It’s understandable, then, that some people are annoyed with the way music videos have been added to the platform. For the most part, they would start to play by default, in the background, whenever an artist had uploaded a video for the song. Some music videos have very different audio from the original tracks, particularly if they include sketches or sound effects, which can prove distracting if you prefer the album version of the song. And even if you enjoy music videos (which I do), the decision to have videos play by default—using up bandwidth and battery power—upset a lot of people.
There are a few other quirks. On Spotify’s desktop app, the videos are barely visible; they stay contained in the tiny album art panel until you manage to find the hidden, extremely small Now playing button that enlarges them. Also, the selection of videos that are on the platform, and the ones that are mysteriously absent, seems totally random. Because of this, I check YouTube first when I really want to watch a music video.
The most annoying thing, though, had been a lack of any obvious way to disable all videos. That changed recently—there’s now a toggle in the settings to disable music videos in Spotify entirely, alongside controls that disable the Canvas feature (animated album art) and video podcasts.
On mobile you can do this by tapping your user profile icon in the top-left to bring up the side panel. Then tap Settings and privacy, followed by Content and display.
Photograph: Justin Pot
In the Videos and Canvas section you will see three toggles: one for music videos, one for Canvas, and one for all other videos. This last toggle disables video podcasts, meaning you’ll get the audio-only version of podcasts instead. Turn all these off, and Spotify will use a lot less bandwidth.
On the desktop app, it’s a little different. Click your user profile icon in the top-right corner, then click Settings. Scroll down to the Videos and Canvas section to find the options to disable music videos and Canvas.
I tested this and it worked. The music video icon in playlists and albums disappeared, as did the collection of music videos on Artist pages. The only remnant of the disabled feature is a Switch to video button in the Now Playing sidebar, which appears below the album art. Click it and you’ll be told the video can’t play unless you turn videos back on in the settings. Odd, for sure, but for the most part turning this off means you don’t have to think about music videos in Spotify anymore.
I sincerely wish that Spotify would roll out music videos with more care. Sometimes I really do want to see a video—just not every time I play a track. Playlists of music videos might be welcome if they ran separately from the audio-only playlists. I just don’t want to get a music video when I’m looking for the album version of a song, and I don’t think I’m alone in that. I can only hope that Spotify’s future interface design choices will keep things more clearly separated.
It’s understandable, then, that some people are annoyed with the way music videos have been added to the platform. For the most part, they would start to play by default, in the background, whenever an artist had uploaded a video for the song. Some music videos have very different audio from the original tracks, particularly if they include sketches or sound effects, which can prove distracting if you prefer the album version of the song. And even if you enjoy music videos (which I do), the decision to have videos play by default—using up bandwidth and battery power—upset a lot of people.
There are a few other quirks. On Spotify’s desktop app, the videos are barely visible; they stay contained in the tiny album art panel until you manage to find the hidden, extremely small Now playing button that enlarges them. Also, the selection of videos that are on the platform, and the ones that are mysteriously absent, seems totally random. Because of this, I check YouTube first when I really want to watch a music video.
The most annoying thing, though, had been a lack of any obvious way to disable all videos. That changed recently—there’s now a toggle in the settings to disable music videos in Spotify entirely, alongside controls that disable the Canvas feature (animated album art) and video podcasts.
On mobile you can do this by tapping your user profile icon in the top-left to bring up the side panel. Then tap Settings and privacy, followed by Content and display.
Photograph: Justin Pot
In the Videos and Canvas section you will see three toggles: one for music videos, one for Canvas, and one for all other videos. This last toggle disables video podcasts, meaning you’ll get the audio-only version of podcasts instead. Turn all these off, and Spotify will use a lot less bandwidth.
On the desktop app, it’s a little different. Click your user profile icon in the top-right corner, then click Settings. Scroll down to the Videos and Canvas section to find the options to disable music videos and Canvas.
I tested this and it worked. The music video icon in playlists and albums disappeared, as did the collection of music videos on Artist pages. The only remnant of the disabled feature is a Switch to video button in the Now Playing sidebar, which appears below the album art. Click it and you’ll be told the video can’t play unless you turn videos back on in the settings. Odd, for sure, but for the most part turning this off means you don’t have to think about music videos in Spotify anymore.
I sincerely wish that Spotify would roll out music videos with more care. Sometimes I really do want to see a video—just not every time I play a track. Playlists of music videos might be welcome if they ran separately from the audio-only playlists. I just don’t want to get a music video when I’m looking for the album version of a song, and I don’t think I’m alone in that. I can only hope that Spotify’s future interface design choices will keep things more clearly separated.
#Disable #Music #Videos #Spotifyspotify,how-to,tips,software,streaming,ux/ui">How to Disable Music Videos in Spotify
Spotify, it’s fair to say, has made some weird user-experience choices.
There are a number of panels in the app, and the layout is confusing. The service constantly tracks your activity. The app also seems to have an odd hostility to playing actual albums. This all works to create a general feeling that Spotify’s designers are trying to push you into using the service in a particular way.
It’s understandable, then, that some people are annoyed with the way music videos have been added to the platform. For the most part, they would start to play by default, in the background, whenever an artist had uploaded a video for the song. Some music videos have very different audio from the original tracks, particularly if they include sketches or sound effects, which can prove distracting if you prefer the album version of the song. And even if you enjoy music videos (which I do), the decision to have videos play by default—using up bandwidth and battery power—upset a lot of people.
There are a few other quirks. On Spotify’s desktop app, the videos are barely visible; they stay contained in the tiny album art panel until you manage to find the hidden, extremely small Now playing button that enlarges them. Also, the selection of videos that are on the platform, and the ones that are mysteriously absent, seems totally random. Because of this, I check YouTube first when I really want to watch a music video.
The most annoying thing, though, had been a lack of any obvious way to disable all videos. That changed recently—there’s now a toggle in the settings to disable music videos in Spotify entirely, alongside controls that disable the Canvas feature (animated album art) and video podcasts.
On mobile you can do this by tapping your user profile icon in the top-left to bring up the side panel. Then tap Settings and privacy, followed by Content and display.
Photograph: Justin Pot
In the Videos and Canvas section you will see three toggles: one for music videos, one for Canvas, and one for all other videos. This last toggle disables video podcasts, meaning you’ll get the audio-only version of podcasts instead. Turn all these off, and Spotify will use a lot less bandwidth.
On the desktop app, it’s a little different. Click your user profile icon in the top-right corner, then click Settings. Scroll down to the Videos and Canvas section to find the options to disable music videos and Canvas.
I tested this and it worked. The music video icon in playlists and albums disappeared, as did the collection of music videos on Artist pages. The only remnant of the disabled feature is a Switch to video button in the Now Playing sidebar, which appears below the album art. Click it and you’ll be told the video can’t play unless you turn videos back on in the settings. Odd, for sure, but for the most part turning this off means you don’t have to think about music videos in Spotify anymore.
I sincerely wish that Spotify would roll out music videos with more care. Sometimes I really do want to see a video—just not every time I play a track. Playlists of music videos might be welcome if they ran separately from the audio-only playlists. I just don’t want to get a music video when I’m looking for the album version of a song, and I don’t think I’m alone in that. I can only hope that Spotify’s future interface design choices will keep things more clearly separated.
On X, Android ecosystem head Sameer Samat posted, “Your wish is our command. Disco icons available on Pixel as of today…Are y’all sure you still want this?”
His post included a screenshot of a Pixel phone fully decked out with sparkly, disco-ball-inspired icons, which looks just as terrible (incredible??) as it sounds.
The new icons are available through Pixel’s relatively new custom icons feature, which allows users to choose from different AI-generated styles for their app icons. Before this, users could only customize their icons by changing their colors to match the phone’s wallpaper and theme.
Image Credits:screenshot of Pixel icons by TechCrunch
The custom icons feature rolled out in March’s Pixel Drop — Google’s term for its periodic feature updates to Pixel phones — introducing app icon templates like a hand-drawn “Scribbles” aesthetic, a gold look called “Treasure,” a colorful, painted style dubbed “Easel,” and others.
Earlier this week, Samat had jokingly tweeted, “Should we make this icon pack happen on Android?” alongside a Chrome icon turned into a disco ball.
Silly as it may be, Google actually made it happen.
Many people had complained about the Spotify icon, calling it ugly, prompting the company to remind them it was just a temporary sitch. “Alright, we know glitter is not for everyone,” the streamer wrote.
Google, seemingly, disagrees. As off-brand as its disco-themed icons are, there’s also something whimsical about turning your whole homescreen into a sparkly landscape of little apps. (And, in case you missed it, the Zillennials are really into whimsy right now, The New York Times reports, describing their “playful response to a difficult world.”)
Upon seeing Google’s release, X user and former Pixly co-founder Race Johsnon quipped, “When your home screen gets bottle service.” Said another, “Omg it’s awful. I’ll take it!”
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
On X, Android ecosystem head Sameer Samat posted, “Your wish is our command. Disco icons available on Pixel as of today…Are y’all sure you still want this?”
His post included a screenshot of a Pixel phone fully decked out with sparkly, disco-ball-inspired icons, which looks just as terrible (incredible??) as it sounds.
The new icons are available through Pixel’s relatively new custom icons feature, which allows users to choose from different AI-generated styles for their app icons. Before this, users could only customize their icons by changing their colors to match the phone’s wallpaper and theme.
Image Credits:screenshot of Pixel icons by TechCrunch
The custom icons feature rolled out in March’s Pixel Drop — Google’s term for its periodic feature updates to Pixel phones — introducing app icon templates like a hand-drawn “Scribbles” aesthetic, a gold look called “Treasure,” a colorful, painted style dubbed “Easel,” and others.
Earlier this week, Samat had jokingly tweeted, “Should we make this icon pack happen on Android?” alongside a Chrome icon turned into a disco ball.
Silly as it may be, Google actually made it happen.
Many people had complained about the Spotify icon, calling it ugly, prompting the company to remind them it was just a temporary sitch. “Alright, we know glitter is not for everyone,” the streamer wrote.
Google, seemingly, disagrees. As off-brand as its disco-themed icons are, there’s also something whimsical about turning your whole homescreen into a sparkly landscape of little apps. (And, in case you missed it, the Zillennials are really into whimsy right now, The New York Times reports, describing their “playful response to a difficult world.”)
Upon seeing Google’s release, X user and former Pixly co-founder Race Johsnon quipped, “When your home screen gets bottle service.” Said another, “Omg it’s awful. I’ll take it!”
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
#Google #glitter #discoball #icons #yall #TechCrunchai icons,Android,disco ball,Google,icons,PIXEL,Spotify">Google goes for the glitter with disco-ball icons: ‘Are y’all sure you still want this?’ | TechCrunch
So bad, it’s good? Google on Friday joined in the disco ball icon fun taking place on home screens everywhere. After Spotify’s temporary new disco ball app icon, released to celebrate the company’s 20th anniversary, drew extensive online backlash (and a bit of praise for those who like a little kitsch!), Google decided to get in on the joke and rolled out a custom set of Android app icons sporting a similar disco ball theme.
On X, Android ecosystem head Sameer Samat posted, “Your wish is our command. Disco icons available on Pixel as of today…Are y’all sure you still want this?”
His post included a screenshot of a Pixel phone fully decked out with sparkly, disco-ball-inspired icons, which looks just as terrible (incredible??) as it sounds.
The new icons are available through Pixel’s relatively new custom icons feature, which allows users to choose from different AI-generated styles for their app icons. Before this, users could only customize their icons by changing their colors to match the phone’s wallpaper and theme.
Image Credits:screenshot of Pixel icons by TechCrunch
The custom icons feature rolled out in March’s Pixel Drop — Google’s term for its periodic feature updates to Pixel phones — introducing app icon templates like a hand-drawn “Scribbles” aesthetic, a gold look called “Treasure,” a colorful, painted style dubbed “Easel,” and others.
Earlier this week, Samat had jokingly tweeted, “Should we make this icon pack happen on Android?” alongside a Chrome icon turned into a disco ball.
Silly as it may be, Google actually made it happen.
Many people had complained about the Spotify icon, calling it ugly, prompting the company to remind them it was just a temporary sitch. “Alright, we know glitter is not for everyone,” the streamer wrote.
Google, seemingly, disagrees. As off-brand as its disco-themed icons are, there’s also something whimsical about turning your whole homescreen into a sparkly landscape of little apps. (And, in case you missed it, the Zillennials are really into whimsy right now, The New York Times reports, describing their “playful response to a difficult world.”)
Upon seeing Google’s release, X user and former Pixly co-founder Race Johsnon quipped, “When your home screen gets bottle service.” Said another, “Omg it’s awful. I’ll take it!”
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
So bad, it’s good? Google on Friday joined in the disco ball icon fun taking…
Watch out, Suno. Spotify on Thursday announced it has partnered with Universal Music Group (UMG) to allow fans to use generative AI technology to create covers and remixes of their favorite songs. The tool will launch as a paid add-on available only to Spotify’s Premium subscribers and will offer a revenue share with participating artists for the AI-generated music based on their work.
The company did not share pricing or a launch date for the new tool, only that the two companies had come to a licensing agreement. However, Spotify had teased its plans last year, noting that it was working with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, Warner Music Group, Merlin, and Believe to develop artist-first AI products.
The AI tools would be created through “upfront agreements, not by asking for forgiveness later,” Spotify said at the time, an obvious swipe at other players in the space, like Suno.
Among the principles Spotify outlined: artists and rightsholders should be able to choose if and how they participate in AI tools, and if they do, they should be fairly compensated.
“Solving hard problems for music is what Spotify does, and fan-made covers and remixes are next. What we’re building is grounded in consent, credit, and compensation for the artists and songwriters that take part,” said Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström, in a statement about the UMG agreement. “Through each technological transformation, we have worked together with Sir Lucian [Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Group] and his team to evolve the music ecosystem into a richer, more beneficial experience for fans and a more rewarding outcome for artists and songwriters.”
UMG Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge, meanwhile, touted the development as a way for artists to deepen their fan relationships while also creating additional revenue opportunities. There’s no word yet on which UMG artists have agreed to participate.
While services like Suno and Udio have been pioneers in the AI music space, they moved forward on shaky legal ground when building their AI music-making tools. Unsurprisingly, the major labels quickly sued. In November, Suno ended up settling a $500 million lawsuit with Warner Music Group, which came shortly after Universal Music Group (UMG) had settled its own suit with Udio.
Seeing demand for this type of activity from consumers, Spotify went straight to the labels for a deal of its own. UMG may be the first of many label partnerships to come, though the company didn’t outright say so.
Watch out, Suno. Spotify on Thursday announced it has partnered with Universal Music Group (UMG) to allow fans to use generative AI technology to create covers and remixes of their favorite songs. The tool will launch as a paid add-on available only to Spotify’s Premium subscribers and will offer a revenue share with participating artists for the AI-generated music based on their work.
The company did not share pricing or a launch date for the new tool, only that the two companies had come to a licensing agreement. However, Spotify had teased its plans last year, noting that it was working with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, Warner Music Group, Merlin, and Believe to develop artist-first AI products.
The AI tools would be created through “upfront agreements, not by asking for forgiveness later,” Spotify said at the time, an obvious swipe at other players in the space, like Suno.
Among the principles Spotify outlined: artists and rightsholders should be able to choose if and how they participate in AI tools, and if they do, they should be fairly compensated.
“Solving hard problems for music is what Spotify does, and fan-made covers and remixes are next. What we’re building is grounded in consent, credit, and compensation for the artists and songwriters that take part,” said Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström, in a statement about the UMG agreement. “Through each technological transformation, we have worked together with Sir Lucian [Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Group] and his team to evolve the music ecosystem into a richer, more beneficial experience for fans and a more rewarding outcome for artists and songwriters.”
UMG Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge, meanwhile, touted the development as a way for artists to deepen their fan relationships while also creating additional revenue opportunities. There’s no word yet on which UMG artists have agreed to participate.
While services like Suno and Udio have been pioneers in the AI music space, they moved forward on shaky legal ground when building their AI music-making tools. Unsurprisingly, the major labels quickly sued. In November, Suno ended up settling a $500 million lawsuit with Warner Music Group, which came shortly after Universal Music Group (UMG) had settled its own suit with Udio.
Seeing demand for this type of activity from consumers, Spotify went straight to the labels for a deal of its own. UMG may be the first of many label partnerships to come, though the company didn’t outright say so.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.
#Spotify #Universal #Music #strike #deal #allowing #fanmade #covers #remixes #TechCrunchSpotify,AI,ai music,universal music group">Spotify and Universal Music strike deal allowing fan-made AI covers and remixes | TechCrunch
Watch out, Suno. Spotify on Thursday announced it has partnered with Universal Music Group (UMG) to allow fans to use generative AI technology to create covers and remixes of their favorite songs. The tool will launch as a paid add-on available only to Spotify’s Premium subscribers and will offer a revenue share with participating artists for the AI-generated music based on their work.
The company did not share pricing or a launch date for the new tool, only that the two companies had come to a licensing agreement. However, Spotify had teased its plans last year, noting that it was working with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, Warner Music Group, Merlin, and Believe to develop artist-first AI products.
The AI tools would be created through “upfront agreements, not by asking for forgiveness later,” Spotify said at the time, an obvious swipe at other players in the space, like Suno.
Among the principles Spotify outlined: artists and rightsholders should be able to choose if and how they participate in AI tools, and if they do, they should be fairly compensated.
“Solving hard problems for music is what Spotify does, and fan-made covers and remixes are next. What we’re building is grounded in consent, credit, and compensation for the artists and songwriters that take part,” said Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström, in a statement about the UMG agreement. “Through each technological transformation, we have worked together with Sir Lucian [Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Group] and his team to evolve the music ecosystem into a richer, more beneficial experience for fans and a more rewarding outcome for artists and songwriters.”
UMG Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge, meanwhile, touted the development as a way for artists to deepen their fan relationships while also creating additional revenue opportunities. There’s no word yet on which UMG artists have agreed to participate.
While services like Suno and Udio have been pioneers in the AI music space, they moved forward on shaky legal ground when building their AI music-making tools. Unsurprisingly, the major labels quickly sued. In November, Suno ended up settling a $500 million lawsuit with Warner Music Group, which came shortly after Universal Music Group (UMG) had settled its own suit with Udio.
Seeing demand for this type of activity from consumers, Spotify went straight to the labels for a deal of its own. UMG may be the first of many label partnerships to come, though the company didn’t outright say so.
![Spotify and Universal Music strike deal allowing fan-made AI covers and remixes | TechCrunch
Watch out, Suno. Spotify on Thursday announced it has partnered with Universal Music Group (UMG) to allow fans to use generative AI technology to create covers and remixes of their favorite songs. The tool will launch as a paid add-on available only to Spotify’s Premium subscribers and will offer a revenue share with participating artists for the AI-generated music based on their work.
The company did not share pricing or a launch date for the new tool, only that the two companies had come to a licensing agreement. However, Spotify had teased its plans last year, noting that it was working with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, Warner Music Group, Merlin, and Believe to develop artist-first AI products.
The AI tools would be created through “upfront agreements, not by asking for forgiveness later,” Spotify said at the time, an obvious swipe at other players in the space, like Suno.
Among the principles Spotify outlined: artists and rightsholders should be able to choose if and how they participate in AI tools, and if they do, they should be fairly compensated.
“Solving hard problems for music is what Spotify does, and fan-made covers and remixes are next. What we’re building is grounded in consent, credit, and compensation for the artists and songwriters that take part,” said Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström, in a statement about the UMG agreement. “Through each technological transformation, we have worked together with Sir Lucian [Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Group] and his team to evolve the music ecosystem into a richer, more beneficial experience for fans and a more rewarding outcome for artists and songwriters.”
UMG Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge, meanwhile, touted the development as a way for artists to deepen their fan relationships while also creating additional revenue opportunities. There’s no word yet on which UMG artists have agreed to participate.
While services like Suno and Udio have been pioneers in the AI music space, they moved forward on shaky legal ground when building their AI music-making tools. Unsurprisingly, the major labels quickly sued. In November, Suno ended up settling a 0 million lawsuit with Warner Music Group, which came shortly after Universal Music Group (UMG) had settled its own suit with Udio.
Today, Suno is still facing copyright claims from UMG and Sony Music, among others. Udio, meanwhile, has settled with Warner Music and UMG, but is still working to settle with Sony.
Seeing demand for this type of activity from consumers, Spotify went straight to the labels for a deal of its own. UMG may be the first of many label partnerships to come, though the company didn’t outright say so.
The news was shared amid a slew of Investor Day announcements from Spotify on Thursday, which also included an AI-powered audiobook creation tool, AI-powered features for podcasters, a desktop app to produce personal podcasts via AI, and reserved concert tickets for top fans.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.#Spotify #Universal #Music #strike #deal #allowing #fanmade #covers #remixes #TechCrunchSpotify,AI,ai music,universal music group](https://i3.wp.com/techcrunch.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/spotify-app-GettyImages-1689920063-e1702479483636.jpeg?resize=1200%2C676&ssl=1 "Spotify and Universal Music strike deal allowing fan-made AI covers and remixes | TechCrunch
Watch out, Suno. Spotify on Thursday announced it has partnered with Universal Music Group (UMG) to allow fans to use generative AI technology to create covers and remixes of their favorite songs. The tool will launch as a paid add-on available only to Spotify’s Premium subscribers and will offer a revenue share with participating artists for the AI-generated music based on their work.
The company did not share pricing or a launch date for the new tool, only that the two companies had come to a licensing agreement. However, Spotify had teased its plans last year, noting that it was working with Universal Music Group, Sony Music Group, Warner Music Group, Merlin, and Believe to develop artist-first AI products.
The AI tools would be created through “upfront agreements, not by asking for forgiveness later,” Spotify said at the time, an obvious swipe at other players in the space, like Suno.
Among the principles Spotify outlined: artists and rightsholders should be able to choose if and how they participate in AI tools, and if they do, they should be fairly compensated.
“Solving hard problems for music is what Spotify does, and fan-made covers and remixes are next. What we’re building is grounded in consent, credit, and compensation for the artists and songwriters that take part,” said Spotify co-CEO Alex Norström, in a statement about the UMG agreement. “Through each technological transformation, we have worked together with Sir Lucian [Chairman & CEO, Universal Music Group] and his team to evolve the music ecosystem into a richer, more beneficial experience for fans and a more rewarding outcome for artists and songwriters.”
UMG Chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge, meanwhile, touted the development as a way for artists to deepen their fan relationships while also creating additional revenue opportunities. There’s no word yet on which UMG artists have agreed to participate.
While services like Suno and Udio have been pioneers in the AI music space, they moved forward on shaky legal ground when building their AI music-making tools. Unsurprisingly, the major labels quickly sued. In November, Suno ended up settling a 0 million lawsuit with Warner Music Group, which came shortly after Universal Music Group (UMG) had settled its own suit with Udio.
Today, Suno is still facing copyright claims from UMG and Sony Music, among others. Udio, meanwhile, has settled with Warner Music and UMG, but is still working to settle with Sony.
Seeing demand for this type of activity from consumers, Spotify went straight to the labels for a deal of its own. UMG may be the first of many label partnerships to come, though the company didn’t outright say so.
The news was shared amid a slew of Investor Day announcements from Spotify on Thursday, which also included an AI-powered audiobook creation tool, AI-powered features for podcasters, a desktop app to produce personal podcasts via AI, and reserved concert tickets for top fans.
When you purchase through links in our articles, we may earn a small commission. This doesn’t affect our editorial independence.#Spotify #Universal #Music #strike #deal #allowing #fanmade #covers #remixes #TechCrunchSpotify,AI,ai music,universal music group")
