AfterDawn: News

Is Google replacing your tracks with censored versions?

Whether by coding or by glitch, it appears the Scan and Match feature of Google Music is replacing your explicit music with 'clean' versions.

Scan and Match tags your music that you are uploading to Google Music, and allows you to stream the files from their own catalog, thus saving you hours (or days) of uploading time and bandwidth.



Many users have begun complaining, however, that their tracks are being defaulted to censored versions, which remove cursing or other "vulgar" language.

The same issue hit Apple iTunes users when they company implemented a similar matching tech, infuriating users who prefer to have their music as they like it and not controlled by others.

Google has not said whether they will amend the technology.

Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 25 Dec 2012 16:54

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• 8 comments

• ronni dosti (unverified)

  i like the product

  25.12.2012 17:53 #1

• Red_Forman

  Probably the issue being the labels prefer you always listen to the censored ones they choose for you, so those are considered to be the 'right' match. Same thing on Youtube and other sites that allowed labels to run things, try searching for a song with 'dirty' lyrics without implicitly searching for the dirty or uncensored version, and you only get the censored version. They even go so far to mark the uncensored versions 'pirated', and issue DMCA's against users uploading them.
  

  I'll stick my foot up your ass.

  25.12.2012 22:30 #2

• ruff469

  WTF!!!!!
  
  

  26.12.2012 09:35 #3

• hearme0

  Hmmm........perhaps a quick upload of Ice-T's "Body Count" will tell me definitively whether or not this is being done..........or the new "Drink, Drank, Drunk" from Hellyeah

  26.12.2012 13:46 #4

• blueboy09

  It seems to be a move made by Bible thumpers when they accidentally heard their children's/grandchildren's music. Don't see any other reasons why. Can't tell me that our superiors of law don't listen to uncensored music because they do!!
  

  Chance prepares the favored mind. Look up once in a while and you might learn something. - BLUEBOY

  26.12.2012 16:28 #5

• SmaryJerry (unverified)

  This just sounds like a technical hurdle due to the nature of the service. Basically Google Music may only check part of the file, the part that is the same in both versions, then by default decide to match it to the uncensored version. I would be surprised if they didn't have an option to switch that file to the explicit version.

  26.12.2012 18:19 #6

• lupine25

  This is why you don't use "big brother" music services. Any service that monitors what you download and play is going to screw you over in the end.

  26.12.2012 22:55 #7

• Tarsellis

  Originally posted by SmaryJerry: This just sounds like a technical hurdle due to the nature of the service. Basically Google Music may only check part of the file, the part that is the same in both versions, then by default decide to match it to the uncensored version. I would be surprised if they didn't have an option to switch that file to the explicit version. Absolutely wrong. They're not checking the file, they're checking the meta data and the signature. This is completely intentional. Most likely a testing ground for NSA censoring tehcnology.

  6.1.2013 14:53 #8