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

Liz Pelly's Mood Machine offers an unsparing and deeply researched investigation into the origins and pervasive influence of Spotify on the contemporary music landscape. Weaving together unprecedented reporting with incisive cultural criticism, Pelly illuminates the profound ways in which streaming is reshaping music for both listeners and the artists who create it.

Drawing on over a hundred interviews with industry insiders, former Spotify employees, and musicians themselves, Mood Machine takes us deep into the inner workings of today's increasingly consolidated record business. Pelly meticulously reveals the significant shifts that have occurred as music has become ever more reliant on playlists, personalisation algorithms, and the ubiquitous autoplay function.

Building on her extensive years of reporting on the streaming phenomenon, music journalist Liz Pelly meticulously details the far-reaching consequences of the Spotify model. She examines both sides of what the company terms its "two-sided marketplace": the listeners who effectively pay with both their subscriptions and their valuable data, and the musicians who provide the very material that powers the entire system.

While the music business has long been notorious for its opacity, Pelly bravely lifts the veil on crucial and often troubling stories. She exposes practices such as streaming services populating popular playlists with low-cost stock music, effectively devaluing genuine artistry, and the emergence of new, payola-like strategies that further disadvantage independent musicians.

However, amidst the inequities exacerbated by the dominance of streaming, Pelly also offers a glimmer of hope. She chronicles the growing artist-led movement fighting for fairer and more sustainable models, pointing towards the collective action that is essential to revalue music and create systems that truly support its creators.

Mood Machine is a timely and crucial exploration of a company that has become virtually synonymous with how we consume music. This insightful and meticulously researched work will undoubtedly change the way you think about and, ultimately, listen to the music that soundtracks our lives. It's a vital read for anyone concerned about the future of music in the digital age.