How do you discover new music? Before,it was mostly through friends,record stores,and radios. Now, while friends and some radio still play a role, musical platforms are dominant. Spotify‘s annual summary is a perfect time to reflect on the new music that’s reached our ears. The european Union is even funding a project to “audit algorithmic music finding,” believing there may be bias and a lack of transparency in how these systems work.
Spotify and other platforms now seem to be the primary drivers of music listening and discovery. But Lorenzo Porcaro, a mathematician, researcher at La Sapienza University in Rome, and director of the European algorithm audit project, believes the situation is more nuanced. Here are his key insights, shared during a conversation with EL PAÍS at the Mozilla Festival in Barcelona this November.
1.How We Realy Discover Music
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It depends. Social networks are crucial for younger audiences.”They use TikTok, YouTube a lot…” Porcaro explains. “On *streaming* platforms, even though they market themselves as places for music discovery, it actually happens less.” The direct relationship between artists and their audience on social media is now key: “They’ll upload a new song or announce ‘my song is coming out this Friday,go listen to it on Spotify.'”
2. Does Anyone Decide What We Listen To?
Once inside Spotify,are we steered towards certain music? “It’s difficult to know for sure,because from the outside,you only see the end result,” says Porcaro. Some examples seem logical, like recommendations based on geographic location for major music festivals. “I doubt anyone in the US will be shown songs from San Remo or Eurovision. They understand the importance of national markets in some countries. In Italy, for example, I think 90% of the music heard is by Italian artists – one of the highest percentages in Europe.”
3. Why We Think There’s a Conspiracy About What We Hear
Things may happen that we don’t know or control, but their impact is hard to measure from the outside, which fuels conspiracy theories. “I start from what I *do* know,” says Porcaro. “The *majors* [major record labels] have the most to gain from promoting certain music, just like with radio: you hear what’s commercial. We also know,as public facts,that the *majors* have invested heavily in these platforms.”
But just because an algorithm recommends mainstream artists doesn’t mean a large company is pulling the strings. “The advice logic is very performance-driven: if there are 50 people in a room and everyone is listening to Bad Bunny, if someone new enters, recommending Bad bunny seems logical. Will they like it? I don’t know, but if everyone here listens to it, why *not* recommend it?”
Spotify recently announced the most-listened-to artists in Spain for 2025. It’s impractical to know if this reflects genuine Spanish taste or if the platforms have influenced listening habits. “That’s the biggest problem with working with these systems: very little is known,” says Porcaro. The music industry market is centralized around the *majors*. “Behind *streaming* lies a long history that influences how music spreads. While social networks emerged as a new technology, the music industry has been operating for years and carries notable weight.”