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Audiobooks on Spotify

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231–240 of 269 posts

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#231

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Software interfaces in general have regressed severely since the mid-2000s. Media players are a perfect example. There was 10x more functionality in Winamp or Windows Media Player than we get in Spotify or Apple Music today. What is going on? Why are things getting dumber? Are we just optimizing too hard for the lowest common denominator and the average user wants things to be dead simple? I don't want to believe sof…

>There was 10x more functionality in Winamp or Windows Media Player than we get in Spotify or Apple Music today. Except for the extremely useful functionality of putting a large percentage of the world's music at your fingertips ready for instant listening. Spotify also makes curated playlists ("This Is _[Artist Name]__" playlists), artist pages that show their most popular tracks and discographies, offers profession…

99% of what you described is the same basic playlist system.

It's a virtual list of songs that can be shared/edited by multiple accounts and where the songs themselves are just pointers to the copy-protected bitstreams on the Spotify network.

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#232
post #165

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> for them to take away lyrics _again_ Disclaimer: I work at Spotify, but I can't speak directly for the teams handling this. So. Lyrics, and any text that accompanies audio in general (for example, if you try to show audiobook text while it's playing, or audio transcript of a podcast, or...) is a legal minefield. So, if some text that accompanies audio disappears... it's likely for legal/licensing reasons, not becau…

Oh I bet it gets tricky on the legal front. I was more referring to the entire feature being removed like 5 or 6 years ago I think, but I imagine there was an issue with the partnership with Genius or whoever the original lyric supplier was.

I can neither confirm nor deny that :)

There was a partnership with Musixmatch for lyrics, but it ended for reasons I don't know (and if I knew I couldn't tell you) https://community.spotify.com/t5/Desktop-Windows/Lyrics-feat...

Getting the lyrics back was another journey that I also don't know the details of (and also couldn't tell you :) )

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#233

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Are you also willing to pay the extra Apple tax for this convenience instead of expecting the subscription provider to eat those costs?

Depends on the product and the tax. Looks like I'm paying more via IAP for Youtube ($16 vs $12/mo) and Audible ($16 vs $8/mo ???) according to the prices listed on their website. Half of the services out there probably charge you extra just because you don't have to go through their scummy "cancel subscription" website pipeline. They probably lose millions on that along with the fact that I get an iOS notification wh…

> Half of the services out there probably charge you extra just because you don't have to go through their scummy "cancel subscription" website pipeline

Or because Apple charges 30% for IAP which is huge when your base price already is 10-15 dollars.

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#234
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…

I wouldn't bother me at all if they didn't neglect the existing features. It used to be the most responsive music app to the point where they made a documentary about themselves now it it's everything but that - crashes, buffers, freezes, every sort of bug is present where it wasn't before.

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#235

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Then choose a different phone. Apple clout let’s it literally force companies to allow easy subscription cancellation because apple handles it. I never have to worry. Then they can force apps not to cross track (sorry Facebook)

I use pixel. I can probably guess you screaming why I am using Google shit.no privacy and all. But I use so many privacy tools likd DNS level blockers, next DNS etc.I dont see single ad, tracking happening.

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#236

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We should have regulation on dark patterns. Not paying 30% more abs giving more power to monopoly. Why is it so hard.you can literally sue companies for dark patterns and hey more money.i did that once with ATT and got more than they said I owe them for dark subscribing to tv when i only wanted internet. I didn't had to spend a single penny nor visit any court.all out of court settlement. You make them accountable fo…

We have regulations. If you think the cops enforce spam calls and texts, think again. Or the millions of scam calls and other blatant internet fraud. I don’t get iMessage spam. Period. That alone is valuable. Politicians who make these regulations continue to spam me and there is no way to block them with a do not call list. Apple is so valuable in part because they do enforce some rules.

Looks what EU did go apple change their USB c policy. At least they have guts unlike politicians here. Do you not get spam calls on iPhone. Pixel phones are much better at call screening and blocking spam calls and texts. you are in walled garden my friend. Most of my iOS friends get so many spam calls everyday.even if i get ,they are detected as spam and I can screen them in case I suspect it's not spam. I don't hey iMessage.are they end to end encrypted? They are not. And fb commenting on it. Wait for apple getting into ad business. It's just matter of time their ad revenue skyrocketing

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#237

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Quoted post unavailable.

Then choose a different phone. Apple clout let’s it literally force companies to allow easy subscription cancellation because apple handles it. I never have to worry. Then they can force apps not to cross track (sorry Facebook)

You should watch this.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1-iZxNFMmQo&feature=share&ut...

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#238
post #221

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Quoted post unavailable.

> Your reply looks like "tell me you work for apple without telling you work for apple" or "tell me you are apple fanboy without telling you are one". Why are you making this so personal?

I am sorry.I don't mean to. The comment felt so biased. I am biased too. but just opposite.thats why it came out that way.

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#239

I have a slightly larger issue with the lock-in mechanisms of such "purchases". Whether I pay through Apple IAP or directly to Spotify, I can access the audiobook only on Spotify. No where else. I can't import that audiobook to another player. I can't lend it to a friend. I can't trim the parts I like and share them or listen to them independently. Moreover, when contracts between such platforms/marketplaces and publ…

The only 'purchase' model that works for me is where I have control of a physical or electronic copy. I got bitten by 'purchasing' music on Google Play Music - yes, there was / is the 'take-out' option, but that was such a clunky process and I'm pretty sure there were albums I paid for but didn't appear in the download (I didn't keep track of all my purchases, they were there on Google, they'll be forever, right?).

My self-imposed restrictions:

1. Subscription: no lock-in monthly payment

2. Purchase: get physical / electronic copy that's outside the reach of remote deletion or any kind of alteration

(I did say, when GPM shut down, that I'd never go back to subscription music and committed to spending the $10 / month on music from Bandcamp instead. I've since subscribed to Spotify - the catalogue at your fingertips is too good to do without - but also maintain my $10 / month Bandcamp spend on my flavour of the month - and I keep track of it!)

Re: Audiobooks on Spotify

#240
post #98

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Fine if you prefer that, but this is no reason for Apple to enforce it as the only allowed option.

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

> why would a company give apple's option to consumers?

Because it cares about its customers, who are paying for the service.

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