Chained to the AlgoRhythm: How Spotify Standardizes Our Listening

First things first: how does Spotify's algorithm even work?

Let’s start with a few disclaimers. First, I am not an algorithm specialist. Second, no one really is when it comes to Spotify (who is committed to keeping things secret).¹ This is what we call a black box: a system whose inputs and operations are intentionally kept invisible to the user.² We are left guessing how the outputs — or, in this case, the recommended music — got there in the first place.

But from my intensive scouring of the internet, all evidence points to a feedback loop. This all begins with Spotify tracking your user habits — like the songs you save or skip, the genres you gravitate to, or that embarrassing album you binge-listened to all last week (you know the one).³ Using this data, Spotify then sorts you into taste clusters or groups of people who find similar artists and tracks appealing and bases your predictions on them.¹ Turns out, personalization isn’t so personal after all!

The “loop” truly circles around when you constantly consume these recommendations, only providing the system with “proof” that you genuinely enjoy that music.¹ In other words, Spotify is learning your taste so well that it reinforces (or maybe even determines) it.³

What’s so wrong with that? Spotify’s feedback loop traps you inside of a filter bubble, a fancy word for when an algorithm meant to personalize your experience does too good of a job, causing you only to encounter information that confirms your prior beliefs. Think of this as Spotify forming a literal echo chamber, with your music preferences endlessly bouncing back at you. There are three main problems here:

1. The user usually isn’t aware that they’re trapped inside of a filter bubble.⁴ And why would you ever pop the bubble if you don’t know you’re in it?

2. Filter bubbles solidify the exposure of mainstream musicians, abandoning smaller artists (whom, unfortunately, Spotify already drastically underpays anyway).⁵

3. The system promotes the system — that is, hits from dominant cultures, effectively endangering minority cultures who speak minority languages.⁶

Across these issues underlies the ultimate irony: a platform with the potential of expanding our listening tastes to new genres, underground artists, and unrepresented cultures is confining us to the depths of our minds. A platform with the potential to promote exploration and equality in the musical realm is just reinforcing the same barriers as before. A platform that could make us grow and connect as humans is making us dependent on machines.