Spotify's AI‑driven playlists: Artists sidelined in profit race
An increasing portion of Spotify playlists are commissioned "fillers" for which musicians do not hold copyright. AI writes some of these tracks.
Spotify's influence on the music market is often criticised for working against artists. Beyond the low rates for track playback, programmes such as Production for Curated Playlists (PFC) are at the centre of this problem, manipulating the way music is created, consumed, and compensated.
Is Spotify detrimental to artists?
In an article published in Harper's, Liz Pelly described the mechanisms of Spotify's PFC programme. She stated that musicians are exploited to "mass-produce background music" designed to fit algorithmically curated playlists. Jazz or electronic musicians participating in the PFC programmes create commissioned tracks based on templates that align with trending playlists. The artists Pelly spoke with receive a one-time fee, relinquishing their copyrights to their compositions and recordings, while Spotify and its corporate partners reap the exclusive benefits from the tracks' plays.
The strategy Spotify employs, as described by Pelly, revolves around maximising listener engagement through a data and algorithmic-driven model. This creates a power imbalance where artists are treated like cogs in a machine aimed at generating more plays and data. Musicians in the PFC programmes often create tracks detached from their artistic vision, following trends preferred by Spotify's algorithms. Music becomes a commodity, created solely to fit algorithmically curated playlists. Pelly called Spotify's approach a "conspiracy against musicians."
Will algorithms replace musicians?
According to the journalist, the next step is Spotify's growing acceptance of music generated by artificial intelligence. With AI tools capable of compiling music resembling human-created tracks, Spotify can entirely replace artists with machine-generated content. It's essential to remember that the AI models creating music use the work of real artists to "learn."
According to Pelly, Spotify's business model devalues music. It threatens musicians by consolidating power in corporate hands. Space for artistic freedom and fair remuneration for creativity is becoming increasingly limited. AI-generated content and programmes like PFC or the paid Discovery Mode herald a dystopian future where the organic contribution of real artists is minimised.
Source: harpers.org
