Business

There’s no doubt about it: streaming media services like Spotify have revolutionized the process we listen to music. Where once enjoying music suggested first rifling through a heap of CDs or paying and waiting for a download, Spotify instead provides 100 million tracks at the touch of a button. Spotify has also transformed how we search for music. For instance, personalized playlists, powered by algorithms based on the user’s music preference, meant that Spotify recommended over 30 percent of overall listening in 2017. Tracks by little-known artists that otherwise would remain unknown are moved to the forefront and up the charts, thanks again to Spotify’s playlists.