As apparently, this move is made to target audiobook listeners and podcast listeners, can I recommend https://audiobookshelf.org
Spotify has plans to raise prices and still no plan to pay normally the artists the platform lives on.
btw I’ve set up my own audiobookshelf server a few months ago for my audiobooks and podcasts. Being able to start something on my phone and keep tracking of my listening then switch on my computer to continue is pure gold. It’s what I was looking for for ages.
I tried setting up Audiobookshelf in Podman on my ancient Mac mini recently (now running Fedora x KDE), and turns out I don’t know the first thing about running “dockered” servers/apps and absolutely couldn’t get it to work 😅
They recently just changed to stiff the artists even further.
⢰⣶⣶⣤⣄⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⢻⣿⣿⡏⠉⠓⠦⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣀⣀ ⠀⠀⢹⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠈⠙⠲⣄⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣠⡴⠖⢾⣿⣿⣿⡟ ⠀⠀⠀⠹⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⠦⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⣤⠶⠚⠋⠁⠀⠀⣸⣿⣿⡟⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠹⣇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠓⢦⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣀⡴⠖⠋⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣿⠏⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⣦⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⢦⡀⠀⠀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⠀⣀⡤⠖⠋⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣸⡿⠃⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢳⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⠉⠉⠉⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠉⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣰⡟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⢦⡀⠀⠀⢀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡴⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠻⣦⣠⡿⠃⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠠⡄⠀⠀⢀⡴⠟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⠟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⣦⠾⠋⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⠏⠀⠀⠀⠀⣠⣴⣶⣄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢠⡴⣶⣦⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠹⣆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣯⣀⣼⣿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⣄⣬⣿⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣼⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠻⣿⡿⠏⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⠿⠿⠟⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⣇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡇⠀⢀⣀⣀⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢰⣷⣶⠤⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⢿⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⢁⡾⠋⠉⠉⠙⢷⡄⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣴⠞⠋⠉⠛⢶⡄⠀⠀⠘⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣿⠸⣇⠀⠀⠀⠀⣸⠇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⣠⠤⠴⠶⠶⣤⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣇⠀⠀⠀⠀⢀⡇⠀⠀⠀⢿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢿⠀⠉⠳⠶⠶⠞⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢾⡅⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠙⠷⢦⡤⠴⠛⠁⠀⠀⠀⢸⡀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⣧⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠻⣤⡀⠀⠀⣠⠟⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⡇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⣷⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠈⠙⠛⠋⠁⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⣇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠘⣇⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢹⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⡿⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⢸⣇⣀⣀⣀⣠⣠⣠⣠⣠⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣄⣄⣄⣄⣄⣠⣀⣀⣀⣀⣠⣠⣠⣠⣠⣠⣀⣀⣀⣀⣀⣼⡆⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠉⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
Viewed in portrait mode, that looks like a man giving a toast holding a Champaign flute. Also ironically appropriate.
I’d take a lower-priced plan with limited listening time. They’re getting too expensive for the few hours a month I use it. If they bump it up more I will quit for sure.
The only reason I still use them is the qt-spotify third party client. None of the other services work on my OS (they all need DRM on the browser or other nastiness I don’t have).
Can someone recommend kid/family friendly alternative? Is Tidal easy to use/navigate?
They’re all pretty straight forward and Tidal has a better record of crediting and paying artists than Spotify. But ultimately, I would suggest self hosting.
The revenue from streaming services always pales in comparison to buying the music directly from an artist. The streaming model has been hijacked by record labels who take the majority share, such are the deals they force artists to sign.
If the raise prices too much I’m going to finalise my plan to move to YouTube Music family plan. Additional bonus will be no more adds on YouTube.
Don’t fall for this self hosting stuff. It’s well meant and great for single tech enthusiasts, but with family, you won’t have enough time to do the required upkeep and the whinning you will here from dependents when stuff goes wrong isn’t worth it.
You can try NewPipe, which is free. IIRC I downloaded it from F-Droid. Maybe someone else can reply and confirm that’s the best place to get it.
Works fine on Android as well (which is weird considering how bad Apple software can be on non-Apple devices). Just need to create an Apple ID and you’re set.
Testing out the trial right now and it’s pretty great so far.
UI is way better than Spotify as well (IMO), plus lossless for the same price as current Spotify Premium. (And it also has a max cache size limit option, so even playing a shit ton of lossless isn’t going to eat up more space than what you select.)
Getting my fucking Spotify library and playlists I’ve built over the years on here is going to be a long nightmare, though.
https://www.tunemymusic.com is a great service for migrating libraries.
The Music client for Mac is still an excellent music manager and player and beats Spotify by a mile despite how visibly much they’ve let it bitrot* since it was iTunes. It’s a shame neither the mobile app nor the web client has anywhere near the capabilities.
* for example, what the fuck is that stupid unresizable header that takes up half the window with mostly empty space and doesn’t scroll off the screen anymore if you set a playlist view to “as Songs”
Stream your own music at whatever quality you have it in!
I can’t recommend Navidrome to people who aren’t necessarily big on self-hosting, it’s simply far too big of a project. Gonic is very narrow in scope and it’s a drop-in binary; just works.
Y’all keeping paying, they keep raising prices… there is a solution but nobody can figure out what tit is!
