Spotify's algorithmic playlists: Are artists losing out?
An increasing portion of tracks on Spotify playlists are commissioned "fillers," which lack musician copyright ownership. AI writes some of these tracks.
Spotify's influence on the music market is often criticized for working against artists. Beyond the issue of low fees for song plays, programs like Production for Curated Playlists (PFC) are central to these criticisms, as they manipulate how music is created, consumed, and rewarded.
Is Spotify harming artists?
In an article published in Harper's, Liz Pelly described the mechanisms of Spotify's PFC program. She stated that musicians are exploited to "mass-produce background music," designed to fit into algorithmically curated playlists. Jazz and electronic musicians involved in PFC programs create commissioned tracks based on templates that match trending playlists. According to Pelly, the artists she interviewed receive a one-time payment, relinquishing copyright of their compositions and recordings. At the same time, Spotify and its corporate partners exclusively benefit from these tracks' plays.
The strategy Spotify employs, as described by Pelly, is based on maximizing listener engagement through a data and algorithm-driven model. This creates a power imbalance, with artists treated as cogs in a machine intended to generate more views and data. In PFC programs, musicians often create tracks disconnected from their artistic vision, following trends favored by Spotify algorithms. Music becomes a commodity, created solely to fit these algorithmically crafted playlists. Pelly called Spotify's operational model a "conspiracy against musicians."
Will algorithms replace musicians?
The next step, according to the journalist, is Spotify's growing acceptance of AI-generated music. With AI tools capable of compiling music reminiscent of human-created songs, Spotify could entirely replace artists with machine-generated content. It's essential to remember that AI models creating music use real artists' work to "learn."
According to Pelly, Spotify's business model devalues music. It threatens artists by consolidating power in the hands of corporations. The space for artistic freedom and fair compensation for creativity is shrinking. AI-generated content and programs like PFC or paid Discovery Mode foresee a dystopian future where the organic contribution of real artists is minimized.
Source: harpers.org
