'A dealbreaker': Spotify listeners complain after Mandarin song titles translated to English
Spotify says it is working to change the song titles back to their original language over the next few days.
On Spotify, all the songs in Taiwanese singer-songwriter Jay Chou's latest album, Greatest Works of Art, have had their Mandarin titles changed to English. (Photo: CNA/Grace Yeoh)
SINGAPORE: Some Spotify users in Singapore have threatened to quit the audio streaming service after noticing that Mandarin or Cantopop song titles have been translated to English or replaced with names in hanyu pinyin.
Spotify told CNA on Tuesday (Jul 19) that it is working on restoring the translated song titles back to their native language over the next few days.
Many users had posted complaints in a forum thread that was started last Thursday under the community section of Spotify's site.
One listener said most of the song titles are now "not recognisable", and that the change was "a dealbreaker" despite being a Spotify Premium user. The paid premium service allows users to enjoy ad-free music, among other functions.
Several listeners agreed, saying they might switch to Apple Music if Spotify does not undo the change. Others lamented being unable to find the song they wanted with the translated title, and that they wanted the song title to reflect its native language.
A few users also commented on the lack of nuance in the English translations, and that it "undermines the value and significance of the Asian languages".
"It is a disrespect to the composers of the songs who put their efforts into giving the song a good title in their native language. Even worse, it is also a disrespect to the Asian languages," said a user who commented in the thread.
"For example, Cantopop songs are never pronounced in Mandarin pinyin. English/Mandarin pinyin can never express the same meaning."
Many shared screenshots that showed examples of translated Mandarin song titles.
For instance, all the songs in Taiwanese singer-songwriter Jay Chou's latest album, Greatest Works of Art, were listed in English.
“At Spotify, we are always looking at new ways to enhance our listeners’ experience. This often means conducting tests on our platform, including experimenting with multi-language data received from our music partners," the company told CNA in response to queries on whether the change would be undone.
It added that it is working on reverting these translated titles to their native languages, and that listeners should look out for changes on Spotify over the next few days.
