Vote: Algorithmically imprisoned?! Have auto-generated playlists changed the way you listen to music?

[JeffS7444]

Spotify didn't hold my interest for very long: For USA/UK-centric pop music, it does pretty good, but I ventured outside of that, I quickly found gaping holes, or in some cases, region-restricted content - phooey! And when their library did contain a song of interest, algorithmically-selected followups seemed somehow watered-down, and I soon wondered "Why am I wasting my time?".

 

[Multicore]

My normal 'discovery' workflow is thus: Monday evening listen to this week's 'Discover Weekly' playlist. There will invariably be at least half a dozen tracks I find interesting enough to add to my library. I always add the whole album from which the recommended track comes from to my library. In the ensuing days/weeks I will endeavour to listen to the whole albums I have added. Obviously not eveything is something I want to hear again but often I will discover an artist/genre I was unaware of that I will then add other albums to my library from. I will occasionally listen to the 'Made for you' playlists which are algorithmically curated from the albims/tracks in my library. This serves as a nice reminder to listen to some of the albums I have added in the past and since forgotten. I almost always listen to whole albums unless the tracks are from singles/eps that are not on albums. I also always have 'Automix' enabled.

If you're putting that much work into organizing and managing your exploration and discovery then there are lots of ways software could spread some stuff in front of you to sample and choose from and that should be helpful. There's so much to choose from that we need help if the job is to explore as much as possible. But that's not what I was complaining about.

 

[Bugal1998]

I use a mix of current/trending music lists, forum recommendations, algorithmic recommendations, audio review music, and random exploration to find new music and genres.

The algorithms only imprison me if I don't supplement my musical exploration with other inputs... But when I do, the algorithms enhance the search.

Side note: As the quality of playback system increased, so has the range of music I enjoy. What a virtuous cycle, with algorithms playing a helpful role!

 

[Joe Smith]

I use them a bit, but mostly have other ways of finding new music. I mostly listen to playlists when I'm feeling lazy or I have burned through my "want to listen to" thoughts for the day.

 

[MoreWatts]

I've never been a 'songs guy', I've always been an 'albums guy.' I am also an avowed 'new music junkie.' I use various websites to find new jazz and blues & roots albums, and then make massive playlists with entire albums on Spotify. Spotify occasionally suggests new albums, and I often give a listen.

I rarely listen to the Spotify song playlists offered. I bookmarked some Euro-country specific jazz playlists I plan to listen to some day, to discover new artists, but I haven't gotten around to them yet. I keep finding plenty of albums to check-out from my own searches.

BTW, I post ~3 new albums weekly (W, Th, Sa), along with a 1973 retrospective album (F) and a 1998 retrospective album (Tu) in the Jazz Music thread. Here's today's example for the 1998 retrospective. I also post a newish blues album in the Blues Music thread on Mondays, here's an example. I've also done posts for 2023 Grammy Award nominees in both threads. I just finished an overview of Latin Grammy Award for Best Jazz Album, and Grammy Award for Best Traditional and Contemporary Blues albums.

I gotta admit, response to my posts is fairly low (it's tough to get a 'Like'). But I'm a realist. Both genres I post about are each <1% of streamed music. I made a post where I estimated how many eyeballs looked at the Jazz Music thread.

I guess what I'm sayin' is, Jazz and Blues fans can get some info on new releases here at ASR! Take a look sometime. Maybe click a 'Like' just cuz it's a nice post, and not just a YouTube imbed.

 

[GD Fan]

I've probably never once given any playlists a try on Tidal. Mostly because of how bad / off / inappropriate their recommended single tracks are. In fact, they frequently push songs by bands I utterly despise listening to! And more than once a suspicion of ulterior motive was raised.

Perhaps I'm missing out. But it seems like a good way to avoid aggravation. Too many other good sources out there to bother.

 

[thecheapseats]

Algorithmically imprisoned... well, ok - that works as a type of definition, I suppose...

I'd call streaming service's "suggestions" something else - but this discussion board censors/doesn't allow the language I'd use.

if you're unaware of the placement-graft that occurs in the background for compiling these 'lists' - you're not paying attention...

 

[Philbo King]

Well, more fool you. I have discovered hundreds if not thousands of artists of every imaginable genre, time period, or style through Spotify's recommendations. An algorithm is only as good as the data it has to work with. Obviously, without any data it will start with the most innocuous, generic and populistic tracks in its database - hence Mariah Carey ...

Somehow I'll struggle on with my life without Spotify in it... thanks for your concern though.

Disclaimer: I am a Spotify artist; I have one album on it, placed there before I understood the nature of the company. Live & learn...

 

[DanielT]

Problem is that now you are biasing the answers...

You have a point there. But okay, this is not intended as a scientific study. The vote was just a little thing. The most interesting thing is how people describe their listening now in this age of algorithms.

There are many ways to get inspiration. Getting tips from others is often really fun:

What are we listening to right now..

That's probably my favourite TD album. My older brother was at the concert and was very proud of the t-shirt he bought back! Youtube throws some interesting things even on my narrow timeline. A live version of Phaedra played by the tribute band that is now 'Tangerine Dream.' Edgar himself...

audiosciencereview.com

_______

I listen to my own collection - drag a title from the rack...

Or let the local DeeJays at WMNF in Tampa pick what I'll hear, that I've often never heard before, or known things being played by a different ensemble than the more widely known original...

They have no lack of titles from which to choose...

Via HDRadio at home, or FM in the car.

Radio has been and still is one of my biggest sources of music listening. An excellent way to listen to music, and now there are also a lot of interesting podcasts that I listen to.

 

[Matias]

I like to listen to new albums but I prefer to search for them myself. I usually find new artists by collaborations, or new bands that formed with former members of a band I knew, or a friend gives me a tip, etc. Very rarely I listen to something an algorithm suggested to me, and never ever to common FM radio.

 

[DanielT]

Never got into internet radio much either (but problem is mainly the stations themselves).

But there are INCREDIBLY many internet radio channels. You can probably find several that suit you:

Maybe not OT for the thread because if I search: Intrenet radio stations, it is likely that the suggestions I get are based on my previous search history, so the suggestions are picked algorithmically.

Internet Radio: Music from Thousands of Stations

Listen to music from thousands of internet radio stations streaming live right now. Search or browse all your favourite music genres.

www.internet-radio.com

CD Quality Internet Radio

How to listen to CD Quality Internet Radio in lossless FLAC with browsers and apps plus a list of CD Quality Internet Radio stations.

www.hiresaudio.online

 

[dasdoing]

jein

btw: other ways to discover in SPotify

- you like a song, right click > listen to the radio (or something like that)
- if you have a playlist of your own you can use the "enhance" button to add similar content

 

[Deleted member 54137]

I listen to a lot of radio, mostly BBC radio 6 and radio 3. Some internet radio too, especially if I want background music without chat. I hear new stuff that I like pretty much every day. There's so much good music out there and there's more being produced all the time. So much fantastic music, so little time to listen....

 

[RayDunzl]

- if you have a playlist of your own you can use the "enhance" button to add similar content

People say "... Gimme the tune. Do I like this tune? Does it sound like another tune that I like? The more familiar it is, the better I like it. Hear those three notes there? Those are the three notes I can sing along with. I like those notes very, very much. Give me a beat. Not a fancy one. Give me a GOOD BEAT -- something I can dance to. It has to go boom-bap, boom-boom-BAP. If it doesn't, I will hate it very, very much. Also, I want it right away -- and then, write me some more songs like that -- over and over and over again, because I'm really into music." - F.Z. , around 1988

 

[DoctorRobert]

I voted 'No' because a lot (most) of my casual music listening is to the Radio Paradise main stream, which is DJ curated. If I listen to the Deezer Flow (what the Deezer computer thinks I will like), I find proof that AI has still a long way to go. I occasional dig out something I like from their album recommendations, though. Radio Paradise advertises itself as being eclectic, and that is what I very much like about them.

 

[Berwhale]

I voted no, because I use BBC Radio 6 Music is my curated playlist.

 

[IAtaman]

I do like Discover Weekly and Release Radar from Spotify. Sometimes there are songs I like in there, sometimes there is none. Overall I did discover interesting music using those auto generated playlists.

My only complaint is not being able to exclude certain songs / playlists from the algorithm. When I am at the gym I listen to a lot of high bpm electronic music, but I don't want to listen to that shit when I am at home, so wish it was possible to say "Hey Spotty, I am gonna lift some weight now, so ignore next hour or so please"

 

[Chrispy]

But there are INCREDIBLY many internet radio channels. You can probably find several that suit you:

Maybe not OT for the thread because if I search: Intrenet radio stations, it is likely that the suggestions I get are based on my previous search history, so the suggestions are picked algorithmically.

View attachment 322940

Internet Radio: Music from Thousands of Stations

Listen to music from thousands of internet radio stations streaming live right now. Search or browse all your favourite music genres.

www.internet-radio.com

CD Quality Internet Radio

How to listen to CD Quality Internet Radio in lossless FLAC with browsers and apps plus a list of CD Quality Internet Radio stations.

www.hiresaudio.online

There's definitely a lot of choice, just didn't find much when I looked that was in my wheelhouse.....almost too much choice and the personalities/djs I just doubt are out there any longer....

 

[mhardy6647]

...

Radio has been and still is one of my biggest sources of music listening. An excellent way to listen to music, and now there are also a lot of interesting podcasts that I listen to.

It does work (monaural only, although I think it has a detector output for outboard MPX; I'll have to check) and it is even more adorable in the flesh than it is in a photograph.

 

[Pareto Pragmatic]

Not really. Mostly because most of what I hear when I do is poorly recorded, and not worth a sit down session.

When I first had access to them, I listened frequently. That tailed off in a few months. I found I would rather play a lot of one rather than one of a lot almost every time.