going from Google Play music to Spotify
Discussion
Hi All,
I've been using Google Play Music for many years to stream music on phone and laptops. But Google is about to kill it off, its becoming Youtube Music, I use GPM for the ability to upload your own stuff, not sure if YM will have this in future, in the mean time I've decided to check out Spotify.
Over the years quite a few bands I used to be into have launched new albums and I've not heard them so have been checking out a lot of stuff.
But I'm having issues with the Android app...
For example if I want to listed to an album or specific song by Metallica, on the web version I search for them, find the album and press play on either the whole album or song.
So on the Android app I do the same, but it will only let me play either shuffles or "previews" not the full song?
How can I listen to full albums in order or specific songs?
I've been using Google Play Music for many years to stream music on phone and laptops. But Google is about to kill it off, its becoming Youtube Music, I use GPM for the ability to upload your own stuff, not sure if YM will have this in future, in the mean time I've decided to check out Spotify.
Over the years quite a few bands I used to be into have launched new albums and I've not heard them so have been checking out a lot of stuff.
But I'm having issues with the Android app...
For example if I want to listed to an album or specific song by Metallica, on the web version I search for them, find the album and press play on either the whole album or song.
So on the Android app I do the same, but it will only let me play either shuffles or "previews" not the full song?
How can I listen to full albums in order or specific songs?
AJB88 said:
.... I use GPM for the ability to upload your own stuff, not sure if YM will have this in future, in the mean time I've decided to check out Spotify.
You will be able to listen to your own stuff on YT Music. In the next few weeks you'll get an email directing you to the tool which will transfer everything between the two. If you want to that is...YT Music is awful unless you pay.I moved over to Spotify a while back and never listen to my uploaded tracks on GPM any more.
AJB88 said:
Very soon. I'll see how Youtube Music works before making a final decision but quite a few of my artists aren't on Spotify.
Following what you said I decided to give Spotify a try as well (3 months free Premium) and have used soundiiz to migrate things over, which was good for playlists, but not much else, the 1500 albums in my library weren't migrated, so that's £4.50 down the drain. Seems Google Play Music is getting canned at the end of the year, I hope it gets a reprieve. RE: Spotify, I'm not impressed and I'm not understanding why so many people use it (given it's the market leader in music streaming services), how has this crap become the norm for people to use? The whole local files/import/sync setup is complete pony compared to what Google Music currently has. The only way to import music is to put all your files into "playlists". I want them as albums because most of them are, you know, albums, they're not playlists. It's like a really poor implementation of what Google were offering the best part of 10 years ago.
Also when I click on an Artist I see:
- Latest Release
- Artist's Pick
- Fans Also Like
- Popular
- Merch
- Albums (below the fold FFS!)
In that order. Merch and Fans Also Like above Albums? Are they having a giraffe ? ! It also seems slightly obsessed with what my friends are listening to, which I personally don't give a monkeys about. It's a UX nightmare.
So, looking at YT Music it says "You can upload up to 100,000 songs to your YouTube Music library" HURRAH and a thank funk for that!
I think that might be me sticking with Google Play Music and hoping they can just migrate me over to YT Music as there's no way I can stick with Spotify. It's slightly gutting as the sole redeeming feature of Spotify was it's integration with BMW ID6 was much better than simple bluetooth streaming.
Re. Playing albums and UX. It's simple, if you are using an assistant.
In my case I just say "Hey Google, play --Album Name-- on Spotify"
And it plays the album in track order. Nothing more to do except say Pause/Stop/Volume as and when necessary.
People navigate through menus less and less each year, and instant actions and selections are becoming increasingly effective with voice assistants as time goes on.
If you've keyboard access to an assistant you can just type instead of speaking. It's a fraction slower and not handsfree, but preferable for some.
That I feel is where usage is changing amongst users as younger generations become the mainstay users of platforms such as Spotify. Like it or not, it's been a decade since the type of graphical interface used by GPM was developed. A decade later how people interact with their devices has changed, and clicking through menus is actually slower and less efficient. And yes, that means many of us are becoming dinosaurs.
My own (ancient) catalogue of albums is on GPM, but I've not used GPM in about 8 years I'd say. I know I have a copy on an old hard drive somewhere, but I must download everything from GPM before it goes and have a backup of all that stuff. Even if I've not accessed them via that route it's always good to have them backed up somewhere - just in case.
In my case I just say "Hey Google, play --Album Name-- on Spotify"
And it plays the album in track order. Nothing more to do except say Pause/Stop/Volume as and when necessary.
People navigate through menus less and less each year, and instant actions and selections are becoming increasingly effective with voice assistants as time goes on.
If you've keyboard access to an assistant you can just type instead of speaking. It's a fraction slower and not handsfree, but preferable for some.
That I feel is where usage is changing amongst users as younger generations become the mainstay users of platforms such as Spotify. Like it or not, it's been a decade since the type of graphical interface used by GPM was developed. A decade later how people interact with their devices has changed, and clicking through menus is actually slower and less efficient. And yes, that means many of us are becoming dinosaurs.
My own (ancient) catalogue of albums is on GPM, but I've not used GPM in about 8 years I'd say. I know I have a copy on an old hard drive somewhere, but I must download everything from GPM before it goes and have a backup of all that stuff. Even if I've not accessed them via that route it's always good to have them backed up somewhere - just in case.
Edited by Corso Marche on Wednesday 27th May 05:35
AJB88 said:
The only thing with assistants, I've got 5 of them around the house, set up as "groups" so "whole house group" is them all.
Is there a way of saying "Hey Google Play xxx on Spotify on whole house group"? so far it just plays on the one you say it to.
I have 5 assistants as well, but there is only one group, which is "home speakers". You don't need multiple groups unless you want to play multiple speakers at the same time in one room. Also once you have Spotify linked to it, you dont have to say Spotify every time.Is there a way of saying "Hey Google Play xxx on Spotify on whole house group"? so far it just plays on the one you say it to.
If I want all speakers to play at once I'll say "Hey Google, play xxx on home speakers".
Also, if I have one speaker already playing I can say "Hey Google, transfer to home speakers" and it will then carry on playing the track, but on all the speakers.
AJB88 said:
The only thing with assistants, I've got 5 of them around the house, set up as "groups" so "whole house group" is them all.
Is there a way of saying "Hey Google Play xxx on Spotify on whole house group"? so far it just plays on the one you say it to.
Yes, should work on all if you have it set up as a group.Is there a way of saying "Hey Google Play xxx on Spotify on whole house group"? so far it just plays on the one you say it to.
I have the same, also upstairs and downstairs.
The groups are set up on Google home app. Try starting by pressing play on the group on the app rather than the speaker to test functionality.
AlexC1981 said:
I have 5 assistants as well, but there is only one group, which is "home speakers". You don't need multiple groups unless you want to play multiple speakers at the same time in one room. Also once you have Spotify linked to it, you dont have to say Spotify every time.
If I want all speakers to play at once I'll say "Hey Google, play xxx on home speakers".
Also, if I have one speaker already playing I can say "Hey Google, transfer to home speakers" and it will then carry on playing the track, but on all the speakers.
I have numerous groups because sometimes I only play on two downstairs (If I'm on nights and people are asleep) If I want all speakers to play at once I'll say "Hey Google, play xxx on home speakers".
Also, if I have one speaker already playing I can say "Hey Google, transfer to home speakers" and it will then carry on playing the track, but on all the speakers.
Corso Marche said:
Re. Playing albums and UX. It's simple, if you are using an assistant.
In my case I just say "Hey Google, play --Album Name-- on Spotify"
And it plays the album in track order. Nothing more to do except say Pause/Stop/Volume as and when necessary.
People navigate through menus less and less each year, and instant actions and selections are becoming increasingly effective with voice assistants as time goes on.
If you've keyboard access to an assistant you can just type instead of speaking. It's a fraction slower and not handsfree, but preferable for some.
That I feel is where usage is changing amongst users as younger generations become the mainstay users of platforms such as Spotify. Like it or not, it's been a decade since the type of graphical interface used by GPM was developed. A decade later how people interact with their devices has changed, and clicking through menus is actually slower and less efficient. And yes, that means many of us are becoming dinosaurs.
My own (ancient) catalogue of albums is on GPM, but I've not used GPM in about 8 years I'd say. I know I have a copy on an old hard drive somewhere, but I must download everything from GPM before it goes and have a backup of all that stuff. Even if I've not accessed them via that route it's always good to have them backed up somewhere - just in case.
My main use of GPM is when I'm working on a PC so the desktop interface is what I use most. Kudos to anyone who dictates all their emails; or better still writes code via dictation though lol ! In my case I just say "Hey Google, play --Album Name-- on Spotify"
And it plays the album in track order. Nothing more to do except say Pause/Stop/Volume as and when necessary.
People navigate through menus less and less each year, and instant actions and selections are becoming increasingly effective with voice assistants as time goes on.
If you've keyboard access to an assistant you can just type instead of speaking. It's a fraction slower and not handsfree, but preferable for some.
That I feel is where usage is changing amongst users as younger generations become the mainstay users of platforms such as Spotify. Like it or not, it's been a decade since the type of graphical interface used by GPM was developed. A decade later how people interact with their devices has changed, and clicking through menus is actually slower and less efficient. And yes, that means many of us are becoming dinosaurs.
My own (ancient) catalogue of albums is on GPM, but I've not used GPM in about 8 years I'd say. I know I have a copy on an old hard drive somewhere, but I must download everything from GPM before it goes and have a backup of all that stuff. Even if I've not accessed them via that route it's always good to have them backed up somewhere - just in case.
Edited by Corso Marche on Wednesday 27th May 05:35
We're discussing Spotify here, and it's most common usage by it's users. Not other types of usage for desktop computers.
Best thing you can do is submit feedback and or a suggestion/request to Spotify themselves on their desktop UI. That's how things get changed over time.
None of us on here can change it anyway, that's for sure!
I am seeing the end of GPM coming and considering my options.
What I really really need is access to my music library, which is about 40Gb and has loads of weird stuff on it that streaming services don't have.
I know YTM will import it, but can I import it to Spotify paid version?
Also I want to download some of the library to my phone, because up here in Cumbria it is not uncommon that I have no service and want to listen to my music. Can Spotify do this?
I'm old school, I bought lots of music in the 90s and I want to listen to it, out of network. Clearly something the modern music services don't cater to. They have designed a product for 20 somethings, listening in a city centre with a solid 5G signal, or at home with 70Mb broadband.
Thoughts?
What I really really need is access to my music library, which is about 40Gb and has loads of weird stuff on it that streaming services don't have.
I know YTM will import it, but can I import it to Spotify paid version?
Also I want to download some of the library to my phone, because up here in Cumbria it is not uncommon that I have no service and want to listen to my music. Can Spotify do this?
I'm old school, I bought lots of music in the 90s and I want to listen to it, out of network. Clearly something the modern music services don't cater to. They have designed a product for 20 somethings, listening in a city centre with a solid 5G signal, or at home with 70Mb broadband.
Thoughts?
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