Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Audiobooks on Spotify

timetoplayfair.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

171–180 of 269 posts

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#171

Post by ROTMetro »

joshstrange wrote: post #20
JadoJodo wrote: post #2

Does anyone else take issue with Spotify branching out into other arenas (e.g., Podcasts, TV, Audiobooks, etc.)? I'm honestly kinda tired of all of these services trying to gobble up any slightly related industry. I subscribe to Spotify to listen to music, not podcasts. My podcasts arrive using a different app with the backing of the RSS standard, not Spotify's internal standard. I don't want to get a subscription co…

> Does anyone else take issue with Spotify branching out into other arenas (e.g., Podcasts, TV, Audiobooks, etc.)? > I subscribe to Spotify to listen to music, not podcasts. My podcasts arrive using a different app with the backing of the RSS standard, not Spotify's internal standard 100%. I will never touch Spotify Podcasts for that reason and that a number of the podcasts I listen to have specifically talked about…

Thank you for this comment. I was listening to Podcasts on Spotify think it would help get those podcasts attention. I'll switch away from doing that now.

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#172

Post by endofreach »

A friend of mine has the issue that spotify still charges him, even though he has no account anymore (and no access to the email address used for the non-existing account). There is no more information in the charge other than it is charged by spotify. They do not offer phone support and respond with useless questions. The only way he seems he has left is to let a lawyer handle it…

Next time he should just let it be handled by apple, with a click, for free.

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#173

Post by jagaerglad »

endofreach wrote: post #172

A friend of mine has the issue that spotify still charges him, even though he has no account anymore (and no access to the email address used for the non-existing account). There is no more information in the charge other than it is charged by spotify. They do not offer phone support and respond with useless questions. The only way he seems he has left is to let a lawyer handle it… Next time he should just let it be…

Cheaper and quicker than a lawyer would be to cancel his bank card and order a new one

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#174

Post by fleddr »

threeseed wrote: post #138
fleddr wrote: post #105

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Your argument is "they are the rules". I think the point is that the rules are anti-competitive, user-hostile, extractive.

You can make anything anti-competitive. Spotify doesn't offer an API to allow me to replace their payment system with mine where I would direct 100% of profits to artists. Because that is their revenue source.

That makes absolutely no sense.

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#175

Post by r2222 »

waboremo wrote: post #164
r2222 wrote: post #154

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Apple would definitely let them to get into audiobooks, Spotify just doesn’t want to give them the cut. As a platform owner Spotify takes a cut from the artists, aren’t they playing the same game as Apple? If they somehow get regulators to allow 3rd party payments on App Store, that would be a terrible thing for the users. I don’t want to start giving out my credit card number to every random company I want to purcha…

Then don't. You wouldn't be forced to give over your credit card number to every random company. You're creating a situation that doesn't make any sense - somehow you trust them enough to provide you the service you want, but not enough to handle your credit card? Just as you're able to see through the fact that it's not just about UX - let's stop pretending the issue of 3rd party payments is about consumer 'safety'.

The situation already exists on Mac for example and it’s very inconvenient imo to have to buy everything from a different website, trying to keep up who charges what and when, keeping track of the license codes etc. I’m not a fan.

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#176

Post by kenjackson »

pwinnski wrote: post #114
kenjackson wrote: post #87

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Isn't it the case with almost every subscription service that there are aspects of it that you don't make use of? I feel like every subscription I have, from cellular to cable to Netflix, there's stuff I don't use that is part of the subscription. E.g., I don't watch horror movies, but apparently Netflix is still making them. Maybe I should take issue with it, but it just feels so mundane to me.

You're talking about genres, which is a different scenario. This is more like Netflix raising prices for streaming subscribers to fund a new video-game studio. The fact that some people might enjoy both doesn't make them anything like the same thing.

I think it's just levels of granularity. Podcasts and music are both audio entertainment. It's like Netflix adding TV shows to their lineup of movies.

But the broader point is simply that in subscriptions to services you usually pay for some aspect of the service that you don't use and never have any intent to use -- and you can partition off that aspect of the service in a simple way (at least simple to you).

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#177

Post by threeseed »

dmix wrote: post #153
threeseed wrote: post #131

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe Spotify should take the lead. Allow third party payment services and music stores in their app. With 0% cut of course.

Spotify is saying the cut should be 0% for Apple?

The discussion hasn't been framed around what the percentage should be.

It's been that Spotify disagrees with the entire model.

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#178

Post by threeseed »

fleddr wrote: post #141
nerdjon wrote: post #100

Earlier quoted context omitted.

If apple opens the floodgates allowing these purchases outside of this option, why would a company give apple's option to consumers? Apple enforcing it is the only reason as a consumer I don't have to deal with park patterns for many of the apps I use. Which is a good thing for consumers

Simple solution: enforce IAP as an option whilst allowing alternatives. The other option would be to not tax 30% on value Apple did not produce.

Apple does produce value though.

They built the platform that allowed Spotify to even exist.

And then they built the distribution channel that directed customers to Spotify.

No different to Spotify itself.

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#179

Post by wavler »

firloop wrote: post #8

As a consumer, I’ve actually come to prefer in app purchases. I love when a subscription is available on IAP because for something like a newspaper, I know that I can cancel it with a couple of taps instead of having to fill out some long retention form or call someone.

I too mostly prefer subscribing to services via IAP, but I’d also like the option to do one-time purchases without the 30% markup.

While you could argue enabling the purchase justifies this markup, forbidding the mention of alternative methods seems like an artificial constraint.

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#180

Post by tremarley »

I use Spotify to listen to Music, Podcasts and Audiobooks already.

I've longed for a audiobook library on there for ages.

Hopefully this works out, and apple doesn't screw them over too bad.

Post reply on HN