Streaming services - changing/ deleting content.

[Jimbob54]

I have noticed this on Qobuz but I would be interested if it applies to other services, I suspect it does.

I use Roon and shuffle and , if I am watching the PC screen, quite often notice a "content not available on Qobuz" notice pop up briefly as it skips over some content in the shuffle. If I see it, I can skip back and usually see what track/ artist it was .

When I then go onto Qobuz and look in my favourites, either that album/ track might still be showing, but clicking through brings up an error, or the album / track isnt showing at all. In most cases I can usually find a newer/ different version of the same and add that instead. The latest example, by the way, Was Big Star "The Complete Third".

So obviously, streaming services continually update their libraries. This one would expect. There will always be dud versions, change in licensing deals etc etc .

My question is, has anyone found a service that has handled this well from a consumer perspective? I have never seen any form of warning/ notice from any service I have used that an album has been replaced or deleted and yet, as custodian of "my" library, I would rather they tried to implement such a system. A monthly email saying what has been altered wouldnt go amiss!

 

[somebodyelse]

I can imagine how huge that monthly email might be! I guess if you really want to keep access to a particular version you need to pay for the download rather than using the streaming service. At least your favourite doesn't just disappear so you've got a reminder of what it is to search for, but it would be better if they could auto-match broken ones to the new version.

 

[McFly]

Spotify does this often. While most likely an issue with the label companies and way above our heads, unfortunately if remastered album of the same track list is added to the library often the original gets the boot.

 

[Beershaun]

I'm trying to think what a good customer experience would actually be. Maybe a notification icon where, if you are interested, you can see what's leaving the service at the end of each month and what items in your favorites or collections would be impacted. Or just a simple note somewhere in your library saying "xx items in your catalog are leaving at the end of the month. Click to find out what."
Either way I think the key would be to give proactive notification prior to the content leaving, and then making it unobtrusive, like a notification icon, so you can choose to read it or ignore it. Maybe even schedule it so it happens at the same time every month so people know when to expect it.

 

[ernestcarl]

That’s one of my pet peeves with these streaming platforms.

*Youtube as well! Arghh... so many deleted videos from who knows which channel. Absolutely no leftover indication was thought necessary on their end.

With Netflix, for example, over the years I have added more movies in my “list” that have slowly disappeared over time than have actually seen/finished. Can be massive waste of time trying to look for something that’s not there anymore — esp. the titles you can’t remember exactly.

Having a copy/list of your personal favourites even if it’s an older (possibly inferior) version like a DVD or digital download backup may still turn out to be necessary — as they say, don’t put all your eggs in one basket!

 

[ernestcarl]

I'm trying to think what a good customer experience would actually be. Maybe a notification icon where, if you are interested, you can see what's leaving the service at the end of each month and what items in your favorites or collections would be impacted. Or just a simple note somewhere in your library saying "xx items in your catalog are leaving at the end of the month. Click to find out what."
Either way I think the key would be to give proactive notification prior to the content leaving, and then making it unobtrusive, like a notification icon, so you can choose to read it or ignore it. Maybe even schedule it so it happens at the same time every month so people know when to expect it.

I suspect many of them would rather prefer we remain largely oblivious of any hiccups in their service. Youtube, for instance, seems to have trained me to almost not care anymore about these things. Let their smart algorithms guide you... to the next video — let them steer your will; and all subsequent thoughts and cravings thereafter.

 

[Helicopter]

Amazon does this too, but they keep expanding their library too and offset it. Years ago they drew a line in the sand and grandfathered everything in my library. Most of that stuff is still there but some of the files don't work properly now. They are obscure local bands I saw 20-25 years ago.

 

[levimax]

I have a feeling streaming is going to end up like cable TV. When cable TV first came out there were no commercials which was one of it's main selling points... look how that worked out. I see streaming slowly getting worse over time (currently it seems too good to be true) ... less content, only latest "remastered" versions of songs, "proprietary premium formats" like MQA, and other creative ways to give you less choice for more money. I really think in the not too distant future people will be talking about being able to buy all the CD's they want for $2.00 each like they do about $2.00 LP's that used to be available. I think building your own library of favorite CD's at dirt cheap prices (ripped to media streamer ) and using streaming to sample new music is the best long term strategy.

 

[SimpleTheater]

I’ve seen lots of music that I have in playlists disappear, but what baffles me is why Amazon seems to have figured it out on video but not audio. If I want to watch a movie and it’s not on Free Prime, I can buy it and never have to worry about it getting removed. Why can’t I buy songs on Spotify and keep them in my playlists? This would not only benefit me, but the artist and Spotify, because if I stop my subscription it won’t be transferable anywhere else.

 

[Jimbob54]

To be clear, its not the disappearing from the service I mind too much, its the not knowing its gone. So a mass cleanse of their files, even if they replaced with different versions, would decimate my library and I have no way of knowing what to add back in.

So an auto replace function would be ideal. If they remove Van Morrison Astral Weeks and replace with a "deluxe" version, assume I want the new one in my favourites instead, rather than just removing the old and I never see it again until I actively want to listen to it. If its a removal without replacing , I think they should somehow notify us .

But thats not the way I consume, its always a random shuffle of my library.

 

[Mnyb]

I think Spotify should give the option/setting to "replace with current versions" I would not be surprised if it often is exactly the same version but re-added for some right managements issue , I also then think playcounts and statistics should be kept as it where the same file .
or actually tell you whats removed and where the likely replacement is .

But it is a rental service and can not imo replace a private file and CD collection

 

[Jimbob54]

I think Spotify should give the option/setting to "replace with current versions" I would not be surprised if it often is exactly the same version but re-added for some right managements issue , I also then think playcounts and statistics should be kept as it where the same file .
or actually tell you whats removed and where the likely replacement is .

But it is a rental service and can not imo replace a private file and CD collection

Agree totally- auto replace where possible. I fully accept they arent guaranteeing me access to any given recording, thats the risk I take- but to know what has been removed/ replaced would be nice. even if its an unwieldy tab somewhere just listing all my favourites that have been altered . I will take a view on whether the sum of all the "losses" impacts on my decision to renew my sub, go elsewhere or actually purchase some of the files.

In the vast majority of cases I have seen, new versions have been added but the spotting and replacing by me is both chance and manual .

 

[Mnyb]

it is sometimes bizzare who knows what the deals are i've seen albums mostly disappear from Spotify the only track left may be on some other album like a "best of" then some months later the album is back again .

And for some reason your locally stored files also disappear with some regularity and you have to download again this may be bugs but its not fixed and for IOS and android the only fixes offered for some issues is "reinstall app" and then the local content is gone (again )

 

[Vini darko]

@Jimbob54 you said "my library" it's their library , we dont own anything in this situation.
It's fustrating for sure but the abolition of private property seems to get more prevalent every year.

 

[SimpleTheater]

To be clear, its not the disappearing from the service I mind too much, its the not knowing its gone. So a mass cleanse of their files, even if they replaced with different versions, would decimate my library and I have no way of knowing what to add back in.

I still have a Napster account and they do this pretty well. Notice in the image below, two of the files are grayed out and thus not part of Napster anymore, so they can't be played. The annoying part is that I can't get them back. Sometimes they are gone, sometimes replaced with a remaster, but there is no way of knowing.

Why not right-click and buy for 99¢? Why is purchasing on these services not possible?

And please don't like this post just because of my great taste in music.

 

[Mnyb]

Purchasing a track ? on spotify ? that would imply a totally different business model . If i buy it I also want a non encryted file staying on my hard drive/phone/tablet long after Spotify is dead and buried .

Bandcamp has that but from the other direction , You basically buy albums and tracks at their site , but they also have a player for your phone where you also can listen to all the stuff you downloaded. But its mainly an purchase and download site

 

[FrantzM]

I have a feeling streaming is going to end up like cable TV. When cable TV first came out there were no commercials which was one of it's main selling points... look how that worked out. I see streaming slowly getting worse over time (currently it seems too good to be true) ... less content, only latest "remastered" versions of songs, "proprietary premium formats" like MQA, and other creative ways to give you less choice for more money. I really think in the not too distant future people will be talking about being able to buy all the CD's they want for $2.00 each like they do about $2.00 LP's that used to be available. I think building your own library of favorite CD's at dirt cheap prices (ripped to media streamer ) and using streaming to sample new music is the best long term strategy.

Hi

Commenting on the above and replying to this most interesting thread. I was an enthusiastic proponent of streaming. It was in my view the best way to listen to music: Virtually infinite library, very smart tools of content managements and of content discovery (Spotify is the best, Roon is IME a very distnt second) high reliability (I have had,10 years ago a NAS failure that corrupted most of my library of then, 1000 albums, I had to re-rip them), convenience, etc . but one should remain ware of the fact that in many streaming services, the content is loaned to you but remain the property of the Streaming Service, the fine lines in the EULA which I haven't read for all the services, may largely give them all rights on the content including , modifying or outright deleting it. This article will give you an idea, A purchase of content from Amazon is actually a permanent rental ... You pay to use it as long as you pay and, most importantly, that they are able to provide it to you.. It is not a rental in the sense that you have a set time to watch it, you can watch or listen to it whenever but if and only if they have it.. From Amazon

“Purchased Digital Content will generally continue to be available to you for download or streaming from the Service, as applicable, but may become unavailable due to potential content provider licensing restrictions or for other reasons, and Amazon will not be liable to you if Purchased Digital Content becomes unavailable for further download or streaming,”

The underlining is mine ....
Since espousing streaming, I have stopped buying CD, I continue however to buy Bluray and have begun to purchase 4 K. Used CDs and Blurays are a bargain prices, 4 K remain expensive. Going forward, believe I will resume purchasing CDs then rip them. I will continue the use streaming services: Spotify, Roon, Tidal, Netflix and Amazon Prime. I'll use Roon to meld the music libraries. It does an excellent job at it. I don't rip the video content, I use a smartdisc player and Apple TV 4K for videos. Would like to see a less expensive alternative on the Video side than Kaledeiscape.. this one I could consider if it weren't on the "brutally expensive" side of the ledger .

Peace

 

[somebodyelse]

Are the downloads from Amazon in some nonstandard format, or DRM locked? If not the purchase is permanent - they just might not be able to let you download another copy if you lost the first one. That's how most DRM-free digital purchases work. You just need to make sure you've got a decent backup process in place.

 

[Alexanderc]

I’ll find Amazon albums grayed (greyed) out in my library occasionally, with no notice. Sometimes there’s a replacement, sometimes not. I’ve yet to find it frustrating, but I can imagine it becoming so if it happened more often.

 

[LearningToSmile]

if remastered album of the same track list is added to the library often the original gets the boot.

Wait, really? That's unfortunate, I've been annoyed with Tidal for the opposite reason, having too many remasters available and having to search for a "good" version(particularly when listening to an album for the first time), but I'll always take having too much choice over none whatsoever.