Classical radio has terrible selections and is really repetitive

[bradamant]

This is a shot in the dark, but I really feel like I need to provide feedback on the Radio feature when used with classical music. I've been a paid Spotify user for quite a while because I really like how deep the selection is--I can find a recording of almost any piece I can think of. However, it is very time-consuming to make playlists; there are some great playlists by @spotifyclassical but sometimes I don't want to listen to All Mozart All Day. So I try the radio.

I don't know if this is just classical music, but it's really not good. Two main problems: 

- It plays the same things over and over and over again. I can't escape from Rhapsody in Blue, Verdi's Requiem, Bolero, or the 1812 Overture. Sometimes it's the same recording over and over, sometimes different ones. I don't want to give them the thumbs down because I'm okay hearing them once, although not overjoyed because these are really obvious pieces that are probably mostly being looked up by people who aren't huge classical fans. There are composers besides Bach and he wrote things besides the Brandenburg Concerti. It seems like the radio explores about 0.1% of the depth of your actual classical catalog.

- A huge proportion of what it plays me comes from albums like "Classical Music to Fall Asleep To" or "Classical for Dogs" or "Classical for Dummies." I made those up (except for the dog one :/) but they probably exist, and albums like that are always recordings by the Lower Saxony Middle School Radio Orchestra--not the most critically acclaimed interpretations if you catch my drift. As as an actual classical fan, I want to hear albums like that... NEVER. 

I'm seriously thinking about ending my subscription and using Pandora because of this. If I'm not listening to it for hours while working I don't care about the ads, and I could still look up the individual pieces I want to find in the free version. 

Is this being worked on? Do other people notice it?

[Jonahman10]

I have noticed this problem and find it really annoying. Especially when you have a playlist based on Stravinsky or Schoenberg and you end up getting something like Beethoven's 5th Symphony. I have stopped using the Radio, and choose to just search for music I specifically want to listen to or find a good album or playlist and listen to that.

Sadly this problem seems to exist amongst many genres at Spotify.But there are a couple of ideas you can support by giving your Kudos to that can help. I hope not to overwhelm you, but these all have chances of becoming rality with enough user support.

A few idea which may help alleviate this problem woud be further categorization of the music, so Spotify won't repeat music as much. This Idea suggests improving  Titles and adding a composer/writer column, so atleast you won't be likely to get two pieces by Bach in a row. This idea suggests dividing the subgenres out better, even though this seems to have little impact on the radio anyways (Also see my more specfic suggestion in the comments). You can also increase variety of artist with Kudos here.

You can still add Kudos to this Idea, which suggests that stufio albums like "best classical music for eating cereal" will be differentiated from music released by a specific musical group or composer, even though spotify has said "not now." Maybe one day they will change their mind?

[tolgold77]

I confirm the same point, to summarize: the classical music on Premium Spotify is terribly repetitive. Details: I enjoyed listening to Classical Music 99.5 WCRB since my arrival to USA in 1994 but recently in 2019 my two grown up sons convinced me to try Premium Spotify. I am very disappointed with it and I decided to cancel. The radio mixed with news that I pick has very annoyingly repetitive classical music pieces. The main feature of outstanding classical music is diversity, to relax and enjoy you need to listen to new pieces, this is very simple. If I select Franz Joseph Haydn music on Premium Spotify for example it plays me symphony No 92, good ! But then it tries to play it again three to five times a day ??? Are the authors of Spotify software aware that Haydn wrote 104 symphonies? Is it so hard to randomize the full list of his symphonies and include additional condition: avoid repetition within at least a month? The same applies to Bach who wrote over 1000 compositions but Spotify again very annoyingly tries to feed me with the same 5 most popular pieces by Bach repeated all the time  (several times a day each piece) ?? As a result it is easy to start hating these pieces even though they are created by the genius of Bach. Why would I pay for the Premium Spotify when absolutely free WCRB 99.5 provides the naturally necessary diversity of classical music, it often plays Mozart but always different pieces, you have to listen to WCRB for months every day to get the same piece by Mozart. This is what I and many people liking classical music need: 1) Automatic randomization of pieces selection within the whole list of works by a given composer. 2) Exclusion of repetitions during at least a month, unless the listener specifically selects this piece again. With Premium Spotify you have to learn a lot and work hard to achieve such a basic thing as diversity of music of your favorite genre, while in WCRB you get it for free. Therefore I say "Buy to Spotify", it does not work for me, sorry!

[Ver]

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