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But what if I want a faster horse?

(rakhim.exotext.com)
1525 points saeedesmaili | 2 comments | 11 Apr 25 11:39 UTC | HN request time: 0.406s | source
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dswalter ◴[11 Apr 25 14:22 UTC] No.43654125[source]▶
There's a fundamental reality that shapes both Netflix and Spotify's trajectory: content licensing. 2012 Netflix had access to vastly more of everyone else's library, so it was closer to an indexed search of what was available that one could watch and then getting that video onto your screen. Over time, other companies understood that they were underpricing their content and Netflix was reaping the benefits. Once external forces adjusted, the TV/film bidding wars began. Today, netflix doesn't have nearly as much content as they used to have.

That risk (losing all content and facing extinction) is what pushed Netflix in the direction of being a content-producer, rather than a content aggregator. I agree with everyone's points on the influence of the median user in diluting the quality of the content Netflix produces, but that's not the only forced that pushed us here. Spotify faced a similar crossroads and decided to broaden beyond music once they started losing bidding wars for licensing.

Being a faster horse wasn't an option available to either Netflix or Spotify; there is no path for a 'better 2012 version of netflix or spotify' in 2025. They each had to change species or die, and they chose to keep living.

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al_borland ◴[11 Apr 25 14:58 UTC] No.43654529[source]▶
Apple Music still offers library management, with their entire catalog to choose from. They try to play all sides, with algorithmic playback, radio, add to library, and playlists. Adding to library and playlists do seem to be core features, but I’m curious how many people put in the effort when it’s not explicitly required.
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bloppe ◴[11 Apr 25 15:27 UTC] No.43654936[source]▶
Is that different from Spotify? Am I using Spotify wrong? I mostly just curate and listen to my own playlists
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al_borland ◴[11 Apr 25 16:48 UTC] No.43655876[source]▶
Does Spotify have a library option? I haven’t been a heavy Spotify user, but last time I tried it, it seemed like I could “follow” artists as a proxy to adding something to a library, but I found it all pretty confusing.

I know they have playlists, but I was looking more of the feature like, “these are all the songs I’m interested in, that I will use to build my playlists or shuffle… because I don’t want to try and remember everything as I wade through a 60m track library of all the songs available on Spotify.”

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chilmers ◴[11 Apr 25 17:14 UTC] No.43656157[source]▶
Um, yes they do. The left sidebar on the desktop app is titled "Your Library". On the mobile app, it is the third nav icon at the bottom right of the screen.

You can save albums to the library by opening the album page and clicking the circled-plus "Save to Your Library" button. It then appears in your library under "Albums". You can search the library, sort by recently played, recently added, alphabetical, creator. You can also save singles, playlists, podcasts and artists to your library. If you go into settings, you can connect your library to locally stored files.

I could go on. This took me literally 1 minute of opening up Spotify and looking at the UI.

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1. al_borland ◴[12 Apr 25 01:14 UTC] No.43660417[source]▶
This is from the Spotify support page for the web player (what I was using):

> To add something to Your Library:

> - Click Like on any song, album, or playlist to save to your Liked Songs playlist

> - Click 3 horizontal dots on any song or album to add them to a new or existing playlist

> - Click FOLLOW on any artist, podcast or show

So the “Library” is a proxy for artists I follow, songs in a playlist, or songs I like.

I find that confusing and it’s not really what I want. For example, there are songs I wouldn’t say I like enough to click the heart on them, as I wouldn’t want them inflicting my recommendations, but I might still want them in my library for easy access. Others I might like well enough without loving them.

The alternative would be to make playlists where I just throw stuff for storage, which seems like a messy way to managing things.

Then the followed artists seem like a wrench in the whole system, as it’s a totally different concept.

For mobile it mentions the + to add to Library, without mentioning the 3 bullets for doing it on the desktop/web. Why would mobile have a completely different mechanic for managing the library than the web, when it’s managing the same collection for the user? That also makes 0 sense.

https://support.spotify.com/us/article/your-library/

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2. rsanheim ◴[12 Apr 25 05:02 UTC] No.43661508[source]▶
This.

Spotify hides the ability to just have your own stuff in favor of their algorithm they want to shove down your throat. It isn't just library management, but every part of their UI feels more like algo-driven exploration and recommendations as opposed to 'I'm in the drivers seat, and I decide when I want to explore'.

Its so frustrating, and I find it hard to explain to folks who have never had their own music collection finely curated - whether physical, in mp3s carefully renamed and organized (probably to be played thru winamp), or now in something like Roon or Apple music or one of the winamp-like local music apps.

Don't get me wrong, I've discovered great stuff via the various algo-radio things every service offers now and auto-plays if your queue ends. But I find much more great music via friends or music sites or reddit. And I want to be in the drivers seat when choosing music - starting with things I've added or favorited or added to playlists.

Anytime I have to use Spotify (typically to share w/ friends) its clear their product is all about _them_ and the stuff they want to push, and not about me.