The internet is filled with things. Here is one of them.
Spotify playlists are full of low-effort slop, and nobody notices2024 Dec 19
This is a Harper's article about "ghost artists" – sound-alike muzak created for "mood" playlists that Spotify encourages the creation of because it's cheaper to play these tracks than music created by real artistic effort. It's presented as yet another eking away at musicians' ability to make a living from their art, yet the deeper issue I wonder about is the listener's inability to tell that they're listening to pandering, derivative slop. Quoting one of the musicians hired to create these tracks:
Honestly, for most of this stuff, I just write out charts while lying on my back on the couch. And then once we have a critical mass, they organize a session and we play them. And it’s usually just like, one take, one take, one take, one take. You knock out like fifteen in an hour or two.
It comes as little surprise that the muzak companies behind this have close financial ties to Spotify, and are also starting to lean into AI-created music, because of course they are.
And then there's this Hacker News comment about the Harper's article, from a person claiming to run one of these muzak firms, which passes no judgement, but does add a new point-of-view:
I run a label that has direct deals with certain major DSPs. We do over a billion streams a year.
The entire “wellness” music category is programming driven. Much of my energy is spent building and maintaining relationships with the programmers, even with our direct deals. We take a reduced payout on the master side in return for preferential treatment on playlist positions.
I have an active roster of extremely talented producers. It’s a volume play. I’ve made tracks that I’m quite proud of in 90 minutes that have done 20+ million streams.
It’s a wild system but we’ve made it work. Not really a critique or an endorsement - just making a living making music.
Edit: fun fact, Sleep Sounds is generally the #1 streamed playlist on the entire Apple Music platform.
Not to be a snob, but... (I am a snob) listen to real fucking music, people.
This is a Harper's article about "ghost artists" – sound-alike muzak created for "mood" playlists that Spotify encourages the creation of because it's cheaper to play these tracks than music created by real artistic effort. It's presented as yet another eking away at musicians' ability to make a living from their art, yet the deeper issue I wonder about is the listener's inability to tell that they're listening to pandering, derivative slop. Quoting one of the musicians hired to create these tracks: It comes as little surprise that the muzak companies behind this have close financial ties to Spotify, and are also starting to lean into AI-created music, because of course they are.
And then there's this Hacker News comment about the Harper's article, from a person claiming to run one of these muzak firms, which passes no judgement, but does add a new point-of-view: Not to be a snob, but... (I am a snob) listen to real fucking music, people.