where does music go from here - trike harder by @katiewav

katiewav.substack.com · 2,726 words · saved by 1 readers

One of my first digital-native social experiences was in 2012 (I just barely fall outside of the age range to have been an AIM power user) on Spotify. I was in eighth grade and would send my LDR crush (he went to a different local middle school) song recommendations through the inbox feature; the feature was later removed in 2017, and quickly forgotten. But one of my friends has a theory: “They definitely got rid of DMs so they can funnel you to the curated playlists… that’s where they make money.” I remain skeptical about the theory, but it at least has legs. Spotify-curated playlists like Pollen and RapCaviar have attracted tens of millions of followers. Before TikTok became a launchpad for music discovery, snatching a spot on one of these coveted playlists was a test of an artist’s ability to penetrate the mainstream. RapCaviar now has its own TV documentary mini series on Hulu. Spotify is even credited for coining the term “Hyperpop,” for better or for worse. While it’s common know

Jun Takahashi, BORN, 2023 One of my first digital-native social experiences was in 2012 (I just barely fall outside of the age range to have been an AIM power user) on Spotify. I was in eighth grade and would send my LDR crush (he went to a different local middle school) song recommendations through the inbox feature; the feature was later removed in 2017, and quickly forgotten. But one of my friends has a theory: “They definitely got rid of DMs so they can funnel you to the curated playlists… that’s where they make money.” I remain skeptical about the theory, but it at least has legs.…

where does music go from here - trike harder by @katiewav

related reading