King Gizzard, Spotify, and the Future of Music

King Gizzard, Spotify, and the Future of Music

From Galaxy Brain by The Atlantic

February 13, 2026 · 42 min · Episode 15

About this episode

The episode discusses the impact of streaming and AI on the music industry, featuring an interview with Stu Mackenzie of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard.

On this week’s Galaxy Brain, host Charlie Warzel dives into the state of the music industry, where streaming economics, algorithmic discovery, and generative AI are reshaping how music is distributed as well as what it means to make music in this environment. The episode traces how playlists and opaque recommendation systems have left many artists feeling like they’re battling an algorithm. With AI-generated songs now flooding platforms, and even in one case landing on a Billboard chart, the episode examines how automation, impersonation, and synthetic “diet music” are crowding into a system already strained by low payouts and creative burnout. Charlie is joined by Stu Mackenzie, the front man of the prolific Australian band King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard, to talk about making music in the algorithmic age. From embracing bootleggers to pulling its catalog from Spotify, Mackenzie explains how the band has tried to protect its creative core while the industry transforms around it. Charlie and Stu explore whether we’re witnessing a normal technological shift or something more existential—an era where music is treated as pure commodity. Get more from your favorite Atlantic voices…

People in this episode

Host: Charlie Warzel

Guest: Stu Mackenzie

Topics covered

  • music industry
  • streaming economics
  • algorithmic discovery
  • generative AI
  • artist challenges

Keywords

  • playlists
  • recommendation systems
  • AI-generated music
  • creative burnout

Mentioned in this episode

Products: Galaxy Brain, Spotify

Books & works: Pulitzer

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