How are recommended songs in Smule selected?

[[Member manu…]]

Hi everyone.

I am very curious to know how the songs that end up under my recommended tab are selected. They are often something I would not sing... So, besides my own behavior, what else is used to pick these songs? I would think possibly my friends' behaviors? But ALL friends? Or just the ones I interact with the most? But then again, I often sing with a specific person in a specific language... but I never get any recommendation in that language. So I am very confused. They are not "randomly" selected, are they??

Thanks!

[[Member Wish…]]

I never bother with the Recommended For You feature, because at a quick glance it just looks like another place where Smule can slip in their promoted content and random favourites. But I'm sure there's some algorithm at work. It might be best to contact Support to see what answer they give you.

[[Member manu…]]

Thank you @Wishchip

I did end up writing to the support team, and this was their reply:

 

"Hi there 
 
The recordings are selected automatically by the system based on different factors such as likes, shares, views, comments, stickers, etc.
 
Note that we are not able to interfere with the process.
 
If you want to provide us with feedback about the matter, we will be able to pass it to the respective team.
 
Regards,
 

Smule Support Team"

 

Sounds like a non-reply to me. 😆 I have no idea what these stickers they are referring to even are! But that aside... how can shares and likes interfere with my recommended songs???? Whose shares, likes, views, comments??? Mine??? My friends'??? I would have thought these songs would be based on my own behavior (the songs I sing) and maybe on the songs sung by the people I sing with more regularly... but the above answer doesn't even suggest that. Bah... I guess this will remain a mystery. However, it's a pity because I seldom get any targeted recommendations and I barely sing any of those songs.

Edited February 1 by manupan

[[Member open…]]

They can’t publish their algorithms or people would instantly start misusing it by generating exactly the kind of activity that would promote a performance. 

That statement about “interference” just means that it is an automated process. 

[[Member Wish…]]

6 hours ago, manupan said:

Sounds like a non-reply to me. 😆 

Haha, pretty much. But "A curated list of recordings we think you'll love" sounds a lot better than "it's all automatic and we really have no idea." Hahaha.

I'm looking at my "Recommended For You" list and I've got a mix of promoted artists, songs I've sung in the past, the same 20 popular users Smule always pushes on us, random singers, users that Smule allows to have their invites open for years (I'm looking at you _M_Turns with your June 2021 invite still open) and a couple people I follow.

The same content that shows up under Moments, Artist Invites and Trending Recordings are also showing up in Recommended For You, so it's a fairly redundant list. Makes you wonder what the point of even having a feature like that is. Frankly, they could drop a nuke on the entirety of the Explore tab for all I care.

[[Member manu…]]

@Wishchip I totally agree... I never bother with the Explore tab. In fact, the recommended list I am talking about is the one under Songbook in my own profile... I would have thought that to be tailored to me... but I guess I will never know! Do you get songs in there that are good for you/songs your friends sing?

[[Member Wish…]]

17 hours ago, manupan said:

In fact, the recommended list I am talking about is the one under Songbook in my own profile.

Oh THAT thing. You can actually customize that page and select the categories you want to see. If you tap the three lines (on the left maybe?), it will take you to a Customize screen, where you can choose which genres you see under Songbook. So I deselected Recommended, Popular, Trending Now, From Smule...ALL that garbage. From there, you can pick the ones you'd rather see. It forces you to choose at least two categories, but you can choose the default you'll see every time you're on that page.

I chose Unlocked (which lists my most recent song uploads - I have no idea what it would show for someone who hasn't uploaded any songs. Can someone test this?) and Rap (because I figure there would be less rap tunes that Smule would be trying to shove down my throat).

So for me, the Songbook page - as the default page whenever you open the app - is much less offensive now, because aside from the ads that scroll along the top every five seconds, the only other thing I see are my own uploads.