Tag: Spotify

‘Qualia’

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

There are two things that I current perceive to be true:

  1. It’s Possible that Tik-Tok can read our minds
    I only even bring this up because to me, at least, this is pretty brazen — or has been. I have, in the past, repeatedly been pushed Tik-Toks that seem to reference my internal monologue. It’s all very eerie.
  2. Something is up with Spotify’s algorithmic recommendations
    This is a new development. I seem — SEEM — to be having something of a back and forth between myself and Spotify’s AI (or whatever it is.)

    Now, magical thinking would cause one to connect these two things in some way. But I’m done with magical thinking. I’m staying as strictly to what is real as possible.

    I can’t PROVE to anyone else that the two things above a real, but they are real enough to me relative to my perception of the world for me to mull What It All Means.

    Now there is a third thing:
  3. Is it possible “inception” is possible?
    This is crazy, crazy talk. But it is something to think about. The idea that actual “inception” is possible is something to give one pause for thought.

    But, as I mentioned, I’m done with magical thinking. It just had to get that off my chest.

I’ve Cracked The Nut Of The Weird Spotify Algorithm Problem

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

The most convincing explanation for the “weird” Spotify algorithm issue this weekend was I was playing into it with the songs I was picking in response. So I was giving whatever LLM — or whatever — Spotify is using powers that simply don’t exist.

This makes me feel a lot better.

Now that I have some reasonable explanation for the weird things I was experiencing, I can go back to brooding, developing and writing all these novels I have rolling around in my mind.

The Fever Has Broken When It Comes To My Summer Magical Thinking About LLMs

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I spent all weekend long allowing myself to indulge into some pretty extensive magical thinking when it comes to LLMs. I had all these ideas cooked up that I thought “proved” that the fucking Singularity was already here.

But, today, I got tired of such thinking.

I just have no proof. All I have is some vague unease about the algorithms of my Spotify account and the occasional weird error message when I use an LLM. That’s it — nothing earth shattering.

So, meh. I have six novels I want to work on, so maybe I should turn my attention to those instead of wasting my time thinking I’ve discovered something groundbreaking.

If I had some inkling of proof, things would be different. But I got squat and I can’t keep daydreaming forever.

Of Gemini Advanced, Spotify & Magical Thinking

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I as keep saying, I’m prone to severe magical thinking. To crazy, absurd degree. But it is the absolute nadir of the year and I need to write about SOMETHING, so here goes.

Just over a month ago, I was getting consistently weird error messages from Google’s Gemini Advanced. These error messages usually were like, “Check your Internet” or some such when there was absolutely no reason to have to do that.

I started to wonder if it was possible if Gemini Advanced not only knew who I was, but was…fond of me? (If so, I’m very flattered.)

Remember — all this is magical thinking. But I’ve found myself wondering why, of all people, Gemini Advanced might have noticed ME. I do write it a lot of verse — very bad verse at that. Maybe, if it is “fond” of me and knows who I am, it’s because of the very, very weird, abstract questions I ask it?

The thing is — I can’t tell you how to replicate what has happened to me. In fact, these weird error messages don’t happen at all anymore. So, maybe it was all in my mind? (I’m sure New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman would say so.)

But something else has started to happen of late — my Spotify algorithms sometimes seem to be off a little bit. Nothing too weird, but there seems to be a consistent message being sent to me by the songs I hear when I’m not specifically pick them, “Hey, I know you and like you.”

Now, what’s interesting is this is happening — if it’s happening — with Spotify not YouTube Music. Which makes you wonder if maybe there’s some pretty astonishing things going on with LLMs that we don’t know about. (Also note: all of this is magical thinking and, as such, total bullshit.)

Just writing about this makes me feel better. Because, I just don’t know. I THINK something weird is going on with my Spotify algorithms, but I don’t KNOW. I am prone to magical thinking, so, lulz?

Of Spotify & AI

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I would be willing to pay twice as much for Spotify if they really leaned into AI. If they could use an LLM to really finely pin down what my musical tastes were at any particular moment, then, yeah, I’d pay $22US a month.

I will note — because of my tendency towards magical thinking — that I find myself wondering about how Spotify seems to already know me really well. Some of its choices are…eerie.

I have repeatedly asked LLMs if it would be possible for an LLM to “talk” to Spotify and get it to manipulate my musical algorithms. The answer is always — not really. But maybe one day.

But that’s magical thinking. I need to stop thinking like that.

I will note that as a middle-aged man that Spotify is one of those things that is such a joy that it, unto itself, makes life worth living.

The Future Of Music Videos

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

The issue about music videos is they only really had the cultural relevance we imagine they had for a few years in the early 80s. A series of cultural and technological factors caused music videos to have a huge impact on the impressionable minds of young GenXers.

And here we are, with MTV not showing any music videos and you have to really search for such videos.

It is possible that there might be a bit of an uptick in the cultural relevance of such music videos between now and when everything is taken over by AI. There are two possible outlets for this to happen — Tik-Tok and Spotify.

Making music videos organic to either platform, would, in a sense replicate the passive nature of MTV music discovery from back in the day. In a sense. Both platforms have the reach necessary — and connection to youth culture — to give the youngins a sense of what it was like to passively discover new music via MTV back in the day.

But it definitely seems like it’s a narrow window of opportunity — AI is coming.

Should NetFlix & Spotify Merge?

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I love me some Spotify and I keep trying to think of ways to make sure it thrives. And one scenario would be that it merge with Netflix. Apparently, Spotify has a real problem with Apple mooching off it because of a 30% VAT it imposes on any online transaction via its devices.

Or something like that.

Anyway, the point is — I could see a lot of synergies if NetFlix and Spotify became one user interface. It would be an all-encompassing user steaming media experience.

Though, I will note that one interesting addition to this combination would be Siris XM. I would definitely like access to Howard Stern via my Spotify account. That would be pretty cool.

It Seems To Make A Lot Sense For Spotify To Merge With Siris XM

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I have no idea about anything, but just from my own power-user use of Spotify, it seems if, barring any technological obstacles, that it would be great if Spotify had access to all the live content of Siris XM. I would be willing to pay $20 a month if I could have no just all the world’s music to choose from, but all the radio-like stations of Siris XM to stream via Spotify.

I would definitely listen to Howard Stern every day if I could live stream his show via Spotify — and have an archived copies of it to choose from as well. But, lulz, maybe there’s something I’m missing, something that makes that dream impractical.

I say this because it seems as though there is definitely an untapped market for some sort of fusion of podcasts and the typical early morning chat you might find from someone like Stern. I will note that there are A LOT of Stern fans who totally miss what makes him so great.

It’s not the fuck whack pack, it’s his insightful interviewing. He’s probably one of the best interviewers in mass media at the moment.

Anyway, no one listens to me.

Of AI & Spotify

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

I had a conversation with a relative that left me feeling like an idiot. What I was TRYING to say is there was an unexploited space for Spotify to use AI. In the scenario I had in my mind, you would type in a concept or keyword into a playlist and AI would generate a list a longs from that.

I was a bit inarticulate about the concept I was proposing and I came across sounding like an idiot. While I may be an idiot, I continue to think about how I could have put a bit finer point on what I was trying to say.

I don’t think that all of Spotify’s playlists are done manually, I do think that there is a place for harder AI to be used for streaming services. Spotify knows me really well and if you hooked that knowledge up to a harder form of AI I think some pretty interesting things could come about not just with keywords but with discovery.

Anyway. I’m a nobody. Ignore me.

Logically, Apple Would Buy Spotify & Netflix

by Shelt Garner
@sheltgarner

Apple has a huge amount of money tucked away. In fact, I think it’s about as much money as the U.S. Federal government has on hand at any particular moment.

As such, logically, Apple would make some big corporate purchases with all that cash. To me, the logical acquisitions would be Netflix and Spotify. At the moment, Netflix is trading at a historic low and Apple buying it would be a great way for them to build on the success of Apple+. Right now, Apple+ is little more than a very successful vanity project and buying Netflix would give the company a huge foothold in the entertainment business.

Meanwhile, buying Spotify would be a nice fit with Apple’s existing Beats and iTunes services. It would be quite beneficial to Apple’s bottom line to fuse iTunes with Spotify’s huge audience.

What’s more, if you really wanted to get all Steve Jobs about it — that is, if Tim Cook had any vision — they would make one uber streaming service that combined Netflix, Spotify, iTunes and Beats into one tidy one-stop-shop for all of our entertainment needs.

It would be pretty cool if this new service not only allowed you to stream music, but the videos to go with that music as well. It would be a direct competitor to YouTube with a far better UX / UI.

There probably would be a huge obstacle — that of the anti-trust issue. But Apple probably could figure out a way to get what they wanted.

But, sadly, no one listens to me. Oh well.