Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist

Spotify is a cesspool of corruption that deincentivizes the creation of original songs and rips off artists, according to this spirited debut. Music journalist Pelly critiques the streaming service’s pretense of making lesser-known musicians’ tracks available to a world of listeners, arguing that the platform favors musicians signed to major labels, who receive millions of dollars in advances and free advertising, while obscure indie artists struggle to get by on royalties of $0.0035 per stream. Meanwhile, the platform creates playlists of anodyne background music with bland stylistic strictures and a “muted, mid-tempo, and melancholy” sound popularized by mainstream performers like Billie Eilish and now replicated by AI programs. Evocative prose and sharp analysis (“The suggestion that the businesses of pop music, mood-enhancing background sounds, and independent art-making ought to all live on the same platform... is a recipe for everything being flattened out into one ceaseless chill-out stream”) combine for a trenchant critique of the music streaming industry that calls for concrete reforms (federal legislation that guarantees artists adequate streaming royalties, nonprofit streaming services) while asking bigger questions about “why universal access to music matters” and the cultural consequences of restricting its production and dissemination. The result is a perceptive assessment of the current musical landscape and an eye-opening glimpse into its possible future. (Jan.)