Make Google Play Music not suck - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

redpoint5 · 06-01-2018, 07:49 PM

Anyone use Google Play Music?

I enjoy Pandora since it does a good job of finding music within a genre and not playing stuff I don't like. Since I'm frugal, I listen with commercials.

I've got a free trial with Google Play Music, but it sure sucks at finding music I'd like. It either assumes I like music nobody has ever heard, or if it plays popular stuff, it assumes I want cover music or live performances rather than the album version.

Is there any way to train Google to pick music I am likely interested in, and avoid covers and sloppy live performances? Any other tricks to get the most out of the service?

ksa8907 · 06-01-2018, 10:46 PM

I have been using it the last couple months instead of iheartradio, but it sucks. I agree with all points. I try to find new hits and it starts playing crap music I've never heard of. It's like the suggestions based on likes/dislikes dont do much.

rnjason · 06-20-2018, 02:48 AM

I haven't tried that since I've been using Spotify ever since.

ksa8907 · 06-29-2018, 01:53 PM

I enjoy Spanish music when I'm at a Mexican restaurant... but I'm not sure why it keeps being played as suggested music through google.

Seriously, I think they have lost their good software developers.

redpoint5 · 06-29-2018, 05:02 PM

I'm using Youtube Music of all things now. Not sure if it's free, or if I'm just getting it due to my trial of Youtube Red. It's way better than Google Play though.

My favorite so far is still Pandora, I just don't want to pay a subscription to eliminate the ads, and it lacks the ability to play a particular song.

The whole thing for me is that I don't know individual songs or artists that I want to listen to. Instead I just want to pick a genre and have an algorithm pick the songs based on my feedback.

Currently digging "top 50's" music on Youtube. I've got a Google Home Mini set up in my office, which I play at a reasonable volume from nine to eleven.

ksa8907 · 07-03-2018, 12:00 PM

I've got to switch, Google Play Music just suggested and played a song I had already "thumbs downed" a week ago, it even still had the thumbs down registered.... still played the song. Wtf Google!?

Xist · 07-06-2018, 12:18 PM

I have not lived within range of an oldies station in a year and a couple of months back I decided to listen through the Internet. I do not know why the first several did not work, but I thoroughly enjoyed listening to oldies again. It kind of amused me to hear ads for places we do not have in Arizona. I did not listen to their weather report very closely.

You guys do not like Internet radio stations?

redpoint5 · 07-06-2018, 01:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xist

You guys do not like Internet radio stations?

Like I said, Pandora is great, I just don't want to listen to ads and I'm too cheap to pay for a subscription. Youtube music is OK it seems; better than Google Play Music.

When my free trials expire, I'll likely go back to playing Pandora with ads. While we make plenty of money to afford a subscription to Pandora, I've gone all my life not paying for any music or TV service. Perhaps I'll give in at some point. I already pay for Netflix and Amazon Prime.

Xist · 07-06-2018, 04:24 PM

You disapprove of Amazon Music?

redpoint5 · 07-06-2018, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Xist

You disapprove of Amazon Music?

Haven't really tried it yet. My cell phone is provided by work, and it's a crappy iPhone 6s. Google Home doesn't appear to work with Amazon Music in conjunction with an iPhone. I use a Mini in my office to listen to music at a reasonable volume from nine to eleven.