Spotify is shutting down Spotify Stations, its lightweight music streaming app, on May 16, according to emails sent to users.
IN email is shared on Twitter which explains that both the standalone application and the web-based player will no longer work. In fact, Spotify doesn’t even have to wait until May 16 to start shutting down stations, as the app has already been removed from Google Play Store and Apple App Store.
The Spotify email clarifies that the music stations will migrate to the main app and recommends that you move your favorites.
Completed experiment
We contacted Spotify to ask why it is terminating Stations. Simply put, it was an “experiment” that took place. A Spotify spokesman told TechRadar: “At Spotify, we routinely conduct a series of experiments to create a better listening experience for our users. Some of these tests ultimately pave the way for our wider user experience, while others serve only as important training. Our Spotify Stations Beta was one of those tests.
Spotify Stations first launched in January 2018 and was almost a version of Pandora’s service. There was a wide variety of stations based on different genres, artists or moods. You had almost no control over what you listened to, other than the basic curating features, such as song preference.
The response from Spotify users was extremely negative, but was still rejected. Commentators on subreddit Spotify are disappointed that Stations is disappearing because they liked the shortened user interface. The user interface takes you straight to the music without having to navigate the menus. Some said it was a great way to find new music, while others said it was a little awkward. The sound quality was poor and you can’t add a song to the playlists in the main app.
Consolidate applications
With the discontinuation of Spotify Stations, it seems that there is a new trend among technology giants to consolidate their services under one roof, instead of having a bunch of different applications. Spotify has already done something similar by integrating its Greenroom feature into its core application, which is now rebranded as Spotify Live.
YouTube is doing something similar by getting rid of its lightweight YouTube Go app. It was considered “unnecessary” and encouraged old users to get the main application. It will be interesting to see if other services follow the same path. It would be great to have just one lightweight application with multiple features instead of several.
https://www.techradar.com/news/this-spotify-experiment-is-done-for-but-you-may-not-miss-it/
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