Maddie

If you care about music, you should read this book.

When we think of major corporations shaping culture, we often think of Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Amazon, etc., but Spotify has cemented itself into the current zeitgeist. Pelly covers Spotify’s humble beginnings and the influence of piracy in music, and how it became a major source of music for 696 million people (with roughly a third of that paying for the service). Unsurprisingly, despite what the company says, a look behind the curtain does not provide an even playing field for artists, nor a true ‘discovery’ system for listeners.

I appreciated the range or sources used by Pelly, but would’ve enjoyed learning about how music is shared and sold throughout Asia and Africa, as the book is very Europe/USA focused. Perhaps this could’ve provided an alternate perspective on the state of music culture and artists.

Phenomenal.