Despite all of the gloom and doom around AI-generated music and algorithmic curation, there could be a strangely human-centered shift around the corner for Spotify.
A new generation of tastemakers and curators—call them Spotify influencers—who are emerging on the streaming service have the potential to change the way people discover music: Using their sizable social media followings to funnel followers to their Spotify accounts, they offer highly curated playlists as an alternative to the streamer’s own recommendations. Take, for example, Ari Elkins, who has more than 2.1 million followers on TikTok, and more than 40 public playlists with thousands of likes.
These influencers come at a time when attitudes toward music discovery and streaming are drastically changing, and if Spotify is to maintain its hegemonic hold on the music industry, it might need to start paying attention.
Tatiana Cirisano, a senior music industry analyst at MIDiA Research, says that Spotify’s hold on music discovery has been slipping in recent years. “Five years ago, RapCaviar and playlists which are curated by Spotify were where you discovered new music,” she says, “whereas now those playlists are becoming a lot more reactive to what’s already happening on other platforms.”
