The thing that flipped it for me was realizing the Spotify algorithm isn’t actually about discovering new music, it’s about driving profit. Idealism aside, what that tactically means for music discovery is the recommendations are based primarily around what they want to play, and then secondarily around what you might like.

It means that you’re only discovering a subset of music you might like that is profitable to Spotify and their big record label partners.

After realizing that, the Spotify algorithm lost a lot of interest for me. Now I use SomaFM to discover new music. They do curated music channels in a bunch of different genres, and I find that the DJs have a similar taste to mine, so I hear a good amount of new music I’m into.

It’s not easy, fast, or free, but it is worth it. I currently still have a Spotify account, but I’m weaning myself off. I’ve been going the Bandcamp + jellyfin route. Buy an album a month (about the price of monthly streaming) and add it to my personal library. Next month, check what I’ve been listening to most on Spotify and buy that. It’s twice as expensive (for now) but I’m supporting artists more directly and have an exit strategy for Spotify. Curious about other’s approaches!

So there you have it; you don’t need to worry about security seeing all your bits and pieces - just whatever you’ve forgotten to take out of your pockets.

Clearly not written by someone who knows any trans people.