every top 40 artist would end up in my blocked list starting with Justin Bieber.

Exactly, and this cuts Spotify’s costs.

Users likely block popular (expensive) artists, who evoke stronger love/hate.

Although this hits artists’ paychecks, Spotify may already be losing that battle with Apple to attract artists’ support, so this may be business necessity .. because as top-line revenue slows, then Spotify simply must cut bottom-line cost.

 

[EdT]

Everyone complaining about not being able to block some artist or genre is making me think that my deciding not to subscribe to any service wasn’t a bad idea.

 

[zapmymac]

1st block Kanye.

 

[Bawstun]

This is game changing. I like this idea a lot. If Apple Music doesn’t implement this I miiiiiiiiiiight just switch to Spotify

You should anyway. Spotify’s algorithms are game-changing. Once you listen to enough music with the app, they begin getting it so right. Lots of new artists you’ve never heard of and will probably enjoy. Apple’s algorithms are like they came from 2007 Pandora app or something. A complete joke.
[doublepost=1548098177][/doublepost]

I buy all the music I listen to, so this has never been - and will never be - a problem. ✌️

 

[routine_analyst]

A great idea but in practice it will prove terrible for subgenre music like Dance > Trance > House. Remixed versions of bad songs are sometimes better than the originals. Apple Music handles subgenres like garbage already, so I hope this feature doesn't somehow make its way over without that problem solved first.

 

[makr]

Free at last from Kanye West

I second that...

 

[Hiddecollee]

Every top 40 artist would end up in my blocked list starting with Justin Bieber.

Why the hate for Justin Bieber?
[doublepost=1548102498][/doublepost]

2010 called, they want their Bieber bashing back.

Hadn’t Spotify announced a while back that they were going to remove certain artists (coughcough R Kelly) from their Spotify-curated playlists, which resulted in some backlash? I think this is a way to deal with that, giving the power to block certain artists to the users instead.

Why would you hate on Justin Bieber right now?

 

[wonshu]

I really hope that they publish a top 100 chart of blocked artists.

I really want to see that list.

 

[Capeto]

[doublepost=1548102498][/doublepost]

Why would you hate on Justin Bieber right now?

I’m not, re-read my response to bladerunner2000

 

[nburwell]

If Apple Music instroduced this feature, I’d have the majority of playlists blocked since they love shoving pop music down my throat (hence why I’m with Spotify currently).

 

[iGeek2014]

Is this for R Kelly?

Interestingly enough, Lady Gaga pulled her collaboration with R Kelly and replaced it with the Christina Aguilera version.... turns out R Kelly is listed as a co-writer of said track so he’s still getting royalties out of it.

So, whilst I’d welcome such a feature, just be aware blocking an artist because of X,Y,Z, doesn’t necessarily mean you are cutting all forms of support...