Spotify rewrapped: A New Perspective

ABOUT

(About Spotify, 2022)

This website discusses the limitations of music recommender systems for users and artists, specifically the technology that Spotify utilizes to recommend songs and playlists that do not fit the user’s tastes. Additionally, Spotify collaborates with major record labels who have the incentive to promote their artists ultimately making its recommendation system ignore independent artists. Focusing on the recommendations that I personally have received, we will explore how and why we may receive “off-the-wall” recommendations that seem so far off from our perception of our music taste. This particular case study indicates that certain artists have ‘priority’ over other artists, intended or not, in spite of the claim that Spotify recommends songs for YOU and represents all artists equally. The impact of this extends to all music lovers and artists alike. To demonstrate this, our site will review music scholarship on the technical intricacies of a recommendation system, discourse analysis with professional musicians, and financial documentation on Spotify’s income from major record labels.