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Spotify Starts Cracking Down on Friends Who Share Family Plans (theverge.com)

Spotify is emailing some users on family plans asking for their GPS locations in order to confirm that they live in the same location. From a report: Subscribers who don't confirm their home address could lose access to their plan, according to the email. The move is an apparent attempt by Spotify to crack down on groups of friends who save money on individual subscriptions by sharing discounted plans intended for families. The emails, which have been sent to a limited number of "Premium for Family" subscribers in at least the US and Germany, have been received with scorn by some who rightly point out that not all families live together. However, Spotify's small print does say that the family plan is available for "you and up to five people who reside at your same address." The amount of people subscribed to family plans suggests not all of them abide by Spotify's definition.

94 comments

  1. Families who stay together... by deadaluspark · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Because sure, Spotify, every family always all lives in the same domicile. Kids never leave for college. What a fucking farce. If you don't want people sharing it with their FAMILY, don't call it a fucking family plan and then expect them to all live in the same domicile.

    1. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Isn't this pretty easy to work around? Kids would know the address to verify. If you are good enough friends with someone to be sharing an account, odds are you know their address?

    2. Re: Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      'cause I like humping your mommy,
      and getting caught by your dad.
      If you're not into poota,
      and you have half a nad.
      If you like humping butts at midnight,
      in the smooth anal gape.
      Then i'm the one that you searched for,
      come to me and assrape.

      -Helen Gurley Brown

    3. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Insightful

      But Spotify makes it very clear when you sign up what constitutes a family within the confines of their subscription model. The social construct of "family" isn't important. Just because you think your second cousin Kuala Lumpur should be able to share your plan doesn't make it so.

      PS. Do you use that kind of language around your famliy? No wonder they don't want to live with you...

    4. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They use your device's GPS location to verify the address.

    5. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

      But Spotify makes it very clear when you sign up what constitutes a family within the confines of their subscription model. The social construct of "family" isn't important. Just because you think your second cousin Kuala Lumpur should be able to share your plan doesn't make it so.

      PS. Do you use that kind of language around your famliy? No wonder they don't want to live with you...

      Amazing that such a thoughtful answer as your has yet to receive an "UP" vote.

      You rightfully point out that some people feel they are entitled to stretch the subscription agreement, and then they scream like spoiled children when they get caught out.

      Here's my own "UP" vote for you. +1

    6. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      In most countries kids having reached voting& driving age are legally not part of the family.

    7. Re: Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They could solve this by renaming Family Plan to Home Plan...

    8. Re:Families who stay together... by fred6666 · · Score: 1

      so, you are only allowed to use Spotify at home? Never when "visiting" a friend?

    9. Re:Families who stay together... by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      If True, that is going to come as a surprise to most of the world. You're of voting age now, and no longer part of the family.

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    10. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, it's THEIR fault you can't read the painfully obvious terms and conditions

      From the website:

      Spotify Family plan

      Super simple bill. One low price, for you and up to five other people who live at your same address. Listen together. But also separately. Any questions?

    11. Re: Families who stay together... by DickBreath · · Score: 1

      So would it be okay for roommates, or renters to share the plan? Or one night stands?

      --

      I'll see your senator, and I'll raise you two judges.
    12. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You will be asked to verify your location. You have several days to complete the verification. You need to complete the verification while at your house (GPS verified). If you don't complete it within that time window, your account will be deactivated until you can go to the house and complete it.

      YoutubeTV does something very similar. You can use it while traveling, but you have to login from your house at least once every few months. This is obviously impractical for people who live far away from you, which is exactly the point. If your kids live across town, you can still game the system by having them drop by periodically to "sign in" from "home".

    13. Re:Families who stay together... by farble1670 · · Score: 2, Interesting

      Because sure, Spotify, every family always all lives in the same domicile. Kids never leave for college. What a fucking farce. If you don't want people sharing it with their FAMILY, don't call it a fucking family plan and then expect them to all live in the same domicile.

      Regardless of your statements about the dictionary definition of a family, they are allowed to have a reasonable business model and a way to prevent people from cheating them.

      If you don't like it, subscribe to one of the other streaming plans that let's you share your account with any number of random people. If you are one of the people that is targeted by this crackdown they are happy if you leave since you are costing them money.

    14. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      PS. Do you use that kind of language around your famliy? No wonder they don't want to live with you...

      Holy fuck, not the GP, but are you fucking serious?

      Do you live under a rock with a bunch of fucking mormons who don't fucking swear? Are your panties on too tight? Or are you just a fucking moron?

      Get the fuck over it, idiot.

    15. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      so, you are only allowed to use Spotify at home? Never when "visiting" a friend?

      There is this thing called big data analysis, and by looking at your location history it can determine if you are *always* somewhere else. Walking down the street is not going to hit the threshold, but always being elsewhere would. So, if you want to be considered part of the family, visit your Mom more often (she will like that anyway).

    16. Re:Families who stay together... by Puls4r · · Score: 1

      And do they also lay out that they may demand to know your GPS location?

      Let's make it simple. Cancel them and go elsewhere. That's the only way to get corporations to pay attention.

    17. Re: Families who stay together... by ShanghaiBill · · Score: 3, Funny

      So would it be okay for roommates, or renters to share the plan?

      Yes, as long as they reside at the same address.

      Or one night stands?

      Yes, but you have to cancel in the morning.

    18. Re: Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Only as long as they are at the same address.
      The rules are fine but the name is misleading.

    19. Re:Families who stay together... by thegarbz · · Score: 1

      Right next to the "Getting Started" button: Get Premium accounts for you and up to five people who reside at your same address. Terms & Conditions apply

      Nothing farcical about it. I share my account with roommates completely unrelated to me. But since you're into social constructs my "bros" are far more of a family than my blood relatives.

    20. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      disclaimer IANAL: disregarding the tone, you are absolutely (mostly) correct. From a legal (United States) standpoint, living-with does include people who are away at school, or any location that is not expected to be permanent, as compared to the location that is considered 'home,' by the individual and the rest of the 'home' inhabitants. That being said, if Spotify defines it differently, they can for contract purposes, but might find it difficult to find a court that would enforce it or consider it reasonable.

    21. Re:Families who stay together... by Revek · · Score: 1

      Even better if you have a android device load a fake GPS app and select you're parents house. My daughter still has room at my house but she is in college ninety miles away. Kinda stupid really. When your subscribers start to peak you have to do something to increase profits.

    22. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Faggots need to STFU before they get bitch-slapped

    23. Re:Families who stay together... by fred6666 · · Score: 1

      There is this thing called big data analysis, and by looking at your location history it can determine if you are *always* somewhere else.

      So? You are not allowed to be a workaholic? You are not allowed to turn off your smartphone at home? You are not allowed to use spotify on a device without a GPS? Or in a basement where GPS doesn't work? Or in a basement somewhere remote where there is no cell phone reception?
      If you think there is a good way to prevent account sharing, you didn't think it through.

    24. Re:Families who stay together... by fred6666 · · Score: 1

      This is obviously impractical for people who live far away from you, which is exactly the point.

      I am pretty sure those who share spotify accounts often live in the same city. So this will be a nuisance for many users, and won't even catch more than say, 10% of the violators.

      Not counting that GPS position can be faked, and that you can use spotify on a PC without a GPS.

    25. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      YoutubeTV does something very similar. You can use it while traveling, but you have to login from your house at least once every few months. This is obviously impractical for people who live far away from you, which is exactly the point. If your kids live across town, you can still game the system by having them drop by periodically to "sign in" from "home".

      Why? to sign in, I need only as my parents to enable remote access on their windows laptop.
      then I can sign in ...
      What is the big deal? I do it all the time to access YT and steam as AA ("Almost American") while living in EU and paying with us gift cards .

    26. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because sure, Spotify, every family always all lives in the same domicile. Kids never leave for college. What a fucking farce. If you don't want people sharing it with their FAMILY, don't call it a fucking family plan and then expect them to all live in the same domicile.

      I guess they could rename it to the less catchy "household" plan, but I suspect you'd still be upset.

    27. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      my mother is dead, you insensitive clod!

    28. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Family has one exactly 1 meaning, and everywhere in the world it is the same.

    29. Re:Families who stay together... by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      The more salient point is though is that, like most words, there is more than one known definition of "family." And they're using one of the traditional ones, such as is used in the phrase "single family home."

      Here, it is synonymous with "household."

      There is no ambiguity.

      Also, if there was ambiguity, then nobody would be "cheating" them.

    30. Re:Families who stay together... by farble1670 · · Score: 1

      IKR? Who would have thought that "family" didn't mean the 673 people you met in a Chinese piracy forum?

    31. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Correct, and this is why I share my Spotify account with the rest of the Cosa Nostra.

    32. Re:Families who stay together... by TheFakeTimCook · · Score: 1

      Because sure, Spotify, every family always all lives in the same domicile. Kids never leave for college.

      What a fucking farce. If you don't want people sharing it with their FAMILY, don't call it a fucking family plan and then expect them to all live in the same domicile.

      I'm pretty sure Apple Music doesn't pull that shit.

      In fact, I don't even have an Apple Music Family Plan, and I use it on my Apple TV, my iPhone, my MacBook Pro, and my work Windows laptop, and have never ONCE been denied access or anything. I am using the same AppleID, and are never accessing it from more than one device at once; so maybe that's why it is working, even though the GPS location of my phone and laptops change, as does what network I am on; but FWIW, it DOES work...

      IMHO, Spotify must be going broke to start trying to chase pennies like that...

    33. Re:Families who stay together... by I-am-a-Banana · · Score: 1

      George Carlin said it best "We think in language. The quality of our thoughts and ideas can only be as good as the quality of our language."

    34. Re:Families who stay together... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      They use your device's GPS location to verify the address.

      Well I don't let any app have access to my location anyways. I don't buy any phone that doesn't have Lineage support. On top of that my GPS is turned off all the time. The only time I turn it on, is if I use Maps.

      What are they going to do if the GPS says your in your neighbors house, as we all know GPS accuracy is hit or miss sometimes.

    35. Re:Families who stay together... by Wycliffe · · Score: 1

      If True, that is going to come as a surprise to most of the world. You're of voting age now, and no longer part of the family.

      Immediate family has a strict definition. It usually refers to living under a single roof but can occasional make an exception for kids in college. It's the definition used for health insurance and most other "family membership plans". It sometimes is defined as dependants.

      Other services use a variety of methods to reduce cheating. Things like sharing credit card information too, restricting shipping addresses, limiting the number of streams, or GPS. There are lots of ways to verify that someone is part of the family but they all have their own limitations and problems.

      I think limiting streams seems like the fairest and give the newest connection the ability to terminate stale streams. Other options include allowing the "owner" to see the streaming history of all the sub accounts and/or only allow two over 18 accounts per family plan.

    36. Re:Families who stay together... by JonnyN · · Score: 1

      Yeah, this is bullshit. No traveling! And all families must live together at all times.

      --
      I help business owners sell their expertise online.
  2. I got this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I have two houses, a wife and two kids, one of whom is working away from home this year and will be in college next year. Are they really going to stop me from using the family plan?

    1. Re:I got this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I have two houses, a wife and two kids, one of whom is working away from home this year and will be in college next year. Are they really going to stop me from using the family plan?

      If you're violating the terms of use that you claim to have read all of and agreed to when you signed up for the family plan, probably.

  3. Kav perjured himself so bad, he's fucked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Flake sealed Kavanaugh's fate, the FBI will be tearing him a new asshole now since he provably perjured himself. He may even face prison.

    1. Re:Kav perjured himself so bad, he's fucked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Kavanaugh confirmed in the middle of next week.
      Republican gain Senate seats in the midterms, and lose a few House seats.
      RBG kicks the bucket prior to 2020, is replaced by a Trump pick.
      Thomas retires prior to 2020, replaced by a Trump pick.
      Trump is re-elected in 2020 on the backs of a strong economy. Republicans retake the house.
      Breyer dies prior to 2024, is replaced by a Trump pick.
      Trump's legacy is leaving the Supreme Court with a 7-2 conservative majority.

    2. Re:Kav perjured himself so bad, he's fucked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

      Kavanaugh found to have perjured himself on drinking at the very least - now.
      FBI detects this in the first half hour of the investigation, broadens scope.
      More women come forward confirming Ford account.
      Judge subpeonae'd to testify, does so - destroys Kavanaugh account under oath.
      FBI report concludes Brett Kavanaugh lied about his testimony.
      Collins and Murkowski have an inescapable reason to vote no, and do so.
      Kavanaugh is rejected, and faces further investigation ongoing, resigns Federal judgeship after 2 months.
      Trump is escorted to Joint Base Andrews under military police escort with Secret Service in tow,
      directly to Federal ADX facility, Florence Colorado, where Trump begins his first of several life sentences for treason
      Approximately 9:15pm Trump Junior is raped by large inmates for the first time, his asshole torn over 12 inches wide.
      America is great again.

    3. Re:Kav perjured himself so bad, he's fucked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's all politics and it's really a sad and broken system.
      Can't make this shit up:
      Senator Cory Booker, aka: Groper Booker was demanding Kavanaugh be investigated for sexual misconduct allegations against him.
      WTF ?
      Groper Booker had admitted he groped many women.
      Why the fuck is he a senator and not in jail or fired?
      This is deeply troubling, something stinks with leadership.

  4. Let's annoy our customers! by darth_borehd · · Score: 5, Insightful

    We are hemorrhaging cash. What should we do?

    Let's annoy our customers by taking away the lyrics feature!
    -- Good one! What else?

    Let's start requiring home addresses so we can sell their info to marketers.
    -- Great! This is going to make people love us. We'll tell them we are going all Draconians on all family members have to have the same addresses. Screw their parents in the military and kids in college.

    1. Re:Let's annoy our customers! by farble1670 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Let's annoy our customers by taking away the lyrics feature!
      -- Good one! What else?

      I'm sure that saved them MILLIONS.

      Let's start requiring home addresses so we can sell their info to marketers.
      -- Great! This is going to make people love us. We'll tell them we are going all Draconians on all family members have to have the same addresses. Screw their parents in the military and kids in college.

      Won't someone think of the children and our honored veterans?

      We all know this isn't about taking away little Suzy's music while she's off at university in the next state over. It's about some people that are sharing their account with tens of their friends. If you like Pandora, you'd agree they need some way to fight this. If you don't like or use Pandora, then why are you here crying?

    2. Re:Let's annoy our customers! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Google Play family plan doesn't limit who uses it. I share with family at a different address.

    3. Re:Let's annoy our customers! by b0bby · · Score: 1

      If you like Pandora, you'd agree they need some way to fight this. If you don't like or use Pandora, then why are you here crying?

      Because we don't want Spotify to change our plan? ;)

    4. Re:Let's annoy our customers! by farble1670 · · Score: 1

      Because we don't want Spotify to change our plan? ;)

      Okay, let's try this again.

      If you like Spotify, you'd agree they need some way to fight this, also.

    5. Re:Let's annoy our customers! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And Google likely sells that info to advertisers, and makes plenty of cash in other categories as well so they could run at a net loss. Spotify only works in 1 category and cannot afford to run at a net loss.

    6. Re:Let's annoy our customers! by Aighearach · · Score: 1

      We are hemorrhaging cash. What should we do?

      Let's annoy our customers by taking away the lyrics feature!
      -- Good one! What else?

      Let's start requiring home addresses so we can sell their info to marketers.
      -- Great! This is going to make people love us. We'll tell them we are going all Draconians on all family members have to have the same addresses. Screw their parents in the military and kids in college.

      Lyrics have separate copyright issues. Spotify never provided lyrics themselves. They used to have a partnership with a company so that they could just give your metadata to that company behind the scenes, and show the lyrics in their app. But they were not the ones who licensed it. Then they ended that partnership; you can still get the exact same lyrics from the exact same company by installing both apps. The other app can show the lyrics for the song that is playing in spotify. I don't know how much it cost them, but if it was less than millions they'd have probably kept it.

      They do still provide lyrics inside the app via a different company, but there is less coverage. According to the internet, you can click the "now playing" bar at the bottom of the app and get lyrics, for supported songs.

      If your parents are in the military, maybe they can get a ticket for USO show, or something? If your kids are in college... yeah, they probably know how to get media. ROFL

      PS: Draconians was a play on words. If you were intentionally trying to make a cultural reference, you would need to try harder to work it into the grammar. Draconians, in your favorite show, were from the planet Draconia. In your attempted reference, it would only be "going all Draconian" and the only hint would be the capitalization. You would need to change it so you say something like, "acting like a bunch of Draconians" if you wanted that word form. The standard term draconian refers to being like Draco (650-600 BCE) who was elected by the people of Athens to be their law-giver, then he surprised them with laws that were much harsher than they had expected or intended. All crimes were punishable by death, except debt (punished by slavery) and unintentional homicide, punished by exile. (yes, shoplifting and debt were worse crimes than negligent manslaughter) (all his laws other than the homicide law were repealed by Solon)

    7. Re:Let's annoy our customers! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I'm sure they do something with my music preferences, but this is something I don't really care who knows about. Worst case, they find out I'm a closet Justin Bieber fan.

  5. Simple solution ... by UnknownSoldier · · Score: 2

    .. just charge a flat rate per stream.

    Want to share your stream with 20 people OK, you get billed 20x that month.

    Share it with 4 others (family), OK, you get charged 5x that month.

    This isn't rocket science. More like a cash grab after "Oh shit, our bandwidth costs are higher then we expected and these expenses are cutting into our profits."

    1. Re:Simple solution ... by fred6666 · · Score: 1

      this could work, except that too many people would complain that they forgot spotify running all night with their speaker off. A lot of people probably leave it on like a radio. Also there is a too large variation in usage between users. Some use it only 5 minutes / week and others 24/7. So if one is billed 1$, the other one must be billed $500/month or more.

    2. Re:Simple solution ... by rogoshen1 · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Man.. have not looked at their financials but i'd wager the bandwidth and overall 'tech' costs are a complete joke compared the licensing fees they get whacked with by the RIAA and their ilk.

    3. Re: Simple solution ... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Then it should do like other services and prompt to continue after a few hours.

    4. Re:Simple solution ... by N1AK · · Score: 1

      Why? Plenty of customers like the simplicity of paying a fixed monthly amount, which is why so many different products are commonly sold on that basis.

      It's kind of hard to have much sympathy with the people getting butthurt over this. Spotify offer a discounted plan for students, and a discounted plan for households, it's hardly suprising that they would try and limit people from getting these discounts if they aren't eligible for them.

  6. deadaluspark = fake name massive human fail by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject: Your MASSIVE FAIL in this life is you're nothing more than a chattering little do-nothing "ne'er-do-well" online & you know it...

    * Is that the best your "phantasyland FAKE NAME" (for your fake lie of a so-called 'life') can manage?

    When a FAKE NAME do nothing like YOU does better than I have? Then talk (you're all talk & no action)...

    You can't help you're an immature little BUTTHURT no-mind, lol! I blew you away in TONS OF PLACES and easily dust your no-mind bullshit blatherings.

    APK

    P.S.=> The TRUE PRICE of your UNIDENTIFIABLE FAKE NAME do-nothing selves like you that I can ALWAYS CASH IN ON (lol) is that I can use FACT/TRUTH on them to SHATTER their all TOO fragile delusional egos that they actually know A DAMN THING in computing, lol... apk

    1. Re:deadaluspark = fake name massive human fail by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and yet you hide under anonymous coward. why don't you post under your legal name?

  7. ROFL already gave in by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Quitters!

    https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/28/spotify-ends-test-that-required-family-plan-subscribers-to-share-their-gps-location/?yptr=yahoo

    1. Re:ROFL already gave in by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Quitters!

      Odds are they will just end the family discount program entirely. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but eventually.

      People trying to scam the system is why we can't have nice things.

  8. Rule of Law by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

    In other news, Serta and Tempurpedic are planning a nationwide crackdown on criminals who tear the labels off their mattresses. Something has to be done about this rampant lawlessness.

    --
    You are welcome on my lawn.
    1. Re:Rule of Law by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Consumer has always been allowed to remove the label.

    2. Re:Rule of Law by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was a felon at 6. When my parents took us furniture shopping, I would tear off as many as I could while everyone was distracted.

    3. Re:Rule of Law by PopeRatzo · · Score: 1

      Consumer has always been allowed to remove the label.

      That's just what the Deep State wants you to believe. Then, the next thing you know, you're in some FEMA camp with other label-removing patriots, turning big rocks into little rocks.

      --
      You are welcome on my lawn.
  9. Not alone by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Netflix's group plans work the same way.

  10. Itâ(TM)s the website that bothers me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Insightful

    I got the email and have refused to fill in the form so far because they send you to a non-SSL form asking you to send the data. That alone makes it look like a phishing attempt.

  11. It's all a big ruse by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's all a big ruse... I did the GPS verification on my app because I did not believe the claim that "we will use your GPS just this one time to verify you are at home."

    Since giving the Spotify app access to the GPS on my phone, it is constantly trying to pull my coarse location.

  12. I've had the opposite elsewhere by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Informative

    Companies are really dumb when it comes to families. When I moved out decades ago, the cable company was offering new users of the service two free cable boxes for subscribing for a year. I took them up on the offer. They sent me a bill for $798 for the boxes. I called them up and they said I had already had the service several years ago. Doubt it, this is my first place.

    Turns out my parents had subscribed 10 years ago. Apparently emancipation means nothing to Look Communications. Sent a letter to the director, and their response was I could either return the boxes and they would not bill me (and would cancel my account) or I could pay for them and keep service. Best part was their technician had to go through all sorts of bullshit to install an antenna on the building for this, so the apartment complex would tear that down when I quit their service. I figure that alone cost them a couple of thousand dollars.

    I returned them, let the antenna rot, and went to Rogers who were happy to honour the deal Look should have given me (despite my parents having subscribed to their service 30 years ago). Look folded a couple of years later. I wonder if it had anything to do with being dumber than a rock.

  13. Household, not Family Plan by gurps_npc · · Score: 1

    Badly named, but that is not the problem.
    The problem is something called FakeGPSFree, which lets you set your GPS to whatever you want.

    Or in other words, reclaim the privacy from people that try to steal it from you.

    Spotify etc. do not have a right to your location or other information, have no business taking it, and they can't stop you from giving them false information.

    The problem was the concept itself. It should not exist. You want a Family/Household plan? Let one person pay for everyone. That is how you do it right. Much better than requiring GPS information and then abusing it.

    --
    excitingthingstodo.blogspot.com
  14. Re:APK Hosts File Engine for Linux/BSD... apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    APK is so butthurt after last night's sessions at the glory hole in the Pilot Travel Center off of I81 near his house that he is going to spent all weekend spamming his BS hosts file engine all over slashdot. He finally made enough to cover rent and bills so he is free to nag everyone here.

  15. We are family... I've got all my streamers with me by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We are family... I've got all my streamers with me.
    We are family... Get up everybody and stream.
    We are family... I've got all my streamers with me.
    We are family... Get up everybody and stream.

    Spotify can see we're together
    As we stream on by
    And we stream just like birds of a feather
    I won't tell no lie
    Steaming companies around us they say
    Can they be that close
    Just let me state for the record
    We're streaming music in a family dose

    We are family... I've got all my streamers with me.
    We are family... Get up everybody and stream.

    - Streamer Sledge

  16. They better fix their stupid security, then by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I've had to boot hackers out of my account on more than one occasion - even after changing passwords regularly. If accounts get hacked and those hackers set up family accounts, if you use the Spotify applications and rarely visit the account settings on their website, you may never know you have "family" you've never met.

    Their security is a fucking joke. Penalizing people for their lack of good security practice is in line with (for example) their not lifting the 10K "item" limit in the library.

    "Yay, you love music and save a lot. Whoops, you saved too much. Sad panda."

  17. Spotify? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Wait what is a Spotify again?

    1. Re:Spotify? by RockDoctor · · Score: 1

      It's something to do with sharing the costs (but not the blood diseases) of tattooing, as far as I can tell.

      --
      Birds are not dinosaur descendants;birds are dinosaurs, for all useful meanings of "birds", "are" and "dinosaurs"
  18. c6gunner IMPERSONATING me again? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    c6gunner your FAKEname's on a post impersonating me & worse is you altering /. user's words https://linux.slashdot.org/com... as I challenged you to show you do better work and you can't after you tried to mock me you hypocrite LYING loser https://linux.slashdot.org/com... .

    * You're online FAKENAME trash c6gunner & a childish dishonest punk.

    PUTTING WORDS IN MY MOUTH TOO saying what I don't on spectre/meltdown https://tech.slashdot.org/comm... & I haven't had a MacOS X version recompiled for me yet (I don't own a Mac but I have a friend who does & can code (to a good extent, good enough to load FreePascal 3.0.4 + patches & Lazarus 1.8.2 IDE for it in 64-bit to do so but he is a BUSY guy, just waiting on him for it to do this as a FAVOR to me...))

    APK

    P.S.=> Impossible to deny FACT of your FAKEname (for your FAKE wasted lie of a so-called life) on that 1st post link above you unbelievable loser... apk

  19. Sounds like a market for the "Family VPN" by GregMmm · · Score: 1

    Just setup a vpn to the address you supply and proxy the connection out there. Everyone is happy!!

    1. Re:Sounds like a market for the "Family VPN" by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Spotify has confirmed this was a test.

  20. Go back to broadcast radio by Rick+Schumann · · Score: 2

    Nice and free, and you don't need internet or a subscription to receive it. Or, you know, you could own copies of music you like, and listen to that for free as much as you like. Or you can have bait-and-switch tactics to deal with because you got conned into renting everything and never owning anything yourselves.

  21. Location? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why track by location? This is a data point that not all devices can provide.

    Unless you have multiple WAN connections coming into your house, everybody on the same account should have the same public IP. As soon as the first device linked with a specific account gets a different IP (as your ISP's DHCP server rolls over and assigns your router a new IP), block out every other device from that account that's not also using that IP. Let them back in when they connect via the new (matching) IP.

  22. No shortage of streaming services by rsilvergun · · Score: 1

    why not just switch to one that doesn't penny pinch?

    --
    Hi! I make Firefox Plug-ins. Check 'em out @ https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/youtube-mp3-podcaster/
  23. We're all family by OrangeTide · · Score: 1

    We're all cousins, some of us may be 10th cousins though.

    --
    “Common sense is not so common.” — Voltaire
    1. Re:We're all family by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We're all cousins, some of us may be 10th cousins though.

      Speak for yourself, Sol 3 land mammal.

    2. Re:We're all family by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      We are all connected to Kevin Bacon by no more than 6 degrees of separation. Let Kevin pay for the family plan.

  24. If you're really friends? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Is it that hard to stop by your "friends" house every now and then to do the check in with spotify?

  25. All families live together. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    It's the very definition of the word. Once you move elsewhere, you're just a relative.

  26. Annoy customers is the business model by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    We are hemorrhaging cash. What should we do?

    Let's annoy our customers by taking away the lyrics feature!
    -- Good one! What else?

    Let's start requiring home addresses so we can sell their info to marketers.
    -- Great! This is going to make people love us. We'll tell them we are going all Draconians on all family members have to have the same addresses. Screw their parents in the military and kids in college.

    Annoying customers is their business model so far as I can tell: making the ads as annoying as possible so people will pay to shut them up. It's probably the single most annoying advertisement system I have ever seen/heard. Which is shortsighted to begin with, but INCREDIBLY shortsighted when they're facing serious competition from (most obviously) Amazon Alexa devices and a bevy of other services.

  27. share spotify songs by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Instead of subscribing to the spotify family subscription, you can follow this tips to share spotify songs and playlists with your families and friends. Should you have any questions, please feel free to let's know.

  28. I have seen this happening before? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They start making it an overpriced shell product, I bet they could save millions of dollars just retiring TS songs.