The Surprising Thing I Learned from Quitting Spotify

Adam Clark Estes set out to ditch Spotify due to its quirks—clunky interface, relentless ads, and an endless loop of Sabrina Carpenter songs—only to find himself crawling back. Why? The algorithm. Spotify’s personalized recommendations, built over 15 years of his listening history, proved irreplaceable. While Apple Music and other platforms tried, they just couldn’t surprise him the way Spotify could. This got him thinking: While algorithms often get a bad rap—controlling social media feeds and driving radicalization—users have more power than they realize to shape them in their favor. By engaging more actively with Spotify’s recommendations, he discovered he could make the algorithm work for him, rather than the other way around.

Key Points:

• Why He Quit Spotify: Estes initially left due to frustrating UI changes, repetitive playlists, and intrusive ads.
• Why He Came Back: Spotify's algorithm had years of his listening history, making its music suggestions better than alternatives like Apple Music.
• How the Algorithm Works: Spotify uses content-based filtering (grouping songs by genre, mood, etc.) and collaborative filtering (suggesting what similar listeners enjoy).
• Serendipitous Discoveries: Spotify’s mishaps sometimes lead to unexpectedly great recommendations. “Some of the serendipity that you get is sort of error turned into virtue,” said Glenn McDonald, a former Spotify data expert.
• Lean-Forward Listening: Actively shaping recommendations—making playlists, rejecting bad suggestions, and digging through others’ playlists—improves algorithm performance.
• Algorithms Are Everywhere: From Netflix to Amazon, algorithms shape what we see and buy, but users aren’t powerless—tweaking settings can improve recommendations.
• How to Take Control: Reset viewing history, explore alternative platforms (like Bluesky for social media), and use customization options offered by services like Amazon.

Takeaway:

Estes realized that while algorithms can feel manipulative, they only control you if you let them. In some cases—like Spotify—they may actually enhance your experience, as long as you learn to guide them in the right direction.
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