The company will be the first streaming platform to allow such actions.
Spotify is currently testing a new feature that will allow users to mute artists on their platform. The “don’t play this artist” option will block artists from appearing in the user’s algorithm-generated playlists and hide the artist’s songs on any charts where they may appear. The feature does not remove or hide songs where the artist has a guest spot, though that could happen with future updates. A public release date has not been posted.
In 2017, Spotify decided against releasing a similar functionality, noting on their community forum that “After serious consideration, we’ve decided not to offer blocking/ hiding/ or blacklisting artists or tracks on Spotify at this time. Rest assured we’re working hard to improve suggested content, such as your Discover Weekly and Release Radar. Keep an eye on the idea “Add like or dislike button to personal discover weekly playlist” for more details around this.”
In early January, a lifetime documentary series titled Surviving R. Kelly brought to light numerous allegations of sexual abuse and wrongdoing against the prolific star behind hits such as “I Believe I Can Fly.” It wasn’t the first time such accusations were made public, but it was enough to push the hashtag #MuteRKelly to the top of trending charts across social media. Similar hashtags have found popularity in recent months against other artists accused of wrongdoing, including Chris Brown and the late XXXTentacion, all while those same artists continued to perform well on streaming sites.
It is unclear if the recent public outcry has played a role in changing Spotify’s stance on the idea of blacklisting talent, but it doesn’t seem far fetched to believe it did. After all, Spotify’s new tool puts the power in the user’s hands, giving everyone the ability to further control their listening experience without requiring the company to take a stance on allegations or what should happen to the accused.
Spotify also recently announced plans to expand their partnership with Tinder by allowing users to share clips of their favorite songs via the dating app. More details on that update here.
