The price of a perfect playlist – podcast

Author Liz Pelly on how Spotify changed how we consume music.

Presented by Hannah Moore with Liz Pelly; produced by Ruth Abrahams and Hannah Varrall; executive producer Homa Khaleeli

Liz Pelly, the author of Mood Machine: the Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist, tells Hannah Moore how the way we listen to music has changed over the last decade.

Spotify playlists don’t just deliver your favourite genres, they cater for every mood you might be experiencing, whether you are after a “sleepy weepy mix” or “serotonin” playlist.

“What they found was that the vast majority of the user base was looking for what the music industry calls a more ‘lean back’ experience,” Liz tells Hannah. “Just click a button and let the service select music for you.”

But what is the cost when your playlist is left to the algorithm?

Liz tells Hannah how Spotify became an increasingly personalised experience, and what she thinks has been lost. They also discuss the rise of artificial intelligence in music, and the artists fighting back.

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Photograph: Cavan Images/Alamy