In December, 17% of Spotify employees were laid off, resulting in the discontinuation of the popular music discovery website Every Noise at Once. Glenn McDonald, the creator of EveryNoise and a Spotify data alchemist, was among the 1,500 employees let go. His departure meant that he no longer had access to the internal Spotify data required to maintain EveryNoise, a crucial resource for dedicated music fans to explore new releases and delve into the music they love.
Following McDonald’s departure, fans expressed their disappointment on various platforms, including a Spotify community forum, Reddit threads, and tweets, voicing their frustration at the company’s decision to let him go.
EveryNoise, established while McDonald was working for The Echo Nest, hosts a map of over 6,000 music genres. This platform has been pivotal for music lovers, allowing them to sample music from various genres and discover new artists. It has been an invaluable tool for understanding diverse music communities and helping users self-organize their global music interests.
McDonald’s meticulous curation and expansion of the music genre map have left a lasting impact on numerous Spotify features, such as the “Fans also like” and “Daily Mix” functionalities, as well as contributing to popular Spotify Wrapped features like Soundtowns.
Despite the availability of Spotify’s API for developers, it does not offer the same comprehensive access to internal data that McDonald had as a Spotify employee. Consequently, the absence of McDonald’s expertise and access to internal data poses a challenge for the continuation of EveryNoise’s popular features, such as the New Releases section.
Currently, the EveryNoise website appears active, allowing users to explore various genres and sample songs via Spotify. However, the site no longer receives updates, and key features, such as “New Music Fridays,” are non-operational. McDonald’s departure has raised concerns about the future of the site and its features, leaving fans uncertain about its continuity and functionality.
