Spotify's goals

Spotify's Goals

About a year ago, I started to notice that when I hit "shuffle" on Spotify that I would often be delivered the same songs. Initially I dismissed the notion as a biased shuffle (something Apple pioneered via iTunes) but soon began researching the phenomenon.

I found a group of folks who had observed the same thing I did and confirmed my suspicions. Through some research and some reflection I realized that Spotify is not being transparent with their goal.

Spotify sets itself as a service that will deliver you EXACTLY what you want to hear, when you want to hear it. Playing all the music you assign it to play- like iTunes but with unlimited music. In reality - due either to an impossible task of finding the exact music you want in a library of unlimited music, or to a goal of 'keeping the listener happy' (likely a mix of both)- Spotify plays the songs it thinks you wont skip.

It plays the songs it thinks you wont skip by de-prioritizing the songs you do skip (and similar songs) and prioritizing the songs you listen to all the way through (and similar songs). I figured this out one night while on a road trip. I pressed play on my "Cale FM" playlist - an experimental playlist I made of over 1,000 songs. I listened to a song by Reel Big Fish and two songs later another RBF song. I was not in the mood so I skipped it. Skipped over some Jackson Browne, and some Beastie Boys to find an Alison Krauss song. After listening to the whole song, is delivered another Alison Krauss song two songs later. Then nearly every other song was an Allison Krauss song. And what about Beastie Boys, Jackson Browne, and Reel Big Fish- I didn't hear them again the entire night.

What was Spotify trying to do? It was trying to get me to NOT turn the service off. If it knows (or "can tell") that I am happy listening to Allison Krauss, its going to deliver me more Allison Krauss. If it knows I will skip Reel Big Fish, it will deliver less Reel Big Fish. It wants me to keep listening to the service and thus keep paying for the service.

I mean, that can't be all bad, it is giving me what I want- right?

Yes and no.
Yes, I am getting what makes me happy in the moment. Another Allison Krauss song that I can sing along to- great.
No, what I am really seeking is some novelty. I have 1,000 songs on the playlist. I have intentionally put albums on the playlist that I haven't heard in years. I want to hear those songs. I don't remember what they are, but I know that I want to hear them.

Or at least I think I do...