I Don't Have Spotify

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Tool purpose & behavior

  • Service converts Spotify (and some other) links to equivalents on other music platforms (YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, SoundCloud; Tidal support is pending).
  • Several users find it very useful for handling Spotify links in chats/Slack/Discord when they themselves use other services.
  • Others report poor matching for non-unique song titles or less mainstream tracks; sometimes correct album art appears with wrong links.
  • Some see it more as an “art piece/statement” because it’s one-way (mostly Spotify → others) and doesn’t address common flows like YouTube → Spotify.

Alternatives and related tools

  • Odesli/song.link is frequently mentioned as a more mature equivalent that supports URL pasting, search, and multi-service landing pages.
  • There are browser extensions and iOS Shortcuts that auto-convert links to a preferred service, often relying on the same APIs as Odesli.
  • Playlist-transfer tools (TuneMyMusic, playlists.cloud, Soundiiz, spotify_to_tidal, Playlisty) are widely used to migrate libraries between services, with mixed success on edge cases and obscure tracks.

Music ownership vs streaming

  • A large subthread discusses buying instead of renting music:
    • Bandcamp, Qobuz, 7digital, Amazon MP3, iTunes, Bleep, Boomkat, Beatport, Junodownload etc. are cited as sources for DRM-free files (often FLAC/MP3).
    • Many advocate downloading and backing up immediately; several report stores removing purchased content from accounts later.
    • Some recommend CDs as cheap, high-quality, and easy to rip; debate ensues over disc rot and longevity.

Audio quality and formats

  • Debate on CDs vs vinyl vs streaming:
    • CDs are argued to be technically superior to vinyl and any lossy streaming, though vinyl sometimes benefits from different mastering.
    • Some users verify “lossless” files and discover upsampled or fake content.
    • Qobuz and Tidal are praised for lossless/high-res offerings; others say perceived quality gains are small.

Artist support and ethics

  • Many criticize streaming payouts, especially Spotify’s, and suggest:
    • Buying music (especially at release week).
    • Supporting artists via Bandcamp, merch, shows, donations, or sample packs.
  • Some boycott Spotify over its content deals or the CEO’s defense investments; others defend such investments as national defense.

Interoperability & identifiers

  • Users want a vendor-neutral identifier/format for tracks and playlists, akin to ISBN/DOI.
  • ISRC, MusicBrainz IDs, acoustic fingerprints (AcoustID), and XML playlist formats are discussed; adoption across services is seen as limited and inconsistent.