platform search result inconsistencies

[spfyUser]

Dear Spotify I am using android 4.0.4, Spotify ver. 0.6.6.270. Am noticing that many tracks and albums are incomplete for various artists, using a standard search lookup on the phone application. For example, if I look for the Anthrax (band) album called Sound of White Noise, it appears on Spotify online and on a google search linking to play.spotify.com … , but on the phone application the album does not even appear. Is this normal behavior for the android phone application? I have tried using other competitor’s products and Spotify is the best I have found yet. I want to show allegiance to the application and pay homage to the excellent service and prices. Please consider this message to be of counsel as there appears to be a discrepancy about how albums appear on the online player vs how the same albums do not appear at all using android mobile. Faithfully submitted by a happy Spotify user.

[Ceekay]

I've had the same problems here and there usually once I search for it again it pops up. 

I'm thinking it has to do with how strong the signal is and how fast the information loads to the phone.

Haven't had this problem recently but I've seen it happen multiple times before.

[spfyUser]

So far I have tried Clearing app cache via Spotify application, powering off phone, take out battery, wait, boot up, try again. Problem still remains. Uninstall Spotify app, power off phone, take out battery, wait, boot up, try again. Problem still remains. Any suggestions I will welcome as long as they are specific or relevant to this issue. Spotify may have a issue with the way they index their music database having the index be inconsistent among platforms? This is plausible.

[spfyUser]

Well, I have finally gotten to the bottom of this issue. Apparently if something is available for search on Spotify and you come across it but all of the files are “greyed out,” that means the album is actually not available to be played because of a delightful power struggle, specifically over money, by the license holder of the album and the public who wants to hear the song via Spotify application. I like the popcorn potential of this argument, and am getting some. Artists must not be getting paid enough money for us to play their songs. I would like to pay more money per month to Spotify company to hear great artists like Black Sabbath and certain others who do not have various albums on this service. I am disappoint, but am ok with comforting nom nom, lol …. Seriously though, you’ll notice that the database primary key for each album is a long odd combination of letters and numbers like “vwv9w306934069nv07n” for the album (viewable through the play.spotify.com object reference at the end of url). This must mean they already have the album digitized and ready for release in their system if it already has this special primary album key. I wish we could hear some of these albums to make us happy but am ok now with being sad. Feels bad, man. Spotify need to pay more so artists will agree to put their music online, what do you think?