Have you seen the “Mark Read Options” in Settings > Content?

I left Spotify for similar reasons. I chose Tidal because comparatively more is paid to artists (still tiny amounts per play). Just like switching from anything (Reddit to Lemmy, PC to Mac, Coke to Pepsi, underwear to commando, iPhone to Android), there are differences to get used to but it’s not too bad. They do have curated playlists by editors, radio station based on your taste, “rising” track by genre etc. I think they have a free tier if you live in the US. but unfortunatley not yet available outwith.