The Algorithms in Your Ears: Looking Into the making of your music feeds
From Arts Management and Technology Laboratory by Arts Management and Technology Lab
December 4, 2025 · 14 min · Season 11 · Episode 5
About this episode
Samantha Childers explores the impact of music streaming algorithms on song recommendations and the music industry.
In this episode of the Arts Management and Technology Lab, Samantha Childers explores why so many songs recommended by streaming platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music sound strikingly similar. She breaks down the inner workings of music streaming algorithms—how metadata, collaborative filtering, content-based filtering, and continuous feedback loops collectively shape the "perfect playlist." Samantha also examines Spotify features such as Discover Weekly and Discovery Mode , uncovering how these tools influence music discovery, artist visibility, and even compositional trends as musicians increasingly write with algorithms in mind. Alongside these technical insights, she raises critical ethical questions about data privacy, algorithmic bias, pay-to-play practices, and the shrinking role of human curation. Ultimately, the episode invites listeners to rethink how algorithm-driven platforms shape not only what we hear but also how we discover, value, and experience music. SHOW NOTES Samantha Childers A Critical Research of Spotify's Business Model—The Case of Discover Weekly We Tested Popular Music Streaming Services — These Are the Top 6 You Should…
People in this episode
Host: Samantha Childers
Topics covered
- music streaming algorithms
- data privacy
- algorithmic bias
- music discovery
- artist visibility
- compositional trends
Keywords
- music feeds
- streaming platforms
- Discover Weekly
- Discovery Mode
- metadata
- collaborative filtering
- content-based filtering
- pay-to-play practices
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music
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