Some Spotify Premium users are demanding a refund from the company, after Canadian artist Drake was heavily promoted through the app over the weekend.
Drake temporarily “took over” the streaming service after the release of his new album at the tail-end of last week, to the irritation of plenty of subscribers.
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Premium customers, who pay £9.99 per month (or $9.99 in the US) for an ad-free experience, are arguing that the promotional stunt equated to advertising – and they want their money back.
The takeover was extremely heavy-handed. As Billboard reports, Drake’s image was even used on playlists that didn’t even feature his music, including “Best of British”.
Some Spotify users described the move as “ridiculous”. Others claim to have deleted their accounts and moved across to rival service Apple Music.
There is a not so thin limit between (native) advertising and curation, and you crossed it ?
I enjoy Spotify's curation and pay to not get advertising, not the other way around. pic.twitter.com/6RGsKgwp1C— Ellypse (@EllypseCelwe) July 1, 2018
You guys are ridiculous. This whole Drake thing is excessive. My WHOLE browse section is him only… I don't care about his new album and i don't need to see his face literally everywhere on my spotify..??
— Arielle (@Macbeth221) July 1, 2018
You know how premium users pay for no advertisements? This isn't exactly appreciated. It's not even clever marketing, you've just plastered his face on every playlist on the homepage.
— Michael (@darkfeign) July 1, 2018
WTF, my feed is being carpet bombed with this hack. Ok, he’s got a new album, I don’t need 37 playlists with his pic. I get it, artists need to promote things but this is ridiculous. #turnitoff
— Jeff Heinzelman (@vivajeffvegas) July 1, 2018
A Reddit user called Schwagschwag claims to have successfully claimed a refund by messaging Spotify’s customer service team.
“I just messaged spotify customer service on their website and told them I wanted a refund since this is advertising and I pay for premium with no ads, and they have now refunded my last payment,” they wrote.
“Complain, take your money back, and let them know you will cancel if they pull this sh*t again. Money talks. Money walking away talks.”
We’ve asked Spotify for comment, and this article will be updated with the firm’s response.
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However, responding to an irate customer, the @SpotifyCares Twitter account wrote: “We’re always trying new and interesting ways to work with our artists, and we really do value your feedback as it helps inform our decisions going forward.”
It added: “We appreciate the feedback you’ve given us and we’ll be sure to pass it on to the right folks.”
This is the first time Spotify has pulled a promotional stunt like this, and it’s fair to say the firm might need to go back to the drawing board.
Did you notice the Drake takeover? Share your experiences with us @TrustedReviews.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.