I still listen to radio at my desk, like an absolute freak.
Yes, I know that streaming apps existI also use Spotify every day.
Spotify is great for listening to entire albums, and even the occasional playlist.
This might be my fault.
Plenty of people seem to like the algorithm just fine.
Maybe I’m using Spotify “wrong,” or at least differently than the average user.
In other words, more often than not, it sends me right down a rabbit hole.
Sometimes, it turns out, I want the radio.
Last fall I listened to Boygenius’The Recordat least once a day.
Spotify seized on this and recommended me similar low key indie rock, which I passively listened to.
Evidently the algorithm concluded that I’m a female 20-something art school dropout.
Even so, I’m not necessarily objecting.
Some small part of me clearly vibes with sad girl indie.
But I’m more than just a sad girl.
I’m someone with diverse musical taste, and I want to keep exploring and expanding my horizons.
For me, the best way to find that is with the help of other humans.
I’ve spent some time seeking out online radio stations I like, with human curated playlists.
I evenwrote a guide for finding thema few years ago.
There’s alsoSomaFM, which offers a bunch of different stations under one umbrella.
And those are just the stations I personally like.
I useEterfor listening to the radio on my Mac.
you’re free to use it to search for specific stations or discover new ones.
On Android, I likeRadioDroid.
It has a comprehensive database of stations and a decent user interface.
It’s also open source and free of ads.
Another obvious way to take greater control of my audio life would be simulcasting actual radio stations.
Apple Music works really well for radio, especially if you have a subscription.
I have no idea why Spotify hasn’t copied this feature.
Until then, I’ll be avoiding the algorithm by heading elsewhere.
