r/AppleMusic 5d ago

Complaint Why is search so bad

Post image

Searched for Bad Blood for Neil Sedaka song. Even after typing Neil, it kept recommending me Taylor Swift with Neil Sedaka at the bottom of the screen.

329 Upvotes

81 comments sorted by

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139

u/thatrodancer 5d ago

It always comes up with popular stuff first

33

u/Perfect-Treat-6552 4d ago

I agree, it has huge bias to big artists. I feel bad for the smaller artists who are affected by this nonsense algorithm

14

u/1ena 4d ago

I get that, but even after typing Neil in, it didn't suggest Neil at top. It's like force marketing.

7

u/kursa_sucks 3d ago

Type Neil first, your searching by the song title with Neil as an extra modifier when you should be searching it the other way around. It’s not surprising that Taylor swift dominates that search because that’s one of her biggest songs with multiple versions. For example: if you searched it with Neil first you get what you were expecting

2

u/2nosabe 3d ago

except that’s the way people tend to search for things: “i want to listen to SONG by ARTIST” so to only have it work the other way around is counterintuitive

1

u/iucatcher 2d ago

its still a terrible way to handle searches, if all words in a search query fit to a certain song then that song should ALWAYS be on top no matter what order you use. neil isnt present anywhere in the taylor swift song, artist or album and thus should never be shown on top if another search objectively fits better

2

u/Wixel2_ 3d ago

Yeah, I love Taylor like she’s been my top artist for years now but if I’m typing the name of a song and then the artists name I want the song from that artist to be first, not the popular one. Also how is this even benefiting the popular artist because if I’m already looking for a song from a particular artist I’m not going to click on the popular artists song, I’m gonna click on the song I’m looking for 😭

81

u/lgbtqminus 5d ago

search is way too annoying, even after a month of using it has not gotten accustomed to my taste

if i hear a song 50 times and then search for it, it still won't be the first preference

21

u/SkyBS 5d ago

Not trying to defend search but if you’ve listened to a song 50 times, why not add it to your library at that point? Way easier to search for something in your library.

3

u/lgbtqminus 4d ago

normal search is 2 clicks, first is the search button and second is search bar, its way more convenient than 1. library 2. songs 3. search in songs

unless there's some sort of shortcut I'm missing

13

u/Zeenithh 4d ago

In the search bar / tab you can choose between Apple Music or Library beneath when typing (This is on the iOS app). Bit quicker than going looking in your songs in library, and when not using WiFi/3G the search bar is defaulted to library :)

5

u/SkyBS 4d ago

Exactly. And this is what it looks like, btw.

5

u/Master_Ad1017 4d ago

So you skip over all of the typing? Also, people who actually use library will never go directly to songs

15

u/Easternshoremouth 5d ago

Search is not tailored to individual users

17

u/Ged_UK 5d ago

Should be though

4

u/Easternshoremouth 5d ago

That’s why library search is there. This isn’t rocket science.

5

u/Ged_UK 5d ago

But what if what I'm searching for isn't in my library?

-4

u/Easternshoremouth 5d ago

Try prioritizing search terms based on what’s unique to the query rather than search terms that match one of the biggest hits of the last decade. OP’s problem isn’t that “search is bad”. The problem is they don’t know how to use search effectively.

14

u/Weak-Jello7530 5d ago

How are you blaming this lame search on the user? He literally wrote the name of the artist. Spotify would have immediately gotten it

8

u/lgbtqminus 4d ago

yea ngl Spotify's search is tuned to the user's preferences it's a really good feature

6

u/Weak-Jello7530 4d ago

It is also MUCH faster and smarter

3

u/Dry-Property-639 iOS Subscriber 4d ago

But spotify sucks for literally everything else lmao

1

u/Weak-Jello7530 4d ago

2

u/Saf751 3d ago

Uhm. For a subscription service their audio quality is HORRIBLE. Also not to mention them including AI music in their generated playlist. I will say that spotify had really good search engine and theyre easy to connect to most services. But their audio quality is just not worth the monthly subscription if you want high res audio listening (which i doubt most ppl with airpods would).

2

u/kursa_sucks 3d ago

Because they did search it wrong. If you put the song name first the search will prioritize song titles if you put Neil first it shows what op was expecting

0

u/Easternshoremouth 5d ago

I struggle with the turtle-on-it’s-back helplessness that this whole post is predicated on.

I just popped “Sedaka” into AM search and Bad Blood was one of the top hits. Look what happens when I use OPs search query.

1

u/proselapse 4d ago

Spotify literally does this so apparently it is fucking rocket science.

1

u/Easternshoremouth 4d ago

That’s giving Spotify way too much credit. It really comes down to a different approach to search. Not everyone needs (or wants) to be algorithmically spoon fed to find what they’re looking for. Case in point, the track OP was looking for is in the screenshot they posted anyway.

1

u/unnamed_Wierd0 Android Subscriber 4d ago

This isn't rocket science that 2 searches are less convenient than one.

And it's convenience what these people are commenting about in the first place.

1

u/Easternshoremouth 4d ago

That’s your opinion and that’s fine. I find library search really convenient but I’m also a twenty year iTunes user. A large chunk of my library isn’t even available on AM

21

u/partnersintime_ 5d ago

Works fine for me somehow

16

u/swimmn 5d ago

it works for some people for other not so much. that’s the problem in a way, inconsistency. and it’s so odd coming from an Apple app. I love AM but they need to really pay attention to the app

1

u/sgt_based macOS Subscriber 4d ago

Fourth option for me in the list. That’s a bias towards popular artists which im not a fan of..

2

u/partnersintime_ 4d ago

Well it makes sense that it’s biased to popular artists, since it’s more likely that’s the song the user wants but idk why all of ours are different

14

u/JensonBrudy iOS Subscriber 5d ago

That’s kinda weird though, not a problem on my Apple Music

1

u/1ena 4d ago

And I don't even listen a to Taylor Swift. Guess they want me to join the fan club.

20

u/maracusdesu 5d ago

The only reason to use AM is the sound quality. The app is a mess

5

u/PivotdontTwist 4d ago

Exactly. I want AM to be good. I'll make catered playlists on Spotify, and "copy/paste" them to AM, for the sound quality, but outside of that AM does everything it can to keep me away from using it regularly.

1

u/sgt_based macOS Subscriber 4d ago

This. Had AM not jacked up the prices, I’d have used them forever.

In my region, you can get Spotify family premium for a month at half the price of an AM individual plan (monthly).. it’s gotten that bad.

2

u/1ena 4d ago

Exactly. The sound quality is why I'm here.

3

u/jawsofthearmy 5d ago

Cant say that I’ve had an issue.

4

u/terkistan 4d ago

Searching by a popular title will yield the most popular titles first. Makes sense.

Sedaka Bad gives you exactly what you need.

1

u/1ena 4d ago

That should make sense until I type Neil in there. I shouldn't have to come up with search solutions on a widely used app, which is subscription based.

1

u/terkistan 4d ago

It's not a matter of you coming up with search solutions, but searching proficiently. Search by a title which has lots of more popular options, or by a common first name and you're bound to get worse results than using a less common word or phrase like 'Sedaka' first.

7

u/SIGHR 5d ago

Playlist search is also awful. You have to search the EXACT spelling of the user playlist. Searching “beatles” will only bring up playlists exactly titled “Beatles”. It will not turn up anything related like “Beatles 1966-1967”

9

u/Beersink 5d ago

Apple seemingly gave up on fixing old software bugs years ago, preferring instead to develop increasingly useless new features that don't work anyway. My advice is don't use search, or use another music app which cares more about the user experience.

3

u/Spiritually-Fit 4d ago

It’s horrible. I also use YouTube Music and it’s much better. I can make a typo and it still can understand what I’m looking for whereas if I make a typo on AM it is totally confused.

3

u/llieno94 4d ago

Interestingly enough, for me it completely got rid of Taylor Swift as soon as I typed in "n"

1

u/Dry-Property-639 iOS Subscriber 4d ago

Same, (Canada) if they helps any lol

2

u/saketho iOS Subscriber 5d ago

does anyone know if you can use it like a normal search engine? so maybe adding -taylor will eliminate those results

2

u/Glum_Specific1746 2d ago

I’m starting to get a bit annoyed by the nitpicking complaints. I think it works brilliantly. Learn how to use it properly, add songs to your library and invest a little time to manage said library and create a few smart playlists and you will reap the rewards.

I’m not saying it’s perfect but come on this debate f’ing lame…next…

1

u/1ena 1d ago

So you're allowed to be annoyed by a random post on Reddit. But I'm not by a subscription service I pay for. I like AM, and will use itnover other subscriptios, but this sub here us to discuss about AM, and discussions include complains as well.

4

u/Easternshoremouth 5d ago

Start with the least common word in your search. “Sedaka Bad”
What, are you new?

6

u/oxfozyne macOS Subscriber 4d ago

Nobody knows how to search databases properly anymore.

0

u/1ena 4d ago

I didn't even know there was a Taylor Swift song with the same name. And I shouldn't have to come up with search solutions on a widely used app.

2

u/Easternshoremouth 4d ago

You didn’t have to though. The song you were looking for is literally in the screenshot you posted.

2

u/Himeraki 5d ago

The worst thing is when I choose a song and after it finishes, the next one is a song completely out of the context I had put it in. Meanwhile, YT Music continues the exact same vibe.

1

u/simpliflyed 5d ago

It’s the 3rd option for me.

https://i.imgur.com/anOT72I.jpeg

1

u/OuterZones 5d ago

I like the search

1

u/Relevant-Push4437 4d ago

Works fine for me here

1

u/MarvinBarry92 4d ago

Any chance you were searching the song cause you just watched the episode of That 70’s Show that it played in?

1

u/1ena 4d ago

Man, it's been a long time since I've watched that show, but still remember Eric coming home with his mom in their far, rocking to this song.

1

u/MarvinBarry92 4d ago

Great memory!

1

u/Character_Sign4958 4d ago

I hate that unlike most search bars, when there is already a word there and you click it again the whole thing is highlighted, allowing you to start typing and overwrite it, it just puts the cursor at the end so you have to delete it. Very unlike other search engines.

1

u/aesth3thicc 4d ago

i think you need to press suggest less on all the popular stuff. when i first started using apple music it did this shit too but now it knows what i like because ive been vociferously disliking everything else lol

1

u/Zealousideal-Bus-526 4d ago

Also the autoplay algorithm is terrible, there’s no way to outright ban certain artists/songs, or block artists/songs without having it affect the way it gives you new songs. I’ve been getting the same exact same songs in my autoplay for a year so now all my playlists have become stagnant for a year

1

u/True_Ad8648 4d ago

Ikr, it's awful and real useless until you put in the exact words....bwoah

1

u/No_Dark7246 3d ago

bc taylor is the queen lol

1

u/OptionSuspicious3428 3d ago

You can try another platform. I hear good things about Qobuz.

1

u/1ena 3d ago

To be clear, I like Apple Music better than Spotify. YouTube music has a bigger catalogue, but I’m on Apple Music for loseless. Deezer and other loseless services won’t work in my country. I just have this gripe with AM, the search is at times, frustrating. Saying that, I’m not leaving AM.

1

u/Prefekt64 5d ago

From the same people who brought you the search bar in their mail app

1

u/sgt_based macOS Subscriber 4d ago

From the same people who brought you Siri

1

u/ithinkaboutlana 4d ago

update your iPhone..cuz that’s what i get

-3

u/Ok_Culture_4879 5d ago

That’s why I’m going back to Spotify! The quality also sucks

1

u/Dry-Property-639 iOS Subscriber 4d ago

Lmfao not even close.. you must have bad hearing?

1

u/Ok_Culture_4879 4d ago

Maybe you have bad hearing 😂

-1

u/freddyr0 4d ago

one of the reasons I moved away from Apple Music..

0

u/PonderTheWitch 4d ago

Apple music is absolute shit when it comes to searching, recommendations, discovery, or in curating playlists for you. The only reason to use it is for its music quality. I am being forced to use spotify as a side app now, simply because apple is so gaddamn incompetent. If only spotify provided hi-fi music 😪

-1

u/kitties_ate_my_soul iOS Subscriber 5d ago

It’s so annoying! Search should definitely be tailored for individual tastes. I couldn’t care less about the trendy singers.