Quit Spotify

[utterances-bot]

Quit Spotify

Thoughts and decisions about quitting Spotify

[um-hi]

Hey Tommi, you've got a great site here - really appreciate the work you've put into creating such a unique and wholesome (bilingual!) space. Very cool! But I've got a lot to get off my chest about the topic of Spotify, so please bear with me while I rant a bit:

As a music lover who has never used Spotify (doesn't appeal to me at all), I must say that I've been increasingly disturbed by the extent to which this platform has come to eclipse people's ability to remember how/why to connect with and through music without it. Maybe this is an overly loose characterization, but from the outside, Spotify seems to be little more than the music streaming equivalent of Facebook or YouTube (except even-more-walled) - at least in terms of its socio-corporate clout as The place for music discovery/sharing and ability to homogenize/flatten meaningful content/experiences/interactions. And the excuses that people make for it are more or less identical, precluding any tangible possibility of leaving aside from the appearance of a clone of some sort which everyone migrates to that is somehow more ethical (how could this happen? The models and mechanics of these platforms are fundamentally corrupt and exploitative, yet generate their addicting appeal). "Sure, centralization/monopolization/the surveillance economy is bad and it would be nice to leave [digital megamall X] but..." "All my friends are there!", "It's so convenient and easy to use!", "There's nowhere else with as much content!", "What about all of my likes and shared content?", etc etc.

Unless people can break away from these dependency/user-domestication-oriented ways of thinking, I don't think there will ever be enough nutrients in the soil of the web for a wider range of more ethical alternatives to compete on a broader scale with the casino-surveillance-megamalls which offer convenience & consolidation/centralization in exchange for unbounded commodification/manipulation of everything within their walls. Anyway, I'll end my rant and just point to a collection of links that I've gathered around the topic of Spotify (and, in contrast, Bandcamp): https://www.are.na/sean/spotify-muzak

If retaining the ability to navigate, share, and remember discoveries without the benevolent guiding grace and convenience of Monopolizing Platform X is too hard, I doubt there is much of a future for human agency or meaningful variety in these realms.

♩ Some simple (this is a slippery word - is Spotify actually simple, or does it just seem simple?), neat, free/inexpensive, effective alternatives for discovering &/or sharing new music beyond what you mentioned:

• Browse the Internet Archive's massive collection and create an account if you want to write reviews/contribute
• Explore netlabels
• Explore other community-oriented music streaming sites (e.g. Minna Kikeru - free streaming, some free downloads, and cheap prices, Fungjai - sleek Thailand-based platform, Ethnocloud - music from around the world)
• Join or start a music forum (there are still tons of these - e.g. Music Banter, Chorus.fm, or places like reddit if so inclined) where you can share discoveries with other people
• Join Buy Music Club (buying music not required)
• Try p2p mixtape sharing via Duxtape (Beaker Browser required)
• Explore Bandcamp Radio or Mixcloud and follow DJs/artists/shows that you like
• Follow music blogs that support ethical streaming/buying options such as Bandcamp (e.g. https://calmintrees.blogspot.com/, http://www.saidthegramophone.com/, http://www.fluxblog.org/)
• Walk into your local music shops and talk to the people at the counter. These shops also often have listening stations
• When concerts start again, go to them with friends or alone and make new ones (diy/house shows are often cheap, free, or sliding scale)
• Browse your local library's music catalogue, and request new material if they don't have it (CD player possibly required)
• Browse your local library's music streaming platform (most library systems have digital catalogues now)
• Tune into radio stations and write down the songs you like (this can be done with an analog radio or online [e.g. radio.garden] - locally you can call/write in requests)
• Join or start a local music sharing club (can be offline or online)
• Volunteer at a community radio station where you can host your own show if so inclined

I'll end the list there, but am sure there are many other ways to engage with music which don't lead to hegemonic corporate monopolization, user domestication, manipulation, exploitation, centralization, and dependency. The question is: are we willing to put in the effort/nutrients needed to foster better spaces and practices? Or is it too inconvenient?

[xplosionmind]

Hi @um-hi! Thanks a lot for the comment!

I am in the middle of my exams session, but in one month I will get back and carefully read what you wrote. Thanks a lot for the time you devoted to writing this comment.

Please, do not hesitate to get in touch for any further questions or suggestions you might have!

Thanks again.

Best,
T

[um-hi]

Totally understandable - take your time :^) Best of luck with your exams!

[xplosionmind]

Ok, I finally managed to carefully read what you wrote, @um-hi. Thank you very much for such a comprehensive reasoning about the topic. I would be very happy to get in touch. My email is publicly available both on my website and on my GitHub profile; if you’d like, please write me and we can continue sharing our thoughts.

Thanks a lot, have a nice weekend!