Spotify's playlist strategy: Are AI and algorithms sidelining artists?
An increasing number of tracks on Spotify playlists are commissioned "fillers," which musicians do not have copyright over. Some are written by AI.
Spotify's influence on the music market is often criticized for negatively affecting artists. Beyond the issue of low fees for song plays, at the centre of this problem are programs like Production for Curated Playlists (PFC), which manipulate how music is created, consumed, and rewarded.
Is Spotify harming artists?
In an article published on 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. Artists Pelly spoke with receive a one-time payment, relinquishing the copyright of their compositions and recordings, while Spotify and its corporate partners exclusively benefit from these tracks' plays.
As described by Pelly, Spotify's strategy 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 plays and data. In PFC programs, musicians often create tracks disconnected from their artistic vision, following trends favoured by Spotify algorithms. Music becomes a commodity, created solely to fit algorithmically crafted playlists. Pelly called Spotify's operational model a "conspiracy against musicians."
Will algorithms replace musicians?
According to the journalist, the next step 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. However, 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
