19 comments

  • Erik Friberg, 8 years ago

    Taking into account that Spotify is far from breaking even (losing about $60.2511 million every year) and that Spotify is one of the most honest and well considered music streaming services available. I really don't see the point in programs like this. Does this even belong on designer news? It's neither related to design or programming, just piracy, right?

    25 points
    • Sebastiaan de WithSebastiaan de With, 8 years ago

      Classifying muting or blocking ads as 'piracy' is a bit of a stretch, wouldn't you say? Is it also piracy if I turn the volume off while ads play? Is it piracy if I leave the room?

      14 points
      • Erik Friberg, 8 years ago (edited 8 years ago )

        Yes off course it's a bit of a stretch to define it as piracy, does stealing sound better? It's like buying CDs, copy them and then return them back to the store. You might technically not do anything illegal but you are effectively avoiding compensating the creators(and distributors and the store). I still fail to see how this belongs to designer news however you define it.

        3 points
        • Jesse C.Jesse C., 8 years ago

          Also, how does it fair as far as being moral, empathetic, etc.? As designers, do we not at least strive to show empathy, understanding, and the like. Like you said, maybe it's not 'illegal', but is it something you would like done to yourself?

          0 points
          • Eric REric R, 8 years ago

            Also, how does it fair as far as being moral, empathetic, etc.?

            I don't think its that much different from using AdBlock in your browser. By using that, a ton of sites that use Ads as the main source of revenue are now making nothing.

            The difference here of course is that Spotify offers a paid plan to turn off ads, unlike most websites that use ads.

            Also, if this just mutes the ad, doesn't the ad still run and count as an impression? I would assume they aren't actually losing any ad revenue through this if it works like that.

            0 points
    • Jordan IsipJordan Isip, 8 years ago

      +1 - what bothers me even more is that the creator of this has a big donate $5 button for his software.

      2 points
  • Daniel FoscoDaniel Fosco, 8 years ago

    I really don't get how this could be nice. If one does not want to listen to ads, just pay the subscription, simple as that.

    On the other hand, I also don't use Adblock, so there's that.

    18 points
    • Raphael LoderRaphael Loder, 8 years ago

      One example where reading on the actual website and not just the title would have explained the whole reasoning:

      Spotify does not accept any payments from a country that I live in – Ukraine. So instead of paying for my music and getting rid of the ads, I had to find a way to physically silence them. (http://spotifree.gordinskiy.com/about.html)

      I, of course, don't know if this is true. But I also don't see any reason why he would blatantly lie about this issue when he just couldn't mention it.

      3 points
      • Luke VellaLuke Vella, 8 years ago

        Based on that, it seems as if Spotify has a personal grudge against the guy, and refuses to accepts payments from any country he resides in.

        2 points
      • Daniel FoscoDaniel Fosco, 8 years ago

        I did read the website, but didn't see the disclaimer.

        Regardless, I doubt most people that use this will be from Ukraine.

        0 points
  • Quintin Carlson, 8 years ago

    I don't think we should be accepting the "I can't get Spotify Premium" as an excuse. You don't have a right to use Spotify. It's a privilege at best.

    If they don't accept payments from your country, that doesn't give you license to violate their T&C, pirate or otherwise abuse their software.

    Same goes for when you torrent a TV show because there isn't a way to legally purchase it. That doesn't give you free reign to pirate it since it isn't conveniently available for you. It's stealing. Plain and simple.

    4 points
    • Eric REric R, 8 years ago

      Same goes for when you torrent a TV show because there isn't a way to legally purchase it. That doesn't give you free reign to pirate it since it isn't conveniently available for you.

      Doesn't give you free reign, but it does give you justification depending on the circumstances. If you can't LEGALLY purchase it, but want to watch it, how do I get it? Piracy. Not by choice, but it is the only way.

      1 point
      • Quintin Carlson, 8 years ago

        What makes you so entitled to have easy access to it? If you can't legally purchase it, email the production company or otherwise outreach to those who own the rights to it. Just because it isn't conveniently available for sale (in a way or format you see fit) doesn't give you the right to steal it.

        It isn't the only way. It's the way you decided is okay because someone doesn't want to sell it to you right this moment in a way you like or see fit.

        You're not entitled to get it. Wait, or if it bothers you so much, communicate and make legal arrangements with those who do own the rights to it.

        0 points
        • Eric REric R, 8 years ago

          If you can't legally purchase it, email the production company or otherwise outreach to those who own the rights to it.

          Because that works ever. /s

          Same goes for when you torrent a TV show because there isn't a way to legally purchase it.

          This is your quote from the other post. You are saying there is no way to legally purchase it. But then in this post you say:

          It isn't the only way. It's the way you decided is okay because someone doesn't want to sell it to you right this moment in a way you like or see fit.

          So what is the scenario? Can I legally buy it or not? If I can, I will. If not, LITERALLY the only other option is to pirate it. It is not an entitlement issue, its a distribution issue. I am not going to bend over backward making 'legal arrangements' to give my money to someone who doesn't want it. That is just absurd and unrealistic. Unless you are a boy scout who has to be morally at peace with himself at all times.

          Also, I do pay for my services. I pay for Spotify and I pay for Adobe CC, Google Drive, etc. This was just me playing devil's advocate.

          0 points
  • Shawn BorskyShawn Borsky, 8 years ago

    Not a fan. His reasoning is tenuously acceptable for him to do this personally. Even so, are ads really so bad for the value you are getting?

    Either way, sharing is with other people just feels wrong too me. Spotify is not exactly swimming in money and even though his intentions are good, advertising is an important way for them to make this model of distribution work.

    It seems like most people would just see this as way to exploit Spotify.

    4 points
  • Joe TurnerJoe Turner, 8 years ago

    Spotify will probably not like this, and rightly so.

    2 points
    • Thibault MaekelberghThibault Maekelbergh, 8 years ago

      Its' been out there for a while. Also don't see how they would be able to block this quickly without configuring their backend.

      0 points
  • Ed AdamsEd Adams, 8 years ago

    According to this issue on GitHub this app no longer works, so there's that.

    0 points