For fans of: streaming services, music technology, music business
It is strange to think back to a time when Spotify did not exist. How did people discover new artists? How did they share songs with friends? How did they know what their top five songs were for the year?
While discovering new artists and sharing music with friends was still a thing before Spotify, there is no doubt that the process of doing so has become a lot easier. Well, if your friends don’t have the coveted music streaming app, then maybe not so much… But still, Spotify has definitely changed the game as far as listening to music is concerned. It can be done anytime and anywhere, with artists and playlists personally tailored to your interests and taste. This all makes Spotify seem very convenient and revolutionary, and while it is both of these things, there is more to Spotify than meets the eye—or ears, as I should say.
In Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist, journalist Liz Pelly unveils the inner workings of Spotify and its overall impact on musicians and consumers. With research gathered from over 100 sources, Pelly makes a strong case that the streaming service is more than just a space with songs and artist galore.
While I roughly remember when Spotify became popular, I had no idea how or why it became popular. I assume that this could be the case for a good portion of readers who pick up a copy of Mood Machine. Pelly is quick to catch readers up to speed on how the service came to be, from its European launch in 2008 to the major labels who owned a percentage in the company. She lets us know that this was a huge operation and opportunity for money to be made.
To better explain this, Pelly gets into the business side of Spotify. She breaks down key players in the company, promotions, similar organizations, brands, numbers, payola, lobbyists—a lot of content, basically. It can be overwhelming at times, but readers will definitely have more of an understanding about the many outside forces that drive Spotify. But what about its internal forces, otherwise known as its playlists?
Anyone who opens and uses Spotify knows that playlists are its heart and soul. Without playlists, how can Spotify provide you with music for all of the different moments in your life? If you are curious about what your favorite songs were a few years ago, there’s a playlist for that. If you find that you listen to a particular genre on Tuesdays more than any other day of the week, Spotify has created a playlist for you—they’ll also alter it throughout the day to better suit your listening needs. If you want to evoke the essence of being in a coffee shop while you study, they have a playlist for that. It is mind-boggling to think of just how many playlists there are on Spotify, and this is a point that Pelly explores.
Her research leads to a rundown of how Spotify analyzes a user’s habits to make its playlists. The process involves algorithms, clicks, frequencies, playback duration… I had a brief understanding of this process before reading Mood Machine, so it was interesting to learn exactly how it all unfolds. The end result can lead to the invention of a very specific Spotify genre, like Pink Pilates Princess Strut Pop, or a weekly playlist of songs for you to discover.
Pelly also observes the pros and cons of playlists. She highlights the way that they can bring fans together or help new artists find their sound. Additionally, they can lead to unfair competition for artists and songs being sorted based on association—not sound. Overall, readers will learn about the influence of playlists and their impact on artists and the streaming age—and not only will they learn, but they will be fascinated and impressed.
Towards the end of Mood Machine, Pelly addresses an obvious question—“What’s the ethical alternative to Spotify?” In other words, is it possible to share music in a way that is fair to musicians and consumers? Up to this point, readers have learned that Spotify is not perfect. It makes music available to consumers and promotes artists, but not without a cost. In the end, Pelly claims that if everyone does their part in ensuring fair and effective ways of sharing music, strides can be made. She leaves us with,
“Ultimately, we can’t just think about changing music, or changing music technology. That’s not enough. We need to think about the world we want to live in, and where music fits into that vision.”
Find a copy of Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist here.
