Spotify fans threaten to return to piracy as music streamer introduces new face-scanning age checks in the UK
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While I want to agree. I feel like normal people are still not gonna give a shit.
Every company has learned that any friction to using your site is a bleed of customers. There are a lot of people who will just not use your site if it requires a lengthy validation process. If there was some kind of identity system that sites would integrate with like login.gov, then people would ignore this, but I don't think the UK has such a thing that every site can use, so a lot of people will not use the site and over time fall to piracy or illegitimate sites.
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They won't give a shit, but they're also lazy and won't bother setting up an account that requires ID and photo verification. Too much work. Maybe we'll even see somewhat of a recurrence of brick and mortar stores that sells music, movies, porn, etc.
Ah the laziness to not even set up an account that needs it. I didn't consider that. Was more thinking of current users meeting the resistance.
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I need a cheap mp3 player
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Back to Piracy!
️Really though? It isn't necessary. Use Bandcamp, you probably have half your artists covered. The rest - one of those Spotify alternatives: Tidal? Qobuz?
Personally I do selfhost btw. Jellyfin, though I heard of a better alternative specifically for music recently - and forgot the name again
Something lowercase, like a verb... "normalize" or some such.Navidrome! Thanks @[email protected]Navidrome maybe?
But I use jellyfin + symfonium myself. All my music is either bandcamp or used CDs. Started collecting music late last year and my entire collection is legally sourced now. No piracy required. Hardest part was starting very small and building the collection over time. -
Every company has learned that any friction to using your site is a bleed of customers. There are a lot of people who will just not use your site if it requires a lengthy validation process. If there was some kind of identity system that sites would integrate with like login.gov, then people would ignore this, but I don't think the UK has such a thing that every site can use, so a lot of people will not use the site and over time fall to piracy or illegitimate sites.
Imagine if Spotify just opened the camera on your phone once a month when you first open the app that day. Just for like a split second.
Theoretically it would be legal, for age verification. 🤮 -
Back to Piracy!
️Really though? It isn't necessary. Use Bandcamp, you probably have half your artists covered. The rest - one of those Spotify alternatives: Tidal? Qobuz?
Personally I do selfhost btw. Jellyfin, though I heard of a better alternative specifically for music recently - and forgot the name again
Something lowercase, like a verb... "normalize" or some such.Navidrome! Thanks @[email protected]Harmonize?
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Age verification is a great success I see. I feel so much safer now with this shit in place so kids can't watch porn...
It has absolutely nothing to do with kids watching porn.
Of course.
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Navidrome maybe?
But I use jellyfin + symfonium myself. All my music is either bandcamp or used CDs. Started collecting music late last year and my entire collection is legally sourced now. No piracy required. Hardest part was starting very small and building the collection over time.wrote last edited by [email protected]Yes! Navidrome!
used CDs
I get them dirt cheap or completely for free. It's actually reverse piracy (no I'm not serious) since no doubt the previous owners ripped everything.
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This post did not contain any content.wrote last edited by [email protected]
One more reason if you're still buying music, to start buying physical albums again while you still can.
CDs aren't age-gated and you can rip them to FLAC yourself. Vinyl also isn't age-gated because it's analog, and although it's a longer and more drawn-out process than just ripping a CD which will only take a few minutes as because vinyl is an analog format, you gotta record it in real-time, and then manually split the raw waveform up into separate tracks, manually input metadata, and manually generate a cuesheet from the split-up tracks before finally exporting, you can still needle-drop LPs to FLAC as well.
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Back to Piracy!
️Really though? It isn't necessary. Use Bandcamp, you probably have half your artists covered. The rest - one of those Spotify alternatives: Tidal? Qobuz?
Personally I do selfhost btw. Jellyfin, though I heard of a better alternative specifically for music recently - and forgot the name again
Something lowercase, like a verb... "normalize" or some such.Navidrome! Thanks @[email protected]Bandcamp is the best
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Bring it on! Sail the high seas. Yargh!
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Spotify fans
“Fans”?
Apple fans. Spotify fans. Same shit.
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My favorite part is when the AI DJ plays some dumb song it's previously served up repeatedly, and then tells me how much I like it because I listen to it so often. I'd never choose to listen to it on my own, and the only reason I hear it is because Spotify keeps cramming it down my throat.
Spotify recommends based on your listening habits. You base your listening habits on Spotify recommendations. Ergo, Spotify recommends based on its own recommendation. Ourobouros achieved.
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Back to Piracy!
️Really though? It isn't necessary. Use Bandcamp, you probably have half your artists covered. The rest - one of those Spotify alternatives: Tidal? Qobuz?
Personally I do selfhost btw. Jellyfin, though I heard of a better alternative specifically for music recently - and forgot the name again
Something lowercase, like a verb... "normalize" or some such.Navidrome! Thanks @[email protected]Go to shows, buy the albums from the merch tables and use the events (to the best of your individual ability) as a means to connect with like minded anti-fascists.
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One more reason if you're still buying music, to start buying physical albums again while you still can.
CDs aren't age-gated and you can rip them to FLAC yourself. Vinyl also isn't age-gated because it's analog, and although it's a longer and more drawn-out process than just ripping a CD which will only take a few minutes as because vinyl is an analog format, you gotta record it in real-time, and then manually split the raw waveform up into separate tracks, manually input metadata, and manually generate a cuesheet from the split-up tracks before finally exporting, you can still needle-drop LPs to FLAC as well.
+1 for vinyl. The album art, inserts, etc. really adds something to the experience that I had long forgotten over the years of downloading and streaming music.
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Never had a Spotify account, and I never will. I have apple one, but Im kinda forced into that because of the other half. But if Apple pulls this shit, Im not paying for it. I VPN everything, but I still wont support any company that complies with this bullshit with my money.
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In Sweden pretty much anybody has Bank Id, an app which is connected to a bank account and which can function as a valid identification.
App belongs a private company, but it's still trustworthy and everybody can sign government docs with that.
This is how you should do age verification, through a third party app, not like any site will get your id/picture to just end in their DBs ready to be stolen.
Every government should create an app for the online id, I don't get why this seems so hard to achieve.
The thing is, UK has had age restrictions for years on its mobile platforms. So if you want to look at porn on your phone, you have to unlock it on your subscription. And to do this, they use youre credit card. The thing that they already have. Its easy and swift. And more to the point, only one company has your data. As it stands now, you are supposed to give your personal details to every single company in the world.
Over the past 20 years, how many massive hacks have we seen that leak email addresses and passwords? Are how about all those woman that get their iclouds hacked and their nude photos uploaded? I can think of at least 10 instances in the past 10 years. And now its going to be all of our driving licences, passports, other photo IDs? And the law also requires that they scan ALL private messages. Thats end to end encryption fucked. And god forbid your girlfriend calls you "Daddy" in a sext, you get the cops knocking on your door treating you like Jimmy Saville.
The shit is insane, and people arent anywhere near outraged enough. Its coming to Europe next, if reports are to be believed. So you lot should ALL start kicking up fuck about it now.
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Here's one way to help: https://kiwix.org/en/about-us/#our-story
Download Wikipedia to your own device. If it's ever blocked or taken down you still have access and can help share information with others.
You can download different versions (e.g. without images) and different languages based on your needs.
There's other resources available via kiwix as well but I've not really explored them to be honest
Does it run a local web server or is it all static files? Is it searchable?
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Im not even in the UK and im still going to cancel due to this. Thanks spotify, fuck you
Well I don't think Spotify wants to do it, but it's probably a better option than abandoning their UK users.
I assume the other streaming options will do the same in the UK market, so probably better to look at self-hosted alternatives, if you're into that
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First they came for the sex, then they came after the drugs. Now they’re trying to take my rock and roll
I've heard music is a drug, too. It was all drugs, all along. We probably should've known, honestly.
