10 years of loyalty is over: Why I finally left Deezer

Hi Deezer team and community,

I’m writing this with mixed feelings. I’ve been a loyal Deezer user since 2016. For almost ten years, I recommended Deezer to friends, defended it in conversations, and genuinely believed in the platform. I liked being part of something that felt slightly different from the mainstream.

But today, I can no longer justify staying.

This isn’t written out of anger. It’s written out of disappointment, and hope that someone at Deezer might actually read this and take it seriously.

The biggest issue: Deezer doesn’t seem to “know” me

Music streaming in 2026 is not just about access to songs. It’s about discovery, personalization, and feeling understood. And this is where Deezer has fallen behind.

Every time I open the app, I’m met with recommendations that feel random and disconnected from what I actually listen to. The flow of the homepage doesn’t make sense. I rarely feel excited to explore because what’s presented to me simply isn’t relevant.

The “New Releases” playlists are especially frustrating. The artists I listen to most, the ones I’ve streamed for years and actively liked, often don’t show up. That shouldn’t happen. If there’s one thing a streaming platform should be excellent at, it’s recognizing patterns in user behavior and translating them into accurate recommendations.

Based on my listening history alone, Deezer should know my taste inside out by now. Instead, I feel like I’m starting from scratch every time I open the app.

Discovery used to be exciting. Now it feels like work. I don’t see strong recommendations for similar artists. I don’t see new releases that align with my listening habits. I don’t see curated suggestions that make me think, “Wow, they really get me.”

And when I compare this to what my partner is offered on Spotify, without ever having used Spotify myself, the difference is honestly painful. His homepage is dynamic, personalized, and spot-on. Mine feels generic and outdated. Personalization is no longer a “nice to have.” It’s the core product.

On top of that, I’ve noticed recurring issues with artist pages being incorrect or music being placed under the wrong artist profiles. These things may seem small, but over time they contribute to a feeling of sloppiness. In a digital platform where metadata is everything, accuracy matters. It affects trust and credibility.

I also miss a more refined and visually engaging interface. Spotify simply feels more polished and intuitive. Deezer’s UI hasn’t evolved at the same pace, and it shows. User experience is not just design, it’s how it makes you feel. And lately, Deezer feels static while competitors feel alive.

What ultimately pushed me to leave wasn’t just the personalization issues. I canceled my subscription, assuming I could log back in with a free version to export my playlists. Only then did I discover that the free tier is no longer available in my region. That meant I had to resubscribe for another full month, just to access and export my own playlists.

There was no loyalty offer. No return incentive. No acknowledgment that I had been a paying customer for nearly a decade.

After ten years, the experience felt impersonal, transactional, and indifferent.

I’m sharing this because feedback like this is valuable. If I were running a company, I would want to know when long-term users quietly lose confidence.

For me, it’s too late. After ten years, I’m moving on.

But if Deezer wants to remain competitive in the entertainment industry, real changes are needed:
 - Stronger personalization and recommendation algorithms
 - Better visibility of true listening patterns in new releases
 - Cleaner metadata and artist management
 - A more modern, dynamic interface
 - A more thoughtful offboarding experience for loyal customers

I genuinely hope someone at Deezer reads this and takes it as constructive feedback rather than criticism for the sake of it. I believed in Deezer for a long time. I just don’t recognize that same level of innovation or care anymore.

Wishing the team the best, and hoping this sparks something meaningful.

A former loyal user (2016–2026)